Problem

Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem, being based on fossil fuels, mass produced and polluting oceans and land when discarded. Fortunately it doesn’t have to be this way. Plastic is a 20th century wonder material which has made many life-improving products possible and cheap such as medico equipment and electronics and it is easy to recycle with a low melting point and being able to be used again and again. In reality the pollution is a resource if the recycling technology is available and that resource can be made into strong, durable locally made products benefiting the local communities with utensils and value-creating products.

Solution

The concept is a very low cost plastic recycling system for producing plastic sheets, which can be used as a material for locally made products. The system is based on a regular oven, a small press and moulds. 

Ovens are readily available, the press is made up of squared pieces of plywood and the mould is a simple sheet metal design, which can be accessed most places in the world. The system can be used by anybody who wants to recycle plastic whether it’s a designer in Denmark or as a source of income in West Africa.