How do we make the most of the college’s plastic waste? That’s the sustainability challenge being tackled by Level 4 HTQ Manufacturing, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering learners as part of their Production Engineering unit.
They are working together to commission an on-campus recycling centre based on the principles of Precious Plastic, an open hardware plastic recycling project.
Precious Plastic allows individuals or organisations to effectively set up their own “miniature recycling company" by using machines and tools that grind, melt, and inject recycled plastic to create new products from waste. It’s a brilliant initiative, and the Precious Plastic website has lots of helpful information: https://www.preciousplastic.com/.
Going into production
Over the next couple of years, our implementation of Precious Plastic will give dozens of learners invaluable experience in setting up and running their entire production facility, from design concepts to production.
Our small-scale Precious Plastic facility, within the Engineering Department at the Milnthorpe Road Campus, will:
- Recycle plastic waste, including single-use plastic bottles, from collection points located all around the campus.
- Manufacture new products that can be sold to raise money for charity or distributed to promote awareness of plastics recycling and the circular economy.
Sharing knowledge
Learners will also investigate how recycling principles and the circular economy can be applied in local industrial settings.
This project has links with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular:
- SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth)
- SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure)
- SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production)
