Hundreds of pool toys recycled by Mum transforming Wellington’s waste
A mum of four is recycling inflatable pool toys and air mattresses from Wellington so her kids can grow up in a greener world.
Massey fashion graduate Ali Traynor has collected over 200 inflatable pool toys and air mattresses this summer alone, so that instead of going to waste they will be recycled into water resistant bags.
Traynor said, “once I had children, you realise how wasteful all the plastic toys that don’t last are, the stuff they grow out of and break… things aren’t built to last anymore.”
Traynor’s daughters were gifted an inflatable unicorn sprinkler for Christmas three years ago that quickly broke. As her daughters needed swimming bags, she had the genius idea to use the sprinkler fabric to make them.
Other parents and her kids' teachers loved the bags, so Traynor took to Facebook to find old pool toys and air mattresses to recycle.
“Everyone seems to be getting on board with trying to reduce waste, every bit helps,” she said.
“You really want the world to last as long as it can for them in the best possible way, otherwise what are you leaving to your kids and grandkids? If we don’t sort it out now, it's gonna be a real mess for them.”
Inflatable unicorns, watermelons, cup holders and balls are the most common pool toys that Traynor receives.
Traynor’s kids love to show off their mum’s creations. “My kids love it, all their friends have them,” she said.
Traynor’s idea bloomed into a small business called Lilla Bean. The business had grown the most over the last year and half when she started a website and began attending markets around Wellington.
“I’m doing the Newtown festival in a couple of weeks and I’m really excited, that’s gonna be a fun one.”
After graduating with a fashion diploma from Massey in 2002, Traynor went on to be a pattern maker in Wellington before becoming a stay-at-home-mum.
With her youngest kid about to start kindergarten, she’ll have even more time to create very soon.
