When local man Wayne Morcom wanted to do something positive for his local community and the environment, he thought Lids4Kids would be a great start.

Yet in all his efforts Mr Morcom has had nothing but heartbreak and disappointment.

And so it was with a heavy heart that Mr Morcom posted on the Lids4Kids Northern NSW public Facebook page last week that he is ‘pulling the pin’ on his involvement in the charity.

A retiree with PTSD Mr Morcom told the Lismore App he has suffered two mini-strokes this week over the stress of trying to make something good happen with Lids4Kids in the Northern Rivers.

“It’s been me, myself and I trying to get Lids4Kids working here.

“A lot of people say it’s great, but it’s not.

“COVID made it that the lids need to be clean, dry and washed but 60 per cent are coming in dirty.

“Even though we advertise no one notices.

“People are putting in rubbish with the lids. 

“I understand that recycling is confusing and Ballina and Lismore rubbish goes to Brisbane … our plastics go into landfill in Brisbane.

“So, people are separating their plastics but it’s going to landfill in Brisbane,”

Like many people in the Northern Rivers, Mr Morcom wanted to keep plastics out of landfill.

He said that he has tried to secure funding through grants with founder of Lids4Kids, Canberra based man Tim Miller without any success.

“I’ve tried to get grants with Tim and the PM said [the Northern Rivers] is only a minuscule player in this, yet Lids4Kids in Tasmania are making water filters for developing nations and in Qld they’re making building blocks for preschools. In SA they’re making dinnerware. 

“In Canberra, the lids are going to the National University who are given $100,000 in funding to make something out of the lids.”

After arguing with Lismore Council over their demand for 20% of profits from products that Northern Rivers Lids4Kids make so Lids4Kids could secure a shed to sort, clean, and organise plastic bottle lids Mr Morcom is beside himself.

“They have unused sheds and won’t rent them out. They’re sitting there doing nothing. 

“We set up the non-profit to make prosthetics for kids .. Lids4Kids are giving funds raised to schools in Victoria that have plastics in their curriculum yet we’re having so much trouble here on the Northern Rivers because it’s more profitable for landholders to keep their property vacant rather than lease a shed for a charity deduction.”

With over 2.2 tonnes of bottle caps in his own shed alone, Mr Morcom said Lids4Kids Northern Rivers needs a secure, long-term space if it is to make any difference here.

“I’ve got families that donate wheelie bins full of cans and lids .. and we need around $30,000 to buy equipment to process these things, and we can’t even get local support for a location. 

Mr Morcom said that the need to travel great distances over the entire Northern Rivers to collect lids has put a lot of pressure on him, emotionally and financially.

“I’ve been from Kempsey to Port Macquarie and Tweed, the tyranny of distance for people to collect lids has cost me a lot of time and money.

“In Canberra they have over 200 people working to sort and clean lids but not here. 

“Everything is against me here.”

As a Lions Club member, Mr Morcom has logged 1104 volunteer hours with Lids4Kids. 

Locally, over the last eighteen months Lids4Kids Northern Rivers has collected 1.1 million lids.

“The caps have to be cleaned and sorted into colours and polymers as some burn hotter and release toxic fumes.

“That’s why China has rejected our plastics, because they’ve been classified as contaminated.”

“I would like to see someone who has a facility to work out a cheaper rent or donate space for us, a big shed somewhere that’s been empty for years, we need 3 phase power to run machinery.

“We could recycle Norco plastic bottles too but they haven’t replied and no longer pick up their milk bottles.

“There is so much we can do, we just need some help to do it.”

For the time being Mr Morcom has had to step down due to his health yet those interested in giving Lids4Kids Northern Rivers a leg up please reach out here. 

State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin commended Mr Morcom for his dedication to the Lids4Kids Northern Rivers charity and hoped a local organisation or group might continue the excellent work already achieved under his stewardship.

“All good ideas remain good ideas and find their time to shine,” Ms Saffin said.

Kids 4 Lids are seeking volunteers to take over the helm.