If you’ve got kids at school, or cast your memory back to those days, it seems collecting bread tags for wheelchairs is something most people have come across.
My kids (and some of their teachers), all kind of assumed that somehow those bread tags, which we all madly collected year-round, were melted down and crafted into wheelchairs, which were desperately needed in third world countries.
Or, maybe nobody really stopped to think, what happened once those scrappy pieces of plastic were gathered up in the giant jars at school?
As it turns out, there is one single charity in Australia that co-ordinates the collection process.
South Aussie company Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs collects bread tags from all over Australia, and then sends them to Robe, the only place in the country that can make something, from what would otherwise be rubbish.
Set up by South African expat Jenny Cooper, Aussie Bread Tags was formed after Jenny had seen a similar organisation running in South Africa, and was asked if she was interested in setting up in Australia.
The rest, as they say, is history.
The process is (far from) simple.
Bread tags themselves can’t be traditionally recycled because they’re actually made from polystyrene, so a more creative solution had to be found.
Transmutation, based in Robe, use a machine they’ve built themselves to compresses the bread tags, which allows them to be moulded into something beautiful.
From hexagonal bowls, bread boards and soup dishes, the team at Transmutation ‘transform’ the rubbish into functional art, and sell the pieces, with proceeds going towards funding wheelchairs for kids in need in South Africa.
Brad Smith, the owner at Transmutation, says he was recycling plastics for a couple of months, when Jenny from bread tags for Australia came down to the store in Robe and asked if he could do anything with bread tags.
Brad, being a creative problem solver, jumped online and taught himself how to create things out of plastic via a website called Precious Plastics.
“The Precious Plastics concept started about ten years ago. The guy designed four machines that you can recycle plastic with, at a small scale level. I saw that and reckoned I could make the machine, so made the machine off his blue print,” says Brad.
“Because the tags are polystyrene, no one was recycling them in Australia. Jenny used to have to send them back to South Africa, and it used to take her 6-8 weeks to save up for a wheelchair.”
“That conversation then turned into a focused business on the bread tags. I pretty much worked with that and I came up with a way to manufacture the product, where you still see the integrity of the bread tag in the finished product.”
Brad started with an order of 50kgs a month, and that’s now up to 250kg a month.
Since then, Country Road has even been in touch to use some of his white bread tag products like the chopping boards and salad bowls in their stores.
Transmutation isn’t just bread tags though. In their Robe store you’ll find other amazing sustainable products such as bags, clothing and jewellery.
Transmutation is located at 14 Flint St, Robe SA 5276, for more info and to buy their products visit their website here.
To learn more about Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs and how to donate visit their website here.
LATEST NEWS
- $35 Shiraz crowned as one of Australia’s best in international awards
A Clare Valley winery has been awarded gold for best shiraz in show at the London Wine Competition, the first Australian wine to ever do so. - R.M. Williams introduces new production line for women’s boot manufacturing
R.M. Williams has expanded its workshop in Adelaide’s northern suburbs to include a dedicated manufacturing line for women’s boots. - Iconic Hahndorf German Cake Shop says Auf Wiedersehen for now
After 50 years the iconic Hahndorf German Cake Shop will be closing down, owner Steven Matthew’s is tired and ready to move on. - The Sailing Club announced as unofficial afterparty of Clare Valley Gourmet Week
The Sailing Club has been announced as the unofficial afterparty of the highly anticipated Clare Valley Gourmet Festival Weekend. - Sturt Football Club touches down at Unley Shopping Centre these school holidays
Needing to break up the days this school holidays? Head along to Unley Shopping Centre for your chance to win some awesome prizes.
More News
