As parents across the region face a second – or even third – weekend of demands for fidget spinners, Auckland Council’s Waste Solutions team has some zero waste advice.
Naomi Roberts, WasteWise Advisor, says that while there are plenty of mass-produced plastic fidget spinners available, some of these tend to break easily.
“The great news about fidget spinners is that they can actually be made out of reusable or recycled items – they’re the ultimate weekend upcycling project!”
A quick internet search will reveal a multitude of instructions for dozens of different designs, many of which use common items found in kitchens and garages such as wood, paper and metal – even old CDs can be used.
“If you need to buy the items you could always head to one of our community recycling centres or a local op-shop to see if you can find the items second hand. Half the fun of these sort of projects is in the making and it teaches children about how to recycle materials along the way.”
Dispose correctly
If you do find yourself with broken spinners, regardless of the material they’re made from, they will need to go in the rubbish bin where they will be taken to landfill.
