PLASTIC CELLS
Plastic Cells is a non-profit organization, law 1901, created in 2018. Leader of Trash Is Nice project, 4 people are working on it to improve local lives through recycling plastic wastes.
It’s global goals are :
Reduce pollution by preserve environment and living beings
Collect, recycle, and valorize thermoplastic waste
Prevent and sensitize about dangers of using plastic and recycling nessecity
Find a solution to material needs of locals
TRASH IS NICE
What is it ? What does it mean ?
Trash is Nice is the first project lead by Plastic Cells, a French organization.
We aim to reuse what you don’t want anymore. Like what ? Hum let’s say plastic waste.
Why this type of waste ?
Because there are a lot all around the world, used and thrown away every day, polluting the rivers, countrysides and oceans.
So what do we do ? We collect all your bottles and straws, your plastic cups, your bottle caps… Globally, we are talking about PS, PET, HDPE.
By using the Precious Plastic machines, we shred them into thousands of pieces until it’s transformed into small flakes that we can melt and create new objects with.
By melting them in an extrusion or an injection machine, the plastic becomes smooth and can be mold or shapped to get the object we want.
What kind of object are we talking about ?
Chairs, tables, shelves, little plastic objects, flooring and wall, ladders, stair railings… All this depends on our imagination and what other members of the community around the world create and share.
Finally, all this allows us to sensitize and talk about plastic waste with the people. And in a more open way about environment and sustainable development.
Let’s work all together to recycle plastic so that trashes can become nice.
THE TEAM
Alix
In this project I'm pleased to be participating in all tasks like welding, cutting metal, talking with people to see how we can change our habits to recycle and reuse materials. Construction activities fascinate me and I look forward to produce our first recycled plastic objects. Besides this working with the locals is something incredible.
Alexis
After working as a landscape gardener and have a professional experience with "Espaces" organization for 5 years I joined the project. As treasurer I participate to the administrative management of our organization. Protecting the environment, helping the people and using new techniques to fight against pollution. These are my main values.
Manon
I learnt a lot through art studies but I wanted to do something else with my life and this project allows it by fighting against plastic pollution, protecting the environment and get immersed in another culture. I do the secretarial work and I also enjoy working on the machines construction.Mixing handcraft and manual activity convinced me to take part in the project. Then creation and usefulness come together.
Théa
This project is a single rewarding experience. It allows me to acquire news technicals, mechanicals or administrative skills. To conserve the environment which surrounds us is a precious thing for me to achieve. We can do this here by learning, sharing and working with the local population.
The goal of Precious Plastic community is to democratize recycling and reuse of plastic.
Created in 2013 by Dave Hakkens from Netherlands, the project engineering is in open source.
It’s a kit of 4 DIY machines :
The shredder to transform wastes into plastic flakes, the compressor to heat and mold it by pressure, another one to inject the plastic in a mold, and the extruder to transform plastic in a wire.
Shredder
Allows to transform plastic trash in little chips. This essential chink in the chain allows us to produce raw material which will next be used to start objects production with one of the next three machines.
Compressor
Is an oven designed to heat and compact the chips in a mould.
Similar to the injectof, it however allows the fabrication of a different variety of objects.
Extrusion
Heats and melts the plastic chips by shaping wire that can be uses for 3D printing. These wires also can be used to create objects, wound around a handle or a mould.
Injection
Allows to heat and melt the plastic chips using a heating element and then inject them into a mould, of a design previously crafted.
PROJECTS
FRANCE - 2018
Construction of Precious Plastic machines at IPN collective
More photos on the right
IPN collective (located in Toulouse) welcomed us to build the prototypes before the project realization in Cambodia. Then we could anticipate the difficulties, and see the possibilites to adapt the machines.
We builded the shredder and the compressor machines, which are still in IPN. We have learned the welding and grinding techniques which allows us to be independent on the project in Cambodia.
Those machines have been exposed in the Bocal gallery. There, we have received people from different background interested by the Precious Plastic project and its spreading in Toulouse.
CAMBODIA - 2019
Elaboration of Trash is Nice project with NGO OBT Chiro and Association Sourires collaboration
More photos on the right
Association Sourires, partner with Organization For Basic Training NGO (OBT), welcome us in their village since february 2019. OBT is already running two recycling plastic projects : construction bricks made with plastic bags and sand, and plastic distillation to make fuel.
OBT is already organizing a waste collect every week which is gathered next to the workshop.
When we arrived in Chiro, we have settled in this workshop, where all the projects about plastic transformation and plastic reuse are regrouped.
So we start the project with collected plastic bottles, caps and straws.
Our goal is that the machines can be used for the workers and the people from the village. Besides, we are running sensibilization actions in the school opened by OBT.
Why Cambodia ?
At first point, it’s Alix’s heart stroke, a personal attachment … After spending some months in this country, she falls in love with it and its population. However, she realized that plastic pollution is everywhere. That’s why Trash Is Nice project started.
Nowadays, plastic waste is omnipresent in the country. They are direct polluants, neither inalterable or biodegradable.
Sometimes buried, sometimes incinerated, sometimes groupes in heap in open sky dump. They pollute and hurt environment and population health.
The collect system is not working everywhere in Cambodia and there is not enough sensibilization about plastic pollution.
Since 10 years, our partner, Association Sourires, leads education projects and helps the cambodian population. They work with OBT Chiro NGO, they valorize plastic waste through a plastic-to-brick project.
Chiro is a village located in the north of Phnom Penh, and it’s the first place where we are building the Precious Plastic machines.
Sourires, OBT and us are mobilized together to recycle and valorize plastic trashes in the village.
CONTACT PLASTIC CELLS
80 Allée Jean Jaurès
Toulouse, 31000
France
Whatsapp: +33626992876
Our Partners
Organization For Basic Training
Fight poverty and corruption by educating : OBT is an Cambodian NGO which goal is to educate children and ameliorate the life in the village. It has been created in 2007 by Sophal Pot, director of OBT. It's registered as a local NGO at the Cambodian Ministery of the Interior since 2009.
Help us
If you want to help the association by contributing,
click on this link :