Members buying recycled pens at the 2023 ANMF (Vic Branch) Health and Environmental Sustainability Conference. Photo: Christopher Hopkins
Since 2022, the Branch has been collecting medication vial plastic flip caps from members for recycling.
More than 140 kilograms of caps have been collected and diverted from landfill thanks to members and two organisations – Reverse Art Truck and Recycled Pen Art – who re-use and repurpose the otherwise non-recyclable plastic into materials for schools and art projects.
Recycled Pen Art is run by a Branch member and her paramedic husband. They use the colourful plastic of intravenous medication vial caps and other recycled materials to create beautiful, handcrafted pens.
These pens were available for sale at the 2023 ANMF (Vic Branch) Health and Environmental Sustainability Conference, where they proved extremely popular – some members even buying several for gifts.
In good news for members who were not able to attend, the pens are also now available to purchase via the ANMF webshop.
Due to their handmade nature, each pen is unique. The pen bodies are crafted from recycled intravenous medication vial plastic caps and brushed polished metal in either silver, bronze, black, copper, rose gold, gold, or a mix of colours.
Each pen comes with an additional ink refill (further refills can be purchased from Officeworks).
The webshop is available for members only, and sells a range of other products, including easy-to-carry limited edition cutlery sets perfect for avoiding disposable cutlery; key ring torches; nursing and midwifery reference cards; a shopping trolley token that acts as a $2 coin, allowing you to release shopping trolleys without a coin; and discounted movie tickets.
