Innovative recycling mobile app to launch in December

Mobile users will soon have access to reliable information on how to recycle anything they desire, specific to their council's regulations, when the Sustain Me application launches in late December.

The Sustain Me application is the first of its kind, designed specifically to tackle negative recycling habits while supporting councils in reducing waste.

Co-managing director of the Sustain Me Group, Eleanor Meyer, said that while young, socially aware people are interested in recycling, they can become trapped in incorrect habits or behaviours when they are not aware of better ways to act.

“[Creating this app] felt like responsibility. Did you know that if you put recyclable items in a plastic bag and that bag in your recycling bin, that stuff's not actually recycled? They throw that out. People need accessible information about recycling in a convenient manner,” Ms. Meyer said.

Every possible item that can disposed of is conveniently categorised and listed in the Sustain Me application with specific instructions on how to sustainably discard it within the user's municipality.

The application also includes the locations of recycling centres and instructions on what goes in which coloured bin with differing information specific to each of the thirty metropolitan Melbourne councils.

Ms. Meyer, alongside her co-managing director Stephen Halpin, previously met with local government and climate change agencies to promote a dialogue how to create a sustainable impact in Victoria, including Melbourne Waste Metro Group, Sustainability Victoria, and state premier Denis Napthine.

The free application will launch on the iOS App Store and Android's Play Store next month, however interested users can pre-register at http://www.sustainme.com.au to receive the application as soon as it is released.