TURNING plastic bottle lids into recycled products is the core new Ballarat business, Zero Plastics Australia.<\/p>\n
After being interested in recycling plastic for years, owners Ashlee and Adam Slater only recently made the leap and kick started the business.<\/p>\n
\u201cFive years ago, I was studying my bachelor of science and biology, and my mates and I knew that 3-D printing was going to take off thought we would look at recycled plastic 3-D ink filament,\u201d Mr Slater.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did that for a while and hit a financial wall, then one day while I was working at the uni, I tested making a plastic sheet by using a recycled plastic and $20 sandwich toaster and I made it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew it could be done so we decided to go further down that path and see what else we could do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around a year ago, Mr Slater experienced a severe heart attack while they were expecting their second child, an experience he said lit the fire beneath his feet to turn it into a business.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was starting to look into making bigger plastic sheets but I was still working at the uni, so when COVID hit and I had to work from home I decided to just go for it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, the plastic lids get shredded up by BRI and we use some of our new machines to fed it in and it melts it down then we press it into either shapes with moulds or sheets with the large hot presses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve started branching into more detailed and intricate designs like the hexagon coasters, the dinosaurs, USBs, pots and jewellery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking care of the online side of things, Ms Slater said so far the business has managed to move and transform almost 500 kilograms of plastic in a year.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything we make is totally made out of recycled bottle caps and we partner with Lids for Kids who are a big community group as well to source those,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn most of the items, I have a customisable option as well in terms of the colours you can chose to make your product from so each piece is one of a kind, as individual as our fingerprints.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to their small production operations, Mr Slater said they are also involved with a charity called SOEL, the Southern Ocean Environmental Link, delivering educational services and packages to kids.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll go and talk to kids and it\u2019s so much fun, it\u2019s interesting because people are wanting to be educated and are interested,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people want to help and to recycle, but they think just dropping their lids in the yellow bins it\u2019s done but there\u2019s more to be done but selfishly, I just want a cleaner planet for my sons, so I chose to lead by example.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe amount of people that want to help is brilliant, it\u2019s such a cool community, we want to bring other people\u2019s ideas to life as well, that\u2019s what I want Zero Plastics to become.\u201d<\/p>\n