Get hands-on with plastic recycling and transform locally collected waste into your own colourful object to take home!

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

Discover how waste plastic can be transformed into colourful, useful objects in this hands-on recycling workshop with DOBA Studio.

You’ll learn about small-scale plastic recycling, different manufacturing processes, and the journey plastic takes from discarded material to a completely new product.

Rather than simply watching a demonstration, you’ll get directly involved in the process by choosing colours, preparing material and using recycling equipment to create your own objects to take home.

The workshop focuses exclusively on HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene), a commonly used plastic found in items such as bottle tops, milk bottles and household product containers.

WHAT YOU’LL MAKE

During the workshop you’ll have the opportunity to experiment with different recycling techniques and create your own objects.

Depending on the process you choose, you can make:

Injection moulding: coaster, keychain or earrings

Extrusion: soap dish or plant pot

Every object is made from recycled HDPE, so the colours, patterns and combinations will be completely unique.

You’ll leave the workshop with the pieces you have made yourself.

THE WORKSHOP FORMAT

The workshop is practical, relaxed and social.

We’ll begin with a short introduction to plastic, recycling and the work of DOBA Studio. You’ll learn how HDPE is identified, collected, cleaned and prepared before being recycled.

We’ll then move onto the machines and explore two different manufacturing processes: injection moulding and extrusion.

You’ll be able to select your colours and experiment with different combinations before transforming the shredded plastic into a finished object.

You don’t need any previous experience and everything will be explained during the session.

DO I NEED TO BRING PLASTIC?

No, all the recycled HDPE needed for the workshop will be provided.

If you would like to bring some of your own plastic to experiment with, please make sure it is clean HDPE only. Look for the recycling symbol with the number 2 / HDPE.

ABOUT DOBA STUDIO

DOBA Studio is an Edinburgh-based plastic recycling and design studio exploring new ways of working with locally collected plastic waste.

The studio transforms discarded HDPE and polypropylene into furniture, objects, artworks and experimental materials using small-scale recycling technologies.

Alongside designing and manufacturing objects, DOBA Studio runs workshops to give people the opportunity to experience plastic recycling first-hand and better understand the material we encounter every day.

The aim is not simply to recycle plastic, but to encourage people to rethink its value by seeing waste as a material that can be collected, redesigned and used again.

ACCESSIBILITY

We want the workshop to be as welcoming and accessible as possible.

If you have any accessibility requirements or would like to discuss anything before booking, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

REMINDERS

Please wear comfortable clothes suitable for a practical workshop. You’ll be working around recycling machinery and heated plastic, and full safety instructions will be provided before using any equipment.

Spaces are limited to keep the workshop hands-on and allow everyone enough time to use the machines.

Come along, experiment with recycled plastic and turn something that would otherwise be considered waste into an object you’ve made yourself.

Description supplied by the event organiser.