The next time you finish a beverage that comes out of a plastic bottle, a St. John’s entrepreneur wants you to think of him.
Trevor Bessette is looking for bottle caps to recycle and then turn them into something usable.
“Our goal is to recycle all kinds of different plastics but we are focusing and starting with the bottle caps because they are extremely common plastics and one that ends up in the landfills quite often,” said Bessette.
Bessette started Seaside Apparel, a clothing line made from recycled plastic bottles and sewing scraps two years ago and is now trying to eliminate more plastic from hitting the landfill.
The bottle caps he collects will go into a shredder, which will turn the plastic into flakes. Then the flakes will be melted down and put into moulds to make other products.
Bessette said he wants to start with small items like key chains, coasters and flower pots, but is hoping to make useful items with long life spans, in the future.
“I guess the name of the game is to extend the life cycle of the material for as long as possible,” he said. “Ultimately we would like to take back the product we sell again, once people are finished with them, and recycle them again.”
A collection bin has been set up at the St. John’s Farmer Market where bottle caps can be dropped off and Bessette is hoping to sell his recycled products at the market in the near future.
