The Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) has marked the one-year anniversary since the national roll-out of the free Recycle Mate app, which aims to improve resource recovery, support a circular economy, and boosting recycling confidence.
Recycle Mate is an initiative of ACOR and provides up-to-the-minute accurate and transparent recycling information to help answer all recycling questions.
The app gives users the ability to take a photo or type the name of an item they would like to know more about and provides disposal advice specific to their location.
The program is community-driven through an interactive open-source platform that is continually learning and growing with every recycling question.
In its first year, Recycle Mate has compiled Australia’s most comprehensive recycling database with a catalogue of more than 5,700 items, and has mapped 30,000 out-of-home recycling options – and it is growing every day with community input.
“We are working to create a culture of openness and information sharing within the recycling sector, and with governments, to reduce contamination in household recycling, improve resource recovery, support a circular economy and ultimately help the community to keep recycling with confidence,” said ACOR CEO Suzanne Toumbourou.
“As we celebrate our 1-year anniversary, we are thrilled to reflect on all that has been achieved so far. Recycle Mate has taught us so much about what people want to know about recycling and how the recycling industry, partner associations, and governments are meeting the community’s needs,” said Toumbourou.
Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia said we must move away from a ‘set and forget’ mentality because recycling technology and infrastructure is constantly changing.
“The good news is that we can now recycle basketballs, frypans, sports shoes, blister packs, coffee cups, plant pots, mobile phones and more. Just not in your home recycling bin. That’s why the Recycle Mate app is so great – quite simply, it tells you what to do, no matter where you are in Australia.”
Looking to the future, the next phase of Recycle Mate will seek to deliver:
- Improved item identification for users through barcode and QR code scanning functionality
- Inclusion of mail-in recycling programs and pick up services
- Enhanced options for greater tailoring and personalisation of Recycle Mate for local councils, schools, shopping centres, venues and other commercial entities and more
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