Upcycling Local Waste plastics
photo courtesy of Kornienko, 2016
Transforming plastic into products:
we see local waste as a resource
1955 partners with SITI Paints, South Africa’s first Black owned commercial paint company.
Together we are working to turn Kliptown’s local plastic waste into plastic paint buckets!
The waste.
Kliptown has no regular waste pick up and no public waste bins. The waste is dropped, swept up, burned, clogging storm water pipes, floating away in the Klipspruit River. It is a danger to children playing in the streets. It is dis-empowering to the residents.
photo courtesy of Kornienko, 2019
The plastic.
We see the local plastics as a raw material. With innovative upcycling applications, it will transform the community, clean up the environment and be good for business.
photo courtesy of Nkwanyana, 2020
The crew.
We’re already at it. Our crew is collecting, washing and cutting PET plastic bottles for our first project. Here we see Robert and Ginger preparing plastic waste bottles for shipment to The Rogerie where it will be processed to pellets and then melted to become 3D printer filament. Our goal is that the entire process will be done in Kliptown.
But it isn’t just about our crew, it’s about bringing the community with us. Buying from the local recyclers at a better price, creating jobs for unemployed women and men.
photo courtesy of Nkwanyana, 2020
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The collaboration.
Ubuntu is our way. When we need to expand our resources or abilities, we don’t ask, can you give us… We say these are our skills and resources, how can we help you? Let’s collaborate.
With this shifted narrative, we are currently collaborating locally with residents who collect plastics around the neighbourhood and those who collect around the city. Currently, grannies who collect bottles but can’t make it to the recycle depot sell to a middleman for a much reduced income. We buy at the depot rate.
We are collaborating locally with SITI Paint, the first Black owned paint company in South Africa and internationally with The Rogerie, a waste plastic and 3D print facility. Our first initiative is underway: working with The Rogerie to transform Kliptown’s local waste plastic into 3D printer filament and plastic buckets.
The collaboration:
1955 is selling washed and shredded PET plastic waste to The Rogerie.
The Rogerie is designing a production line to be implemented in Kliptown that will employ local residents.
1955 is working to produce the plastic paint buckets and roller trays using injection moulds from local waste HDPE and PVC plastics for SITI Paint.
photos courtesy of Kornienko, 2019 and 2015
The Rogerie products 3D printed from 100% local waste plastic (photos courtesy of Nkwanyana, 2021)
Covid-19: make a plastic face shield
Convert a waste 2L plastic bottle into a face shield that protects you from large airborne droplets and prevents you from touching your face or face mask.
We use them when we are mixing bleach, spraying and to protect vulnerable residents and our front line workers who are delivering supplies.
