THE PLASTIC COLLECTIVE

tscudo recently spoke with Plastic Collective Co Founder Louise Harman.

The Plastic Collective are a remarkable group making a big difference across the Pacific.

Why? With 74% of global plastic leakage occurring in the Asia Pacific region. The area is comprised of 55,000+ islands with 4,000 inhabited by some of the poorest communities. Transport issues and the lack of waste facilities are the leading cause to the waste issue. The result – over 11 million tonnes of plastic waste directly thrown in the ocean, burnt near houses or dumped in open waste piles around each island. This damages communities, livelihoods and health killing reefs and wildlife.

The Plastic Collective are a team of Australian educators, engineers and designers who empower these vulnerable islands and remote communities with education, machinery and skills training to turn their waste into practical valuable resources preventing plastic leakage into the ocean. They connect these communities to global brands and create a Fair Trade Agreement which supports growth through out the communities. Incredible!

Take a closer look at the images above. These woven items from the Shruder workshop in Northern Bali, demonstrate the beautiful handicrafts that can be made from shredding and remoulding, bottle caps into weaving filament, combining what they call ‘fettuccine’ and ‘spaghetti’ cord.

This is the circular economy at its best. Creating value from what was essentially waste.

Follow the Plastic Collective on Instagram HERE for more inspiration.