Local business, Gardening on Country, has every reason to smile after taking out the up and coming business award at the Victorian Aboriginal Business Awards last year.
The story started when Mitchell Skuta was attending a family photography session at the beach in January last year.
As they were posing for the photo, Mitchell noticed the amount of rubbish and plastic strewn across the beach, and began to wonder if there was a way to utilise the rubbish and divert it from landfill.
Mitchell was born in Bairnsdale and is a proud descendant of the Yuin Mob from the southeast coast of New South Wales.
Driven by his passion for the environment and a strong desire to contribute to its protection, he embarked on this personal business venture.
This kicked off the rabbit hole of research into recycled plastic, circular economies and repurposing that led to the creation of Gardening on Country.
The Aboriginal owned and operated business manufactures garden hand tools made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, using plastic lids from soft drink and water bottles that are shredded down and then melted before being injected into tool moulds.
The plastic lids are made from high density poly ethylene (HDPE 2) which is strong but lightweight and is resistant to chemicals, water and UV light.
Each one of their hand tools is made from 75 bottle caps.
Mitchell, his wife, Sarah, and mother, Tammie, make the tools in their workshop in Bairnsdale, and are sold on their website and through selected wholesalers (their products are stocked at Dalhsens).
“We are a young business but we have received very positive feedback from the public, community groups and our mentors,” Sarah said.
“In December we were invited to attend the Kinaway Victorian Aboriginal Business Awards where we won the up and coming business award.
“This award is presented to a business that is at the beginning of their journey but has built a solid foundation in their business and is ready for growth.
“We are very proud and humbled to have achieved this in our first year of business.”
Looking to the future, their business goals include opening a larger factory in Bairnsdale, upscaling their product range and production, implementing a recycling hub and creating opportunities for First Nations employment locally.
