Introducing Recycled Plastic Pot Baskets & Lids

 

Introduction of Recycled Plastics keeps four tonnes of virgin plastic out of local waters.

We’ve been WA’s leading supplier to the professional and recreational crayfishing industries for over twenty years. We love our beautiful beaches & oceans (and the crayfish that come out of it!).  And we’ve long recognised the impact of sending craypots with plastic baskets, and necks into our pristine waters.

So, in an industry first, we’ve decided to step up and do something about it. Over the past twelve months we’ve have been conducting trials of craypot baskets, lids and necks made with 50% recycled plastic, rather than 100% virgin plastic.

We’re proud to launch our Black R50 range – made with 50% recycled plastic, sourced from right here in WA.

Our  trials have shown that the R50 product performs really well in the three key areas – pot building, surviving the harsh marine environment of salt and sun, and, most importantly, catching crayfish. 

Crackpots company directors Josh Hills and Carlinea Williamson are excited about the success of the trials.

“We’re really proud of this change,” said Carlinea. “We’ve been wanting to be proactive in this arena for some time. We had our first batch of 50% recycled plastic components made for us nearly a year ago, and have distributed them to fishers up and down the coast.

“We know for sure that the recycled black components fit just as easily into pots when they are being built, and now the fishers are telling us that they catch just as well as pots with red necks and red baskets. To date, the feedback is that they are lasting as well. We are so pleased that they have been received with such enthusiasm.”

Price is also a welcome change. Despite the Australian dollar affecting the price of the plastic components, the recycled black components will be cheaper, as the price rise only affects them.

“We still have plenty of red components in stock, and we know that that there’ll be some customers who will need a while to make the change,” said Carlinea.

“Our goal is that all the new pot components that we sell will contain 50% recycled plastics.

“Unlike virgin plastics, which are sourced from overseas, all our recycled plastic is sourced  in WA, from the contents of regular domestic yellow-lid recycling bins.  We also recycle any waste plastic that may occur during our manufacturing process. Ultimately we’d love to set up a collection system for old pot components so that these can also be recycled and used to make new baskets, necks and lids.  We’ve started work on this but we’re a little way off launching.  Watch this space!”

Thanks for supporting us to make this positive change.

Want to know more?  Here’s some questions that we get asked regularly.

• Where does the recycled material come from?

Virgin plastics are all imported from overseas.  We source our recycled material locally, from right here in WA, from plastics that are recycled in your yellow top recycling bin at home. We also recycle any waste plastic that may occur during our manufacturing process. So, if you were wondering if anything good ever came out of your recycling bin – now you know!

• Why are the recycled baskets, lids and necks all black and not red?

There’s a very good reason, but first of all you need to know how the red baskets are made.  To make a red basket we start with neutral coloured feedstock (plastic!) and then add a red pigment to it to get our distinctive red colour.

When we use recycled materials, it’s very unusual to get neutral coloured feedstock.  The most commonly available recycled feedstock is a jumble of many colours.  When you combine it all together it comes out as black!

• Have the black coloured components been tested?

Our first batch of 50% recycled plastic components were made for us nearly a year ago.  Since then we’ve given them out to lots of different fishers up and down the coast.

We know for sure that they go just as easily into pots when they are being built; we now know that they catch just as well as pots with red necks and baskets. To date we’ve also had feedback that they are lasting as well.

But we’ll keep seeking feedback to make sure. 

• Will the range stay the same?

Yes – for the most part!  We’ll continue to hold good stocks of:

1. super baskets in standard in big hole/big hole;
2. super baskets in standard in big hole/small hole;
3. small necks, large necks and lids.

In future, the super baskets in deep (or super deeps) will only be available as special orders, as there has been very few sales of these of the past four years. For now though, limited quantities of the red Super Deep baskets are still available.