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What?
Prospecting Plastic is an innovative waste management proposal, designed to decentralise recycling through localising how we access, value and process plastic waste. By collecting, cleaning, sorting, shredding and forming domestic and commercial plastic waste into 100% recycled bin units, the predetermined end life of single-use plastic is halted and used to enable others to act on the problem through the multiplication of bins.
Why?
91% of recycled plastic in the UK ends up in either landfill, incinerator, ocean or as fuel in illegal power plants abroad. With no possible future for the material or a way to trust governments with the responsibility to deal with our waste sustainably, the public require a bottom up approach for collective engagement. The bins inspire optimism and enable a new perspective for a material once deemed inaccessible.
How does the service work?
Prospecting Plastic works by enabling members of the public to directly exist within the recycling process. By closing the loop between consumer, producer, recycler and designer, the potential to harness ownership and total control of this toxic material becomes possible.
What is the process?
The process is simple in concept but in reality, the feasibility to create such a service with the correct technology is incredibly difficult in the UK. With the current power dynamic between government, EU regulation and consumer knowledge, there is not much choice but to rely on councils to correctly dispose of British plastic.
Prospecting Plastic is formed within communities, bringing together SME’s, households and volunteers to nudge closer to a solution. There is no clear goal or objective, other than to process a material that already exists and avoid any waste management system that could result in material being sold abroad or worse, burnt.
Prospecting Plastic is designed to exist in local communities and boroughs around London, where individuals are able to consciously choose the end life of their waste. By designing a new ritual that reframes our perspective of waste, we as citizens can do more and influence a wider community whilst boosting local economies. Through this, the future of plastic becomes scalable and manageable by subverting the current system, plastic obtains a new form of value. One that can only grow from individuals and independent businesses collaborating for a brighter future.
Prospecting Plastic Service Diagram.
Poster illustration based on ancient alchemical diagrams that aims to show plastic is the new gold.
Early prototypes led to the finalised sheet material.
One of the projects trial partner Kompassion Kombucha, using the Prospecting Plastic bin that was manufactured using their waste. Designed to collect their re-usable cups.
Working mobile shredder machine built over 4 months.
Mould & shredded material pre-melt.
Inside the shredding mechanism.
Waste off-cuts trimmed and bent to produce hinges for the bin units.
Children disposing of their recyclable waste in the bin, made from waste once found in a bin.
Onlookers observing the shredding process.