Ever since I have started working on upcycling and repurposing in my small way, I keep browsing for new and interesting accounts, I stumbled on this eye-catching Instagram account a couple of months ago and the cute turtles took my heart away. When I learned that they were turning plastic caps into holders and other utilities, I was impressed all the more. I got in touch with them and asked them a couple of questions about their initiative. Let us find out more about their recycling project and what this family is trying to do for the environment.
1. Tell us a little about yourself, your background and the city/country you belong to?
We are a family of four ( My husband, our twin daughters and myself ) originally from Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, but living in Asia since 2011. We are into business and medical.
2. Tell us about work or brand? When did you start? Did you have any theme behind it?
SaveUsFromPlastics is our family’s recycling project that started 8 months ago while living in Phuket. We started realizing that there was trash plastic everywhere and sadly, a lot, in the beautiful beaches of Phuket where we were going to walk sometimes. Since we had more free time due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, we started to think about what could we do to help our planet to reduce trash plastic and started some research on internet about what to do with trash plastic.
We learnt about the different kind of plastics, how to transform some of them, the type of machines needed to do so and others. Most of the information came from an amazing movement named 'Precious Plastic 'which has spread around the globe to support local communities and people to recycle plastic.
We followed them and prepared ourselves. When we had these basics clear, we started collecting plastic bottle lids made of HDPE (plastic number 2), clean and sorted them with the help of colors. Then, we bought a shredder and an injection machine so that we could transform these lids into something new.
The theme or initial aim was to create a new and useful design with the shape of some endangered animal around us. Thus, we came out with the idea of a seaturtle. With the support of a designer, our first design of a “ New Born Sea Turtle" started to be a reality. As a final step, a company specialist in moulds made the final step to start getting our baby sea turtles from 100% recycled plastics, from bottle caps. This sea turtle can be used as a mobile holder, glasses holder, business cards or others while reminding that is made from trash plastic collected from beaches, landfills that otherwise will be negatively impacting our environment.
Sea turtle holders made from plastic!!
3. What does upcycling and repurposing mean to you? We like to use the words recycling, reducing and reusing, as this is exactly what we are doing with some of the plastics collected around us.
SaveUsFromPlastics project would also like to request everyone to use products like our, baby sea turtle to create awareness about the negative impact of single plastic usage in our daily life. We must keep reminding each other that our actions have a big impact on the environment. Every small step is a big leap.
4. Tell us more about your work to the readers. What materials do you use and why do you think people should adopt green gifts?
SaveUsFromPlastics project was started by using plastic bottle lids made of HDPE (plastic number 2). Our machines can also work with PP (plastic number 5), but so far, we have been focusing and learning about one kind of plastic. We all buy beautiful gifts but with no meaning or a story behind them. I would say people must adopt green gifts to encourage those who have taken initiatives. Wouldn't you agree that buying a product made from trash plastic collected from our surroundings in a shape of an endangered animal can be far more meaningful than buying something that may have used more plastic.
The intention to do good for the environment is one of the strongest reasons to adopt SaveUsFromPlastics babyseaturtle?
5. Were you always an artist or you discovered your calling eventually? Tell us about your favorite art style.
It is the first time in our lives to have created a product from scratch. We like to keep our designs modern but simple.
6. If you have anything else to share about your work, you are free to do. We are aware that projects like SaveUsFromPlastics are helping by recycling single use trash plastic, but this is not the final solution. The ideal solution would be to reconvert all trash plastic into what it was before, a natural resource. There are already a few companies reverting the process but still quite new and costly.
In the meantime, let's all try to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Thank you!
To know more about them, do check out
www.saveusfromplastics.com Instagram saveusfromplastics Facebook Save Us From Plastics
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