From toilet seat to beer holder: PlastiCity explores ideas for recycled products
In February and March 2022 the first PlastiCity Design Workshops were organised in Southend and in The Hague. In one of the first interactive sessions since the pandemic, the participants - from local designers to manufacturers and entrepreneurs – came up with product ideas for the plastic collected during the project’s collection trials.
Southend
The Design Workshop in Southend was divided in two parts. The first workshop, hosted online on 16 February provided an overview of the project and an introduction to some of the existing products created from recycled plastics.
The second workshop, on 9 March, was organised at enterprise centre The Hive. Over there, participants had a chance to explore the plastic in the form of a regrind (lost plastics that have been shredded) and collaborated to develop product concepts like a peddle and a community bench. PlastiCity also invited local manufacturers 3DFilaPrint to present on recycling of plastics within their business and to exhibit a 3D printing filament they have created from a regrind sample.
The team is now supporting work with attendees who will be experimenting with the material and also exploring the next steps for manufacture.
The Hague
The Design Workshop The Hague was hosted on 15 February in the Circular Craft Centre by Nikki and Xiomara from Lange Leve Plastic (Long Live Plastic). Over here, also the first building blocks of The Hague’s plastic hub are stationed. During the workshop each participant was challenged to work out at least one product idea.
The workshop was divided into 4 sessions:
- Mapping the target audiences that have most potential to collaborate with;
- Brainstorm: come up with as many product ideas possible, and narrowing them down to 5;
- Enriching each other’s ideas by providing feedback;
- Drawing, describing and presenting the most potential product ideas and voting for the best ideas.
The participants rated the final ideas based on sustainable, technical, economic and market potential. The following 5 ideas scored highest: Plastic tile, festival coins, nose bridge for face mask, toilet seat and a beer holder.
In order to actually develop some of these ideas, the hosts recommend to find product owners for the co-creation process. Also, they advise to keep the recyclability of the product in mind to prevent them from being burned after their life cycle.
Ghent
The Design Workshop will also be organized in the lead partner citiy Ghent. For more information about the Design Workshop in Ghent, please get in touch with them!
