How Does the Breck Create Precious Plastic Initiative Work?
We launched the Precious Plastic Workspace in 2021 with the goal of collecting plastic that would otherwise be discarded in our community.
Three years in, we’ve diverted around 10,000 pounds of plastic from the landfill! A significant chunk of that came from one of the most Breck-specific sources you could imagine – those old iconic plastic sleds.
Here’s a bit on how the process works:
1. Collection
The Precious Plastic process starts with collection. We host regular collection events where community members bring in clean, label-free plastics. These are items that most curbside programs don’t accept.
Have you been holding onto a pile of plastic packaging? Maybe a bin of old toys or sleds that have seen one too many runs down the hill? Those are exactly what we’re looking for!
You can start by collecting at home or work, and bring your clean plastics to our next Precious Plastics collection event. Check out our calendar online for upcoming dates.
2. Sorting, Shedding, Melting
Once we’ve collected the plastic, the material moves through rthe sorting, shredding, and melting process. And you can see all of those steps happening right in the workspace!
That transparency is intentional. It’s one of the core ideas behind Precious Plastic – making the recycling process hands-on rather than something that disappears into a truck with no idea where it might end up.
First, there’s sorting. Not all plastics are the same, and the machines are selective (and that’s on purpose!)
Participants will learn how to identify plastic types by things such as resin codes, as well as how to clean the material. Then you’ll separate it before it goes anywhere near the shredder. It’s a small act that makes a big difference in what comes out the other end.
Then, shredding. The shredder breaks plastic down into small plastic flakes. It’s a dramatic step that creates quite the satisfying noise! The flakes will become the raw material for melting and molding.
Finally, melting and molding. The next step depends on what we’re making. The flakes go into one of three machines – a heat press, an extruder, or a compression mold.
The results vary depending on the process. It might be a flat panel, often coming out in kaleidoscopic colors, since we’re working with mixed plastic streams. Or it could be a three-dimensional object shaped by the mold we choose. Some class projects have ranged from coasters and tiles to larger sculptural pieces!
Reading the process isn’t quite satisfying enough. You need to see it in person and run the machines yourself! Join a Precious Plastics workshop. All skill levels welcome; no prior experience needed.
Precious Plastic as a Sustainability Classroom
The Precious Plastic Workspace is more than just a studio! At Breck Create, we’re all about creating educational opportunities.
As they take part in the process, Precious Plastic Workshop participants come away with a new understanding and appreciation of plastic and what’s it’s doing to our world. You’ll learn about plastic types, recyclability, and the circular economy. You’ll also see why community-scale action matters so much.
We work with school groups, youth programs, families, and the everyday eco-curious visitors who want to give back and get their hands dirty. Best of all, Breck Create members receive 25% off all classes, including Precious Plastics workshops (which is another great reason to make your membership official before you visit!)
Are you an educator and group leader? Contact us to design a Precious Plastics visit or custom project for your students. We’ll work with you to create something that can fit your curriculum!
