SAD END: Customers saddened by closure of popular Craiglie recycling business
NOT SUSTAINABLE
A well-loved local recycling business at Craiglie has closed down, saddening many Douglas residents who regularly swapped their empty drink containers and other no longer used materials for cash.
The owner of Port Douglas Recycling, opposite Port Douglas Electrics on the Captain Cook Highway – Stacy Wilkinson – announced the closure to his customers on social media, saying “it simply isn’t a sustainable business.”
Mr Wilkinson added: “It is with great sorrow that I announce the closure,” saying that he had tried to seek solutions to keep the gates open.
“I cannot apologise enough to those who have supported us throughout the journey – but it simply isn’t a sustainable business, and hasn’t been for quite some time now,” he posted.
Customers were clearly sorry to hear of the closure.
“You guys were awesome and the kids loved our regular trips through your depot for a bit of pocket money,” one said.
Catherine Rosenbrauer, a supporter and regular customer of Port Douglas Recycling since it first opened about five years ago, told Newsport “it is very sad” that the business had to close, because Mr Wilkinson had done all the right things to set up a best practice recycling operation.
Ms Rosenbrauer said while she doesn’t know the exact circumstances of the closure, she believes it probably had to do with the fact that another similar recycler had opened up in Mossman a few years after that.
“It seems that this other recycling business in Mossman has taken away a lot of business,” she said. “I’m quite at a loss as to why the authorities would allow another business to open up in such a small market.”
Port Douglas Recycling advertised that it recycled cars, and was also attached to the Containers for Change scheme.
Containers for Change focuses on reducing container litter, increasing recycling efforts and helping communities benefit through paying refunds to individuals, charities and community groups.
“I know he was employing people and I know that he was helping local charities,” Ms Rosenbrauer said.
“I ran an Airbnb in Port Douglas for a number of years so I had quite a bit of recycling to take in. I know he was getting quite a bit of business from the hotels, and he was spending time putting out bins for them.
“It seems as though he did all the hard work and had the entrepreneurial spirit to get it going, and then somebody just came in and rode his coat tails.”
In his post, Mr Wilkinson had a final departing message, “thanks to those who have supported us, and I hope as a business, we’ve been able to do the same,” he said.
“To those seeking some cash for a bit of fuel, or a feed for tonight, I cannot apologise enough. I am so sorry.”
Newsport reached out to Mr Wilkinson for further comment about the closure of Port Douglas Recycling but at the time of publishing, we had not heard back from him.
We'll publish any comments from Mr Wilkinson about the closure as soon as they come to hand.
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