Since its discovery in the 1940’s plastic has had a checkered history. While providing immense benefits to humanity, it also has provided enough pollution to choke ecosystems, poison wildlife around the world, and enter every human body as micro plastics. Plastics recycling has not been able to keep up with new plastics; each year 400 million tones of virgin plastic is produced, of which less than 9 percent is recycled1.
We want to preserve our precious, non-renewable resources for future generations. In creating a healthy, livable future with a circular economy, we need to be able to do something with all of this plastic. At the same time, we recognize vulnerabilities in globalization; the supply chain which includes shipping recycling around the world is not sustainable. Because plastics are so light, it is often not economically or environmentally achievable for remote and rural communities to participate in plastics recycling programs.
Independent plastics recycling has taken off internationally, with thousands of companies around the world recycling plastics in their communities, often based on Precious Plastic2 templates. One of these groups was inspired by Youth at a high school in Canada3, who have developed their own plastics recycling facility with existing research from the Netherlands and funding through Dragon’s Den. But is this work safe?
With the Plastics Remanufacture Project, we want to prove and/or improve existing health, environment, and safety protocols around remanufacturing plastic to ensure that people can work safely with plastic and protect ourselves and the environment. We want to network with independent plastics recyclers, recycling organizations, chemicals facilities, and virgin plastics producers, to bring experts together, address waste, promote recycling and prevent future want. Our goal is that post-consumer plastics in rural and remote communities do not continue to be a burden, but will be considered a treasure.
What if we could re-manufacture plastic at the rural and remote locations it becomes waste?
What if people in rural and remote areas around the world had the information they need to be able to work with plastic safely? What if rural, remote, and/or Indigenous communities in Canada could safely make plastic ‘waste’ into new products and artwork that their community can use, sell, and enjoy? The Plastics Remanufacture Project works to prove and/or improve existing research by Precious Plastic, who are currently providing templates for plastics recycling around the world. We aim to answer health, safety, and environment questions on how we can safely work with plastic with short, open-source videos.
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REAC In The News
Local group hopes to start plastic re-manufacture project – Lakeside Leader
