Kopane School

A discarded tank near Kopane School could easily have ended up in landfill — but instead, it became a powerful recycling story.

An ANZ Bank Relationship Manager spotted a Facebook post about the dumped tank and sent it to VPLAS, knowing their passion for sustainability. VPLAS quickly contacted Gyro Plastics, who immediately stepped in to help.

Mark and Malcolm from Gyro travelled to the school, cut up the tank, and worked alongside the students, who eagerly helped load the pieces onto a trailer. The tank was then cleaned, processed, and sent through a remarkable recycling journey — from Gyro to Replas, back to VPLAS, and finally returned to Gyro as recycled powder ready for rotational moulding.

Using this recycled material, Gyro created new gear bins for Kopane School, which were donated back to the students and staff.

The school later visited Gyro Plastics to see the process firsthand. The children watched recycled powder transformed into finished products and learned how rotational moulding works — turning old plastic into something useful again.

What started as a dumped tank became a hands-on lesson in sustainability, teamwork, and the circular economy — showing students that plastic waste can have a second life when communities work together.