Our Process
Our process starts with collection.
We host collection times at our Larimer Ave Studio every Tuesday evening — and occasionally on Thursdays and Fridays — and invite our community to sign up to bring their clean, single-use, #5 plastics to us.
Together, we sort the plastics into colors to prepare them for the next step: shredding.
In order to recraft these #5 plastics into new goods, we need to melt them down. The best way to prepare them for that step is to make them smaller by shredding them. (You can sign up to help with this step of the process, too!) And once everything is organized and shredded?
The recrafting and creating begins!
We measure and mix recipes of colorful #5s together and melt them in our expeller or lay them in our sheet press and add a little heat. Once the plastic melts, we can press it into molds and forms to transform it into earrings, dice, planters … and so much more.
And through it all … we aim to educate. We want our community to feel confident and well-informed about ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle their plastics.
Collect
The first step in our process starts with YOU!
Gather and clean your #5 plastics and #4 deli lids.
SIGN UP FOR COLLECTION! and bring your plastic over to our studio.
With your help, during collection, we sort all of the plastic by color, double-check numbers, remove labels from each item, and make sure everything is clean and ready for our next step.
2. Shred
The main part of step 2 involves breaking down each piece of plastic into smaller pieces through shredding. This as close to the raw material as we can get, and takes the plastic that much closer to being reused.
Another aspect of step 2 includes rehoming plastic that is not damaged and can have a second, third, fourth life. We have sent containers to other non-profits, teachers, and home gardeners. If you are looking for something we might have, please reach out!
3. Create
The goal of this process is to recraft single-use items into products that will last for a lifetime in your home, not in a landfill. This step is where we start to get creative!
Using heat at safe temperatures so not to burn the plastic and release toxins into the air, we melt and shape the plastic using different pieces of machinery. Shop our products here!
4. Educate
Throughout all of the steps in this process, one of our main goals is plastic reduction education.
Our smaller volunteer collection events allow us to facilitate and participate in constructive peer learning.
We also host in-school plastic reduction programming and art making workshops.