Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Dave Hakkens, the brain behind the innovative PhoneBloks project we looked at recently, is planning on revolutionising how we go about recycling plastic. Acknowledging the lightweight, strong and easily shapable qualities that make plastic one of the easiest materials to recycle, Hakkens aspires to change the fact that currently only 10% of the material is recycled, with the rest being disposed of in landfills or at sea. His Precious Plastic project aims to both raise awareness of the lack of recycling facilities but also give people an effective solution to disposing of unwanted plastics. To do this the Dutch designer has set up a small-scale plastic workshop and developed machinery that allows people to easily recycle the material themselves.

All machinery, including a plastic shredder, extruder, injection moulder and rotation moulder, is built to industry standards and designed so that anyone can use it. The project is currently in full swing, Having covered the entire route of plastic, from research to building to prototyping machines, Hakkens now intends to publish blueprints online so others are able to create their own plastic recycling machinery.