Every month the Geelong Disabled People Industry (GDP) prevents 50 tonnes of waste going into landfill by recycling everything from polystyrene to old electronics.

"We're doing something right, not only for us, but for the earth, for the world," GDP employee Daryl Lohman says as he climbs off a forklift.

Mr Lohman has spent the morning cutting up leftover wood from local constructions companies, which GDP then sells as firewood.

Daryl Lohman spends his days recycling wood off-cuts. ( ABC RN: Fiona Pepper )

But wood recycling is just one of the many ventures at the vast warehouse.

Production manager Tye Cummins says GDP recycles polystyrene — a product that is not regularly recycled — from local businesses.

It also recycles spools of nylon string from a local carpet manufacturer, barbecue gas tanks and e-waste.

Polystyrene, nylon string and fence palings are all recycled by GDP. ( ABC RN: Fiona Pepper )

"We do anything we can do to save a bit of landfill going in," Mr Cummins says.

"Around about 50 tonnes per month is what we save going into landfill, which equates to around 400 cubic metres."

GDP has 80 employees and Mr Cummins says they all appreciate the importance of recycling.

"Some of them might not realise how big an impact we are making," he says.

"But they've all worked out that we're getting things that other companies throw out, and making a job and earning a few bucks and keeping people employed with it."

Frank Urban and Kevin Mackay shred paper, to be used for lining horse stables. ( ABC RN: Fiona Pepper )

Inside the noisy wood workshop, Graham Baltetsch is using a bandsaw to cut up disused fence palings to be made into seed trays.

Turning off the machine to stop for a chat, Mr Baltetsch explains that for the last 46 years, GDP has given him purpose.

"It gives me something to do every day, get out of bed, instead of sitting around doing nothing," he says.

Nick Rose packages compacted sawdust which is sold for firewood. ( ABC RN: Fiona Pepper )

Mr Baltetsch says he enjoys the feeling of recycling something once considered rubbish.

"That's pretty good, because it's only going to be thrown away, and in today's society we've got to recycle because the tips are getting over-full," he says.

And it seems the message is spreading.

"We're always looking for what we can recycle and I think a lot of Geelong companies are getting conscious of it as well," Mr Cummins says.

"They're looking at ways they can recycle, and a lot of the time they come and see us to see whether we can assist them."

Rebecca Roy has worked at GDP for 10 years. ( ABC RN: Fiona Pepper )

GDP has been operating for the past 50 years.

It began repairing crates for Coca Cola long before the current recycling trend.

Eric Smith, the general manager, says while recycling is the focus of the organisation, his employees are the top priority.

"The most important thing that we believe, is making sure that people with a disability at GDP have got clean work … that they've got a place in the community," he says.