A Circular Design Studio: Precent Objects – exploration of recycled plastic

Precent Objects – exploration of recycled plastic

‍

A Circular Design Studio has developed a new way of working with 100% recycled plastic. Traditionally, plastic production is a very closed process based on large, expensive, and complex machinery, and all products are made after predesigned molds using virgin plastic. The issue with that is that it is very expensive to build a factory, molds are extremely inflexible and very expensive, and it promotes a mass production culture that A Circular Design Studio doesn’t believe should be part of a sustainable future. On top of that, molds use quite a lot of material, and the machinery in larger factories has difficulties working with recycled plastic.

‍

Instead, the studio has developed an open-process production. This allows them to mold larger sheets of 100% recycled plastic to manipulate the aesthetics and create a base material with a look, feel, and properties similar to stone. From the base of the large sheets, they then use traditional crafts and digital production to create their products.

‍

Their material can be used almost exactly as if it was wood, allowing them to use traditional carpentry joints and concepts within their production to take a recycled material from waste to a high-end design product.

‍

All of A Circular Design Studio's products are carefully designed, handmade, sanded, and polished to create something better in look and quality than other plastic products on the market.

‍

It is, of course, good to recycle waste material, but if you only recycle a material to put into the usual mass production and throw-away culture, you have not created a solution to the problem.

‍

A Circular Design Studio believes that by elevating the quality and finish of the material, they can create a product that can last for decades, creating a viable solution for all plastic waste.

‍

Being circular means taking responsibility for all the steps in the circular economy. It is not enough to say products CAN be recycled; you have to make sure they actually are if you want to make a difference.

‍

The studio’s products are made of the same material, which means they can go into a standard recycling system anywhere in the world. On top of that, all their products are also sold with a “swap option,” which allows their customers to swap products for free for other products with the same value or different colors. They also offer to buy back all their products. Even if they are broken, they can still offer a base material value.