KINDERGARTEN children at Avondale School, in Cooranbong, have been collecting plastic bottle tops to be recycled and turned into prosthetic hands.
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It's all part of the Envision Hands project, a Melbourne-based not-for-profit community initiative that uses 3D printing to transform plastic waste into prosthetics for children.
Teacher Sonya Lawson said the kindy kids had approached the project with an enthusiasm that was infectious.
"They even have grandparents, neighbours and their parents' co-workers helping them collect the bottle lids," Ms Lawson said.
"Every morning the children with bottle lids line up in front of the class to add their bottle lids to our collection."
The school became aware of Envision Hands thanks to a parent at the school.
"A school mum brought the project to our attention as she is a swimming teacher and teaches a child who needs a prosthetic hand and is waiting to receive one through the process of 3D printing," Ms Lawson said.
Once Envision Hands receives a batch of donated bottle tops, they are shredded and turned into a filament which is then fed through a 3D printer via a software program.
Ms Lawson said collecting the bottle tops had shown the children another dimension of recycling.
"We talk a lot about recycling and caring for our environment. It's great to see the children involved in a project where they can see recycling help another child."
