How We Turn Bottle Top Lids Into Christmas Decorations
By Banish · Published
We turn bottle top lids into Christmas decorations at our hub at Central Station in Sydney. The lids come from Australians who send them to the BRAD recycling program, and we hand-sort and clean them, shred them, then press the plastic into stars, baubles, trees and animals. Every decoration is made from recycled bottle top lids, which is why no two look the same.
Updated October 2026. Written by the Banish team.
Where do the lids come from?
Every decoration starts as a plastic bottle top lid that someone in Australia kept instead of binning. People collect lids at home and send them to us through BRAD, the Banish Recycling and Diversion Program, by post or by dropping them off in Sydney. Households, schools and community groups all take part.
Lids are easy to collect because they are small, light and mostly clean already. A jar on the bench is all you need.
Why do lids need a second life at all?
Lids are small, and kerbside sorting machinery is built for bigger things. Small pieces tend to fall through the sorting screens and end up in the residue instead of being recycled. Rules differ from council to council, but the size problem is the same everywhere. Our yellow bin guide has more on what your kerbside bin takes.
That is the reason we started making things from them. Collecting lids is only half the job. Someone has to turn them into something people want to keep.
How are bottle top lids turned into Christmas decorations?
Here is the process at our hub at Central Station in Sydney.
- Collect. Lids arrive through the BRAD program.
- Sort by hand. Lids are sorted by hand.
- Clean. Each lid is cleaned so only the right plastic goes forward.
- Shred. The clean lids are shredded into small flakes.
- Press. The shredded plastic is pressed into shape, in colourful designs: stars, baubles, trees and candy canes for the Decoration Pack, and animal cut-outs for the Aussie Animals set.
- Finish by hand. Each piece is handmade by the Banish team. The stars come with a piece of rustic twine so you can hang them straight away.
Our recycled plastic clocks are made from the same lids and have their own story.
Why does every decoration look different?
The colour comes from the lids. Lids arrive in every colour you can think of, and when they are shredded and pressed, the colours swirl and fleck through each piece. That is why no two decorations are ever the same.
If you want a say in the colours, you can pick a colourway. If you would rather be surprised, choose Lucky Dip and we pick a mix for you.
How many lids go into one decoration?
It depends on the shape. In the Decoration Pack, a bauble uses 4 lids, a tree 5, a candy cane 2 and a star 6. A star in the Star Pack uses 8, because it is a different design and size. An animal in the Aussie Animals set uses about 5.
So a whole tree of decorations quietly uses a lot of lids that would otherwise have had nowhere to go.
What can you buy?
Our Christmas range is handmade in Sydney from recycled bottle top lids:
- The Decoration Pack mixes stars, baubles, trees and candy canes.
- The Star Pack comes as a single star, a 5-pack or a 10-pack.
- The Aussie Animals set has an echidna, koala, kangaroo and kookaburra.
- The Star Garland is a kit with 10 stars and 3 metres of natural jute twine. You thread it yourself.
You can see everything together in the Christmas decorations collection, or browse everything we make from lids in the Made From Bottle Top Lids collection.
Why make them in Sydney?
Because that is where the lids end up. Making the decorations at Central Station keeps the whole loop local: collected in Australia, sorted and cleaned in Sydney, made into something useful in Sydney. Every pack you buy is made from lids that would otherwise be in landfill.
If you want the bigger picture, our BRAD Impact Report shows what the program has diverted so far.
Got bottle top lids sitting in a drawer?
Plastic bottle top lids are exactly what we use to make these decorations. Send yours to BRAD, the Banish Recycling and Diversion Program, and they can end up on someone's tree. Not sure which option suits you? Our guide to BRAD options will help.
Frequently asked questions
Are the decorations really made from bottle top lids?
Yes. The Decoration Pack is made from 100% recycled plastic bottle top lids collected through the BRAD program, and the Star Pack, Aussie Animals and Star Garland are made from recycled bottle top lids too.
Where are the decorations made?
They are handmade at Central Station in Sydney by the Banish team.
Why do the colours vary from the photos?
The colour comes from the lids themselves, so every piece is one of a kind. Choose Lucky Dip if you would like us to pick a mix.
Can I send my own bottle top lids to BRAD?
Yes. BRAD accepts plastic bottle top lids. It does not accept metal bottle tops or plastic bottle top rings and spouts. Keep everything clean, dry and loose.