The Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy has nominated her Electorate Office in Firebrace Street, Horsham as a collection point for plastic milk, water and soft drink tops that will be recycled to make prosthetic limbs for child victims of landmines in third world countries.

A project of Victorian not-for-profit organisation Envision Hands, the bottle tops will be sent to a warehouse in Melbourne for cleaning and sorting into colours.

They are shredded and fed through an extruder which produces an ink-like filament. The filament is then used in conjunction with 3D software to print the prosthetic hands and arms that are donated to children in need.

Anywhere from 300 to 1000 bottle tops are needed to make a plastic hand, depending on the size and type of hand required.

Envision Hands set themselves the goal of collecting 1,000,000 bottle tops and turning them into 100 hands and arms by the end of 2019. They have smashed the bottle top goal and have now set their sights on 2,000,000.

Ms Kealy said that next to plastic bags, plastic bottle tops were one of the top polluters of the oceans and environment.

“So not only is the project providing much needed support to child amputees in under-serviced nations, it is also benefiting the environment,” she said.

“In some Council areas our recycling is currently ending up in landfill, so this is a positive way people can take action to help protect the environment and make a difference too many lives at the same time.

“The generosity of western Victorian people is well known and I am proud to offer my office as a collection point for such a great cause.

“I encourage local residents to start collecting their plastic bottle tops and to drop them into my office at 114 Firebrace Street, Horsham.

“This is a fantastic project and I encourage all local residents to get involved.”