Volunteering Opportunities

Our Lids4Kids Community Recycling & Education Centre (HUB) offers many volunteer opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and levels of experience. We need help with collecting, sorting, administration, construction and helping at community events – just to name a few. Many of the tasks require absolutely no previous experience and can be done remotely at times that suit you. We can even offer delivery of boxes of recyclable materials for you and your family to sort at home. Volunteers are welcome to join us for as little or as long as they like. Even if you’re only available for as little as a few hours a month, every little bit helps!

Whilst many of our volunteer activities may seem simple, they do provide a meaningful way for a lot of people with limited physical and intellectual capacity to make a worthwhile contribution to help rescue small waste from landfill and our environment. Volunteering is quite an engaging and social activity that members of the community suffering from mental health issues and social isolation can engage in.

Our HUB is a very welcoming and inclusive environment where we also offer free tea and coffee to all volunteers. Our facilities are wheelchair accessible. Our only warning is that the satisfaction gained by participating in some of our activities can be quite addictive – so please keep an eye on the clock!

If you are interested in any of the various tasks listed below, please feel free to contact us or pop into the HUB for a chat. Please note that the majority of on-site volunteering roles will require members to apply for a Working with Vulnerable People Card (WWVP) which includes a background check conducted by the ACT Government and ACT Police. Please also note that for insurance purposes, all volunteers will have to become a financial member of Lids4Kids. Some roles will require a valid drivers licence.

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Collections – Small Cardboard Boxes from Canberra Hospital

Lids4Kids is very fortunate to have the support of the supply staff at The Canberra Hospital (Woden ACT) who put aside dozens of single-use cardboard boxes for our charity to re-use. Each day, one of our volunteers visits the hospital loading dock to collect a particular brand of cardboard box that we use to store all of our rescued recyclable items.

We are looking for more volunteers to join a roster for collecting these boxes. Once collected, the cardboard boxes need to be flattened and then delivered periodically to our HUB at 141 Canberra Avenue Fyshwick. Volunteers would need to have a valid drivers licence and the physical ability to carry, flatten, load and unload empty cardboard boxes.

Collections – Small Plastic Tubs from Boost Juice

Lids4Kids is very fortunate to have the support of staff from the eight individual franchises of Boost Juice in the ACT. These staff put aside dozens of single-use 10L plastic tubs for our charity to re-use. Each week, one of our volunteers visits a Boost Juice location to collect the plastic tubs (and matching lids) that we repurpose as our Zero Waste Warrior tubs for our members to rescue everyday recyclable household items. This usually occurs on a Monday afternoon but can be negotiated with the store manager.

We are looking for more volunteers to join a roster for collecting these tubs and lids. Once collected, the tubs and lids need to be washed and dried and then delivered periodically to our HUB at 141 Canberra Avenue Fyshwick. Volunteers would need to have a valid drivers licence and the physical ability to carry, wash, load and unload empty plastic tubs.

HUB – Washing Zero Waste Warrior 10L Tubs & Tub Lids

Lids4Kids members in the ACT region use our Zero Waste Warrior Swap&Go Tubs to collect their everyday household recyclable items. Once full, members exchange their full tubs for empty tubs at various Swap&Go locations. These tubs are all collected and returned to the HUB where they are emptied and sorted for recycling each day. Some of these tubs are clean enough that they can be re-used immediately, some require a quick wipe down, some require washing with detergent. Our current practice is to air-dry the tubs and lids outside.

We are looking for volunteers to join a roster for washing these tubs and lids at our HUB. At this early stage, despite having thousands of members, the volume of tubs requiring washing is relatively low (less than 50 per week). The roster may require volunteers to wash tubs once a week or once a month depending on their willingness, availability and number of other volunteers. In future, it may be possible for volunteers to take the tubs and lids home to be washed and dried and returned when next rostered on.

HUB – Washing Zero Waste Warrior 240L Bins

After Easter 2025, Lids4Kids will launch our Zero Waste Warrior bins in the ACT region for schools and workplaces to collect their dirty lids and/or everyday household recyclable items. Once full, Lids4Kids volunteers will collect these bins and replace them with empty tubs at customer locations. These bins will be returned to the HUB where they will be emptied and sorted for recycling each day. Some of these bins might be clean enough that they can be re-used immediately, some may require a quick wipe down, some will require washing with a high-pressure hose and detergent. Our practice will be to air-dry the bins outside. We do already have a handful of bins that require washing each week.

We are looking for volunteers to join a roster for washing these bins at our HUB. At this early stage, we do not know the volume of bins that will require washing. The roster may require volunteers to wash bins once a week or once a month depending on their willingness, availability and number of other volunteers. In future, it may be possible for volunteers to take the bins home to be washed and dried and returned when next rostered on.

HUB – Washing Small Plastic Bottle Lids

Lids4Kids members in the ACT region use our Zero Waste Warrior Swap&Go Tubs to collect their everyday household recyclable items. Once full, members exchange their full tubs for empty tubs at various Swap&Go locations. These tubs are all collected and returned to the HUB where they are emptied and sorted for recycling each day. We do ask that members ensure that all of their recyclable items are clean and dry. However, some of these tubs do contain small plastic bottle lids that are not clean enough to be sorted and recycled.

These dirty lids are emptied into large 240L wheelie bins to be washed and dried. Many of our volunteers take these lids home in smaller containers ranging from small cardboard boxes (15L) to larger plastic storage tubs (50-100L). These lids require soaking or washing with detergent in tubs, sinks or clothes/dish washing machines. Our current practice is to air-dry lids outside.

We are looking for volunteers to collect boxes or tubs of dirty lids and take them home for washing and drying. It is very important that lids are not re-packaged wet as they can develop mould. The colour-sorting of lids is completely optional. Despite having thousands of members, the volume of 240L bins full of dirty lids requiring washing is low (less than 5 per week). We do not have a roster of volunteers. Boxes and tubs are collected once a week, once a month or ad hoc depending on volunteer willingness and availability. There is no time limit to return the washed and dried lids. It is possible for volunteers to take the entire 240L wheelie bins full of dirty lids home to be washed and dried but we do not recommend this.

If you are not able to visit the HUB to collect boxes or tubs of dirty lids, we can offer delivery but only in larger quantities to justify transport eg minimum of ten boxes or 2-3 tubs. Please note that a full tub of lids can be quite heavy.

HUB – Sorting Small Plastic Bottle Lids (by colour)

Lids4Kids members in the ACT region use our Zero Waste Warrior Swap&Go Tubs to collect their everyday household recyclable items. Once full, members exchange their full tubs for empty tubs at various Swap&Go locations. These tubs are all collected and returned to the HUB where they are emptied and sorted for recycling each day. As our charity name suggests, the primary item that our members rescue from landfill is small plastic bottle lids from milk, water and soft-drink bottles. As our ZWW tubs are only 10L in size, we do not require members to colour-sort plastic lids. Therefore, we do end up with many eligible plastic lids that require colour-sorting (over 50,000 each week)!

We are looking for volunteers of all ages and abilities to join us at the HUB to help us colour-sort lids.

If you do not have time to volunteer at the HUB to help us sort lids, you are more than welcome to collect boxes of lids and take them home for sorting. There is no time limit to return boxes of lids and it’s OK to return lids that you didn’t get a chance to sort. We also have boxes of dirty lids if volunteers would like to assist us with washing lids before colour-sorting.

If you are not able to visit the HUB to collect boxes of clean (or dirty lids), we can offer delivery and pickup but only in larger quantities to justify transport eg minimum of ten boxes.

We also have other types of small plastic items that require sorting by colour including:

squeezy pouch yoghurt lids (which are used for art/craft and murals)
small pop-top lids (which can be recycled once disassembled)
bread tags (including by type eg cardboard vs plastic)

HUB – Sorting Small Plastic Bottle Lids (by type)

Lids4Kids members in the ACT region use our Zero Waste Warrior Swap&Go Tubs to collect their everyday household recyclable items. Once full, members exchange their full tubs for empty tubs at various Swap&Go locations. These tubs are all collected and returned to the HUB where they are emptied and sorted for recycling each day. As our charity name suggests, the primary item that our members rescue from landfill is small plastic bottle lids from milk, water and soft-drink bottles. These lids are sorted by colour by volunteers.

However, before these plastic lids can be recycled, they also need to be sorted by type. This can be done by separating lids based on the number marked inside the recycle triangle (either a 2, 4 or 5) or by simply sorting the lids by shape, size, brand and type. The reason lids need to be sorted by type (or polymer) is that when recycling plastic, different types can not be added together. This can render the recycled product unstable (weak or porous) and also means that the product can never be recycled again (become an end-of-life product).

As you can imagine, colour-sorting lids is very popular amongst kids and adults alike. Therefore, we have millions of lids (in hundreds of small boxes) that have been colour-sorted but require polymer sorting. This is one of our major bottle-necks in the recycling process.

We are looking for volunteers of all ages and abilities to join us at the HUB to help us separate already colour-sorted lids by type. Whilst this activity may seem complicated, it does not require people with limited physical and intellectual capacity to make a critical assessment of each lid. Lids can be separated by their shade, look, texture and size.

If you do not have time to volunteer at the HUB to help us sort lids, you are more than welcome to collect boxes of lids and take them home for sorting. There is no time limit to return boxes of lids and it’s OK to return lids that you didn’t get a chance to sort. We also have boxes of dirty lids if volunteers would like to assist us with washing lids before colour-sorting.

If you are not able to visit the HUB to collect boxes of colour-sorted lids, we can offer delivery and pickup but only in larger quantities to justify transport eg minimum of ten boxes.

HUB – Sorting Small Metal Lids & Metal Items (by type)

Lids4Kids members in the ACT region use our Zero Waste Warrior Swap&Go Tubs to collect their everyday household recyclable items. Once full, members exchange their full tubs for empty tubs at various Swap&Go locations. These tubs are all collected and returned to the HUB where they are emptied and sorted for recycling each day. Whilst we receive millions of small plastic bottle lids, we also receive many metal lids and small metal items. As our ZWW tubs are only 10L in size, we do not require members to sort these items themselves.

We are looking for volunteers of all ages and abilities to join us at the HUB to help us sort the many metal items that we receive by type: steel and aluminium. This can be simply done by sight, weight or by using magnets on a stick or string (this is the most fun method for kids). The reason that we sort all of the metal items is because we receive different rates by the kilo from our local recycler for steel vs aluminium.

We also have other types of small metal items that require sorting including:

medicine blister packs
e-Waste
mobile phones

HUB – Sorting Small Medicine Blister Packs (by type)

Lids4Kids members in the ACT region use our Zero Waste Warrior Swap&Go Tubs to collect their everyday household recyclable items. Once full, members exchange their full tubs for empty tubs at various Swap&Go locations. These tubs are all collected and returned to the HUB where they are emptied and sorted for recycling each day. Whilst we receive millions of small plastic bottle lids, we also receive many metal items including medicine blister packs.

We are looking for volunteers of all ages and abilities to join us at the HUB to help us sort blister packs by type. They come in either 100% aluminium or mixed material: aluminium (50%) and plastic (50%). The reason that we have to sort all of the blister packs is because we either have to pay (or get paid) by the kilo to have these blister packs recycled.

HUB – Sorting Zero Waste Warrior Tubs, Bags & Bins

Lids4Kids members in the ACT region use our Zero Waste Warrior Swap&Go Tubs to collect their everyday household recyclable items. Once full, members exchange their full tubs for empty tubs at various Swap&Go locations. These tubs are all collected and returned to the HUB where they are emptied and sorted for recycling each day. We also receive mail-in Zero Waste Warrior bags from interstate and after Easter 2025, Zero Waster Warrior wheelie bins.

We are looking for more volunteers of all ages and abilities to join us at the HUB to help us sort all of the items from these ZWW tubs. You are welcome to join us for as little or as long as you like. We have a roster for those who would like to volunteer once a week, once a month or you can choose to simply pop-in on an ad hoc basis.

Items that we sort include:

aluminium foil & ring pulls
batteries
corks
dental products
eye-glasses
e-Waste
light globes
medicine blister packs
pens & textas
rubber bands
small plastic lids
small metal items

Workshop – Shredding Small Plastic Bottle Lids

We are looking for volunteers to assist in our Lids4Kids Workshop with the shredding of small plastic bottle lids. Our team can provide you with the necessary training and personal protective equipment (PPE). Our machines are safe and easy to use with simple push button operation.Some physical effort is required to empty the metal bins of granulated plastic into cardboard boxes.

Workshop – Packaging Boxes of Shredded Plastic

We are looking for volunteers to assist in our Lids4Kids Workshop with the packaging of cardboard boxes of shredded plastic. Our team can provide you with the necessary training and personal protective equipment (PPE). The process simply involves the filling, weighing, taping and labelling of cardboard boxes. Some physical effort is required to lift the boxes (7kg) and use of a upright hand trolley to relocate the boxes into our storage sheds. Some inventory skills arerequired to keep track of the number of boxes being packaged and moved.

Workshop – Packaging Tubes of Shredded Plastic

We are looking for volunteers to assist in our Lids4Kids Workshop with the packaging of tubes of shredded plastic. The process simply involves the filling, weighing, taping and labelling of small plastic tubes. Some inventory effort is required to keep track of the number of tubes being packaged.

Logistics – Transport Small Boxes of Items to local members

We are looking for volunteer couriers to deliver and collect small boxes of recyclable items to local members who aren’t physically able to make their own way to the HUB or visit during our standard opening hours. Volunteers must have a valid driverslicence and be a safe and responsible driver (as you’ll be representing our charity on the road). Volunteers may have access to our Lids4Kids delivery van (manual transmission) or can use their own vehicle.Some physical effort is required to lift the boxes (2-3kg) and use of a upright hand trolley to relocate the boxes in and out of member homes.

Logistics – Transport Small/Large Boxes of Items for Metal Recycling

We are looking for volunteer couriers to deliver small and large boxes of recyclable metal items to SIMS Metal in Hume ACT. Volunteers must have a valid driverslicence and be a safe and responsible driver (as you’ll be representing our charity on the road). Volunteers may have access to our Lids4Kids delivery van (manual transmission) or can use their own vehicle and trailer. Significant physical effort is required to lift the small boxes of steel (10-15kg) and large boxes of aluminium (10-15kg). Use of an upright hand trolley is also required.

Logistics – Transport Large Bulker Bags of 10c Containers

We are looking for volunteer couriers to deliver large bulker bags of recyclable 10c containers to the Return-It Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) location in Fyshwick ACT. Volunteers must have a valid driverslicence and be a safe and responsible driver (as you’ll be representing our charity on the road). Volunteers may have access to our Lids4Kids delivery van (manual transmission) or can use their own vehicle. Volunteers must have experience towing and reversing a largetrailer. Significant physical effort is required to drag the large bulker bags (50-80kg) in and out of our trailer.

Logistics – Transport Large Outdoor Furniture (Benches)

We are looking for volunteer couriers to deliver our recycled plastic outdoor furniture (including benches and tables) to various locations with the ACT region. Volunteers must have a valid driverslicence and be a safe and responsible driver (as you’ll be representing our charity on the road). Volunteers may have access to our Lids4Kids delivery van (manual transmission) or can use their own vehicle and trailer. Significant physical effort is required to lift the furniture (25-50kg) in and out of our van. Use of a platform hand trolley is also required. This is one of the most fun jobs of the charity as the customers are always very excited to see the end recycled product arrive.

Workshop – Manufacture Recycled Plastic Slats & Legs for Benches

We are looking for volunteers to assist in our Lids4Kids Workshop with the manufacture of recycled plastic materials for our outdoor furniture including benches and tables. Our experienced team can provide you with the necessary training and personal protective equipment (PPE). Our machines are safe and easy to use with simple push button operation. Some physical effort is required to affix and remove the steel moulds to our machines. The moulds can also get quite hot during operation.

Workshop – Assemble Plastic Slats & Legs for Benches

We are looking for volunteers to assist in our Lids4Kids Workshop with the assembly of recycled plastic materials for our outdoor furniture including benches and tables. Our experienced team can provide you with the necessary training and personal protective equipment (PPE). Some physical effort is required to assemble the individual components and drill them together.

Workshop – Heat Gun/Finishing of Benches

We are looking for volunteers to assist in our Lids4Kids Workshop with the finishing orassembled recycled plastic outdoor furniture including benches and tables. Our experienced team can provide you with the necessary training and personal protective equipment (PPE). Some physical effort and caution isrequired to use a heat gun to soften the edges of the furniture.

Workshop – Manufacture Small Products, Pens, Carabiners

We are looking for volunteers to assist in our Lids4Kids Workshop with the manufacture of small recycled plastic products including pens and caribiners. Our experienced team can provide you with the necessary training and personal protective equipment (PPE). Some physical effort and caution isrequired to assemble and attach the moulds to the machines (which can also get hot).

Ambassadors – Front Desk: Memberships & Swap&Go

More information coming soon!

Ambassadors – Market Stalls & Trade Events

More information coming soon!

Ambassadors – School Visits/Talks & Lid Sorting Sessions

More information coming soon!

Ambassadors – Community Organisations

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Sales – Residential/Commercial/Workplace

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Ambassadors – Hands-On Workshop Tours

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Ambassadors – Hands-On Art & Craft Workshops

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HUB – Volunteer Supervision & Guidance

More information coming soon!

HUB – Buddy Support for Supervisors

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Admin – Volunteer Rosters

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Admin – Desktop Publishing & Promotional Materials

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Admin – Charity Fundraising

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Admin – Grant/Funding Submissions

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Admin – Files/Document Management

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Admin – Finance Management

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Admin – Email Enquiries

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Sales – ZWW Program Residential/Commercial/Workplace

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Sales – Schools Program & Kits

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Sales – Hands-On Workshop Tour Bookings

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Sales – Product Enquiries

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Sales – Marketing/Promotion

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Admin – Project Management

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Admin – Lobbying ACT Government

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Admin – Lobbying Private Sector

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Admin – Membership Database

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Logistics – Operations Management

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Logistics – Inventory Management

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Logistics – Warehouse Storage

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