How the rising cost of recycling is affecting the waste crisis
Since 2016, the act of recycling has been gaining traction around the globe in one of the most unique and innovative ways. Using low-cost do-it-yourself (DIY) machines, designers are making recycled plastic products.
At Bope Shop in downtown Chang Mai, Thailand, plastic trash is being transformed into marble patterned coasters, countertops, and much more. Most of Bope Shop’s products are made from HDPE & LDPE plastic bags that are locally collected. These overlooked raw materials are then processed with a Precious Plastic injection machine. Founders of the Bope Shop, Terh and Permika, have even created their own sheet press machine to expand their product line to include tables and shelves.
In Lviv, Ukraine, DIY equipment constructed from old industrial parts and a shopping cart recycle plastic trash into unique decorative bowls and more. Designer Jivan Tatko, owner of Zelenew, merges industrial techniques such as the use of the extrusion machine with traditional craftwork to create precise and refined products with a refreshing handmade twist.
And in Seoul, South Korea, designers at Prag take mobile plastic recycling carts and repurpose them into a interactive-small-mobile-factory, known as a Desk Factory, to create workshops across Seoul with the sole purpose of educating people about plastic recycling. These beautifully designed, compact, and fully functional mobile Desk Factories aim to engage and inform the people of Seoul about recycling, repurposing, and reusing. Each desk factory specializes in the repurposing of specific material. There are already two versions of the Desk Factory stationed in Seoul districts, one to produce lamps and the other to make toys.
With a majority of the 300 million tons of plastic that is produced and not recycled each year, these designers are taking the initiative to educate the public on how simple and beautiful recycling can be.
Want to know how you can be apart of this innovative recycling movement? Dave Hakkens’ Precious Plastic video will provide you with the information needed to create your own DIY machines that will allow you to turn plastic waste into extraordinary products from anywhere in the world!
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