An Intergenerational Collaboration for a Healthier Planet

As part of Regis’ commitment to sustainability and ongoing collaboration with The Turtle Tribe, Ned Heaton, the founder and 2019 Young Entrepreneur of the Year, met with aged care residents at Regis Sandgate-Musgrave in Brisbane on Monday 6 June.

Regis has been partnering with The Turtle Tribe since 2020. The Turtle Tribe produces high-quality biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes and is on a mission to ban plastic toothbrushes, which can hang around for hundreds of years.

The Turtle Tribe estimates more than three billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away every year.  Since Regis’ collaboration with The Turtle Tribe, the aged care provider has replaced 30,000 plastic toothbrushes annually with sustainable bamboo alternatives.

Dr Linda Mellors, CEO and Managing Director of Regis, says the partnership with The Turtle Tribe was extremely rewarding with residents enjoying doing their bit for the planet.

“We know sustainability is very important to our residents, clients, families, employees and shareholders,” Dr Mellors says.

“We are continuously striving to be environmentally sound and economically viable at not only our 64 residential aged care homes but across all of our sites and offices.”

Ned Heaton founded The Turtle Tribe when he was just 11 years old. Regis is proud to work with passionate individuals and organisations that are committed to making a positive difference in the world.

Ned says Regis’ support of The Turtle Tribe has been instrumental in his mission to reduce plastic waste and save our oceans.

“By 2050 scientists predict there’ll be more plastic in the ocean than fish. We can’t let that happen, we must change,” Ned says.

“Since Regis residents started supporting The Turtle Tribe, we’ve gained the size and credibility to negotiate with governments, large retailers, and other large aged care providers to reduce unnecessary plastic waste.

“In my experience older Australians care deeply about the state of the world, having seen environmental degradation over their lifetimes. They take immense joy in spending time with young children but worry about the world they’re growing up into, and are keen to play their part, however small, in leaving the world in a good state for future generations.”

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Regis offers a diverse range of care options including residential aged care, home care, retirement living, day therapy and day respite. Regis is one of the largest providers of aged care in Australia and cares for more than 7,000 residents each year.