Page 7 - Rotary Matters - August 2020 - v2
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Bread tags for Wheelchairs
QUESTION: How many bread tags need to be recycled to buy a wheelchair?
ANSWER: Around 200 kg.
The Rotaract Club of Adelaide University (9500) has set itself a challenge collecting 200 kg over
4 months! If you fill one standard loaf plastic bread bag you get around 500 gms of tags so the club
believes it needs 5-6 plastic garbage bags full to reach its target.
The tags are then sold to a thermoplastic recycling company, Transmutation, based in the small
historic fishing village of Robe, SA. This company is making kitchenware, bags, clothing and
footwear - all from various recycled plastics. With the funds raised the club can buy a wheelchair
for a disabled child in South Africa.
Why most clubs would consider this project unworkable, perhaps even laughable, the Rotaract club
is setting up an impressive network of partners to achieve the target.
They have researched which businesses use a lot of bread each day. University food outlets,
school canteens and boarding houses, aged care facilities, cafes and lunch providers all consume
multiple loaves and even Rotary clubs’ Bunnings sausage sizzles use 40-50 loaves a day. They are
also setting up collection points at some of these businesses for customers to donate their tags as
well.
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