History
Plastic recycling did not come about until the early 1970s and quickly became a needed waste solution. The process quickly became industrialized and required large facilities and massive funding to establish and run.
Precious Plastic
Small scale plastic recycling
In 2013 engineer Dave Hakkens designed the world's first small-scale plastic machines. He kept all the machines simple so they could be replicated with basic shops across the world. One of his goals was to help emerging nations recycle plastic waste and empower entrepreneurs to use a resource that is free and abundant. He launched Precious Plastic, an open-source resource where anyone could download plans for free.
The concept of small-scale recycling grew among enthusiasts across the world and Precious Plastic is now in its 4th version and considered a huge success in pioneering alternative plastic recycling systems. As of 2023 an estimated 526 Tons of plastic has been recycled through small-scale plastic recycling equipment.
In 2022, Our Plastic founder Rick Cochrane recognized this small-scale recycling equipment as a powerful hands-on STEM activity that can be used within K-12 education to help change our younger generations' relationships with plastic. Students are drawn in by the fun and hands-on process of injection molding and are then more receptive to learning about plastic recycling, conservation, and environmental impacts. Students can connect with their community through trash cleanups and feel motivated to capture plastic from the environment and transform it into new and more sustainable items.
Rick Cochrane established his first small-scale plastic recycling lab at Admiral Farragut Academy a college preparatory school in St. Pete. He involved students from 3rd grade to 12th grade. It became his mission to grow the program to other schools and in 2024 he founded Our Plastic.