Mates on the Move: Coffee cups, paper towels and jobs

What do you do with coffee cups and paper towels? Mates on the Move deals with that problem for you and right now its business is poised for expansion with clients such as Mirvac, jumping aboard.

Most of us throw our coffee cups and towels into the general recycling, but actually, according to Lois Dillon of the Camperdown based not-for-profit in Sydney’s inner West, coffee cups can’t be recycled because of their plastic film, and nor can paper towels.

If they are kept separate, Mates on the Move will collect these and deliver them to SUEZ, a waste management, recycling and resource management company.

At the moment, Mirvac pays Mates on the Move to collect from its offices in and around the Sydney CBD. This well-intentioned organisation, which started life as a furniture removal business, trains and employs ex-prisoners just released from jail.

Many of the employees move on to other jobs, and all the profits go back into upskilling and training for people who find it hard to get that first job when just released, Lois says.

Other clients include Wesley Mission, Salvation Army, Mission Australia, Bridge Housing, Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, Anglicare, The Benevolent Society and St Vincent De Paul Society.

Head to the Mates on the Move website for more details including competitive booking prices and glowing testimonials.