At Recycled Mats, our team is united in the understanding that we must walk our talk in all aspects of our lives, both professional and personal. It’s vital to our core message.
Recycling discarded or unwanted plastic into brand new recycled products is not the only thing we do to play our part in helping the planet and slow down climate change.
The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle motto is the shared philosophy of all our team members at Recycled Mats, and each one of us consciously and actively participates in the quest to protect Mother Nature.
We do so with the long view in mind, as we want to play our part in preserving and honouring the beauty of our earth for our children and grandchildren.
This is how we recycle at Recycled Mats...
We actively:
- Recycle to reduce our impact on the earth
- Reduce the amount of waste we create
- Find ways to creatively Reuse our waste so that it doesn’t add to the landfill pile.
We also take care to monitor our use of non-renewable resources, and redirect our unwanted items to people and places that want and need them.
Our big list of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle actions...
Here is a list of the things we do collectively, and individually, to make a difference on a daily basis.
We use clean energy
We installed solar panels at the Warehouse/Office in July 2021 and are proud to have installed solar panels at our old warehouses in 2018 and way back in 2015. The electricity used to power the warehouse is also green-subsidised by choice through our power company.
Some of our team members have solar panels on their homes too.
We installed roof insulation to reduce heating and cooling needs, and reduce the need for air conditioning units in the warehouse.
We also turn off the lights, computers and electrical appliances when they are not in use, switch them to standby when we leave the room and use natural light where we can.
We had a workplace "Green Audit" check completed on our previous premises to ensure that we were making every possible power-saving we can, and we'll do that here soon too.
We embrace pottery
Our workplace kitchen is full of china cups, pottery mugs, and glass tumblers. Staff and guests use these cups daily for that all-important morning coffee, and throughout the day for drinking water.
Staff also bring their own reusable water bottles and fill them at our filtered water station.
We ditched all single-use plastic bags
We switched to recycled plastic and recycled polyester carry bags for mats & rugs. We made the change to compostable mailer bags for the smaller items we sell, and we aim to re-use packaging wherever possible.
Wherever possible, we invite our customers to click-and-collect too, reducing the need for packaging, while also lessening the carbon footprint of posting it.
We action cardboard recycling en masse with a collection once or twice a month to be taken for shredding and re-purposing.
We wrap and package our orders using eco-friendly materials
In 2019 we switched to packaging that is not only recyclable but comprised of recycled materials. Our corrugated cardboard is made from recycled paper and card, and our green PET strapping (used to secure pallets and large parcels) is made from 100% recycled plastic pieces, joined using metal seals rather than throw away plastic ones!
We practice office paper recycling and recycle what else we can too
The cupboards are full of A4 recycled copy paper, but we’ve also shifted our mindset and now only print what is absolutely necessary.
We also regularly do a “fling out” where we clear out our old unnecessary files, shred it, and get it back into circulation via office paper recycling.
Cardboard boxes are taken to our local recycling centre, and we direct 90% of our other waste on-site to either our green composting or yellow recycling bins.
We recycle our bubble wrap, our glass bottles, and our aluminium cans too. We also reuse all of the strapping that comes off any stock delivery from overseas.
Plus we've recently (Feb 2021) switched from polyester to recycled polyester for all of our Australian-made cushion covers too!
and an IMPORTANT 2021 UPDATE....drum roll please!! We have purchased machinery to allow us to re-recycle our unwanted outdoor mats into fantastic, new, practical, Aussie made products! It's now 2023 and YOU can get involved....how cool is that?!! Read here for more info on our plight towards a circular economy! We're so excited!
We carbon offset our flights
Prior to Mar 2020, JJ and other team members flew interstate or overseas to meet new suppliers, check on product quality, source new products, touch base with our Indigenous artists, and visit our community of rug artisans & craftspeople, and their families.
While we've always tried to minimise our flights and combine tasks and activities so we could make one visit instead of two, carbon offsetting our flights helped us to minimise our impact that little bit more.
When required, some staff members work from home. This reduces fuel consumption and also limits traffic on the road.
We bought our car with fuel economy in mind.
We suggest alternatives
We encourage our customers to think of new and innovative ways to fill their cushions, pods, and beanbags.
Alternatives to foam or beans include upcycling clean clothes that no longer fit, and repurposing old linen, blankets or soft toys that have been sitting unused in cupboards to be used for stuffing.
These clever alternatives save our customers money too.
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We revamped the loo!
Yes. Even our bathroom features recycled eco-friendly products. The tissues, the paper towel, and even the loo paper are purchased with the minimal impact ethos in mind.
We practice sustainability at home
We encourage our team to research the reasons to recycle. That, along with seeing the benefits of recycling in action at work is usually enough impetus for action at work, and equally as important, in our homes and personal lives.
Our homes have or use:
- Solar panels
- Rainwater tanks
- Gas heating, heat pumps or solar panels for hot water
- Water flow restrictors in showers, and for those who love their showers, employ 4-minute timers too!
- Organic or chemical-free vegetable and herb gardens
- Fruit trees that are kept pest-free naturally
- Compost bins to compost our food scraps
- Worm farms
- Recycling bins for domestic and garden waste
But that’s not all. As caring citizens, we also:
Spend our money wisely
- Purchase eco-friendly and/or low or no plastic packaging where possible for soaps, shampoos, skin products, washing powders, cleaning supplies
- Ensure our cleaning products are chemical-free and earth-friendly
- Purchase recycled, eco-friendly paper products for home too (toilet paper, tissues, paper towels and baking paper)
- Shop locally with other earth-friendly small businesses - saving time, fuel, and supporting those with a similar ethos
- Avoid the big conglomerates where their recycling efforts may be questionable
- Buy quality - we want our clothing, bedding, and homewares to last for years and years, not just a season
- Avoid fast-fashion trends. We purchase goods and clothing pieces that never go out of style.
- Buy only what we truly and deeply love with all our hearts, so it doesn’t end up in landfill.
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Care for our kitchens and homes responsibly
- Reuse stainless steel coffee pods or opt for compostable ones
- Employ waxed-cotton food wraps in place of gladwrap or foil
- Line our bins with biodegradable bin liners or newspaper
- Refuse to buy one-use plastic water bottles and favour stainless steel and glass reusable drink bottles
- Say no to plastic straws and instead keep stainless steel or paper drinking straws
- Reuse old towels, t-shirts, and sheets for cleaning rags
- Use linen to wrap fragile items while moving house
Take care of our e-waste
- Drop off our electronic waste such as out-dated desktop PCs, laptops, flat batteries, computer accessories such as keyboards and mice, power cords, memory cards, hard drives, printers, scanners, entertainment equipment such as televisions and dvd players, electrical appliances, and broken phones to the recycling centre
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Eat consciously
- Buy organic and locally grown, spray-free produce from our local street stalls and farmers markets when possible
- Love our leftovers, bringing them to work for lunch
- Bulk buy staple foods from the local co-op to save on costs and plastic packaging
- Reuse our shopping bags to carry our supermarket hauls home
- Switched to jute or cotton bags for shopping expeditions
- Use glass jars to store flours, cereals, seeds, nuts, and perishables
- Use old carpets for weed mat in our garden beds
Warm-up in eco-friendly style
- Rug up in layers and pull out our cosy blankets during cold weather before turning on the heating
- Cover our wooden and slate floors with Indian rugs during colder months to lock in the warmth
- Close the blinds or curtains during winter to retain the heat
- Support and donate our money to planet-friendly charities
Love secondhand
- Love op shops. We buy and sell our “pre-loved” clothing, shoes, and furniture. Most importantly, if we don’t love it, we pass it on to someone who will, making space for the things we truly love.
- Buy books from op shops and recycle them after reading
- Visit our local libraries to borrow books, magazines and kids videos on loan.
- Buy and sell second-hand goods on Gumtree, or Facebook Marketplace
- Use freecycle groups to give away unwanted furniture or things we’ve since replaced that are still in good working order or old things in working order we’ve replaced on freecycle
- Gift unwanted items to charity shops
- Make do, or do without
We travel responsibly
We car-pool where we can. We walk or bike instead of using the car when possible. We catch public transport. We combine trips and our errands and don’t drive unnecessarily.
Our team members also care for their cars responsibly, with regular car services, oil changes, wheel alignments, and tyre rotations. Keeping the car up to scratch means cars last longer and drive cleaner. Every little bit helps.
We love our Earth.
It’s as simple as that.
As a team, we love what we do – we all adore working for a company that reimagines waste and turns it into a stylish, everyday product for home and living.
We are proud that many of these recycled products are designed by local Indigenous Artists. Recycled Mats plays an active role in sharing culture, bridging communities, and closing the divide.
Stretching the ethos of sustainability outwards to our homes and families is our mission, and we will not rest on our laurels. There are always more things to tweak, and other practices to embed.
Where can I stay up to date with the latest on your ever-evolving, earth-loving contributions at Recycled mats?
It's now 2023, and our efforts and options are increasing by the day. We recognise that every bit helps, and we are constantly looking for new ways to save energy, resources, look after our staff, and do better all-round. We want to be fully transparent in our efforts, so you can read more about our GreenKPIs here and stay up to date with the very latest info!
2023 Learning Resources with a difference!
We would also love to help you share our plight with the next generation, and demonstrate the importance of doing our bit. Educating kids about recycling doesn't have to be dull! There are so many fun ways to teach the fundamentals of a circular economy; Check out our blog post here, and let all styles of learners be inspired by our ideas!
Have you read about our latest endeavour to save bottle tops from landfill? Get involved NOW by clicking the link. Prepare to be inspired!
If you have suggestions on other helpful ways that you believe Recycled Mats can use to reduce our impact on our fragile environment, please feel free to email your suggestions to supertroopers@recycledmats.com.au
We'd love to hear and share your good ideas too.
