BUY RECYCLED FOR BUSINESSES AND COUNCILS
As we move towards a circular economy, treating materials as precious resources means nothing should go to waste. Purchasing products made from recycled materials creates more markets for the material we recycle.
Businesses and Councils have larger purchasing requirements than individuals, and can therefore affect significant change with a few simple considerations. Updating procurement policies to include purchasing recycled content where possible is a great place to start.
Here's some ideas for how businesses and councils can Buy Recycled.
List of Services
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Parks, gardens and office exteriorsList Item 1
When installing garden beds, garden edging, garden stakes, outdoor furniture, decking, screening, signage, or fencing, look for products made from recycled plastic. Replas and Plastic Forests are among the Australian companies that manufacture these low maintenance, long-lasting, and sustainable products.
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Car parks, roads and infrastructureList Item 3
For road infrastructure, consider using asphalts made with recycled material. In Australia, there are a few companies that manufacture sustainable asphalt mixtures using different recycled materials including post-consumer soft plastics, recovered waste printer toner, recycled tyre rubber, and recycled glass sand. These valuable materials that were otherwise destined for landfill, are re-used and re-purposed into a high-performance product.
For new and existing car parks, look for wheel stops made from recycled plastics. Plastic Forests’ range of commercial wheel stops are made from 98% recycled soft plastics including post-consumer soft plastics that were destined for landfill. Their unique ‘green & gold’ wheel stop is made from farm plastics which are typically buried in landfill but have been upcycled into a value-added product.
Likewise, Plastic Forests’ recycled underground cable cover is a sustainable choice for protecting valuable underground assets whilst helping the environment, and their air-con mounting blocks are far stronger than imported virgin plastic alternatives and utilise 100% recycled plastics.
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Bollards and speed humps
List Item 4Similarly, when installing bollards and speed humps, look for products made from recycled soft plastics or used tyres. Replas makes recycled plastic bollards which are rigid, robust and will not split, rot, crack, or ever need painting.
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Office supplies
As part of the office stationery, consider buying pens made with waste ink and plastic from recycled inkjet cartridges. Many Australian companies also sell paper and cardboard products (e.g. office paper, paper stationery, toilet paper, packaging boxes) made from recycled fibre. Buy these products to conserve trees, save energy and water, and reduce waste-to-landfill.
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Fitouts and flooring
Before buying new carpeting for your office, look for products made from recycled materials. Modular carpet tiles made with recycled nylon yarns and recycled PET bottles are now available in the Australian market.
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Cleaning products
Consider buying cleaning products which have packaging with recycled content. There are several Australian manufacturers of cleaning products who are using recycled PET and HDPE plastic in bottles and recycled fibre in carboard packaging.
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Agriculture
Scrap tyres are being utilised to manufacture woven tyre mats for livestock handling in Australia. As a farmer, consider using tyre mats to improve the overall wellbeing of your livestock while reducing your environmental footprint. You can also use these tyre mats for other purposes such as erosion control, soil stabilisation, and road protection, among others.
Likewise, if you need to install paddock fencing, look for products made from recycled plastics such as the ‘Arris fencing’ from Replas. Also consider Plastic Forests fencing and farming products including their steel-reinforced PLUS fence Posts, Square Pickets and Lining Board for animal pens. Plastic Forests’ agricultural range is made from 100% recycled soft plastics, including farm plastics which are typically landfilled, to promote a circular economy.
MORE ABOUT BUY RECYCLED
Learn about our Buy Recycled Partners and industry leaders
Inspire your family and friends to make a change by sharing your pledge and tagging @CleanUpAustralia #CleanUpAustralia
Clean Up Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.