Mass plastic product production of the 20th Century missed a step in the life-cycle of most material manufacturing – that of the master craftsman and the intensive hand-working of high quality, individually-made products. A rapidly advancing, global ‘craft’ movement in plastic, known as ‘Precious Plastic’, is restoring balance and value in the ubiquitous material, whilst demystifying and democratising the chain from waste material to desirable product.
Through the story-telling expertise of Sodium Films, imagery and interview combine to reveal the rise of Lancashire’s very own Plastic Artisans; Precious Plastic Lancaster. The video portrait sheds light on the hand and machine processes used to make high-quality, locally-made products from recycled plastics. Sodium’s profile of Precious Plastic Lancaster is a timely, hopeful glimpse at new answers to the plastic problem.
Sodium is a team of filmmakers, combining ideas, strategy and end-to-end production with one team, under one roof. They create extraordinary content and infectious campaigns for digital screens, social channels and live experiences. They are a nimble and diverse family of thinkers and doers built on an obsessive desire to make everything the best it can be. In terms of content, Sodium are expert story-tellers and travel world-wide to satisfy their thirst for working on projects they believe in.
“There is always plenty of variety in what we do and how we do it. In 2019 we’ve traveled to 3 continents across 7 countries filming for some of the world’s largest brands as well as our country’s greatest bands. There aren’t too many days that feel the same.”
“People who work with us love to challenge themselves and have a thirst for making everything they do the best it can be. We are multi-skilled and never pigeon-holed. We are hungry for more and ready to rock. Above all else, we love to collaborate with people who have supreme taste, unrelenting initiative and boundless energy.”
Precious Plastic Lancaster is a 4 person team adding imagination to the manufacturing and recycling process. They produce locally made, thoughtfully designed and highly valued products from 100% recycled plastic, which they sell through their own brand, Relic. They also offer bespoke manufacturing services to small businesses looking to create their own recycled plastic products.
Precious Plastic Lancaster is part of a global community of plastic recycling operations – a combination of people, machines and knowledge which create an alternative global recycling system. Empowered by open-source machinery designs and blueprints for everything from recycling collection points and designs for production workshops, all inspired by the initiative’s instigator, Precious Plastic in Eindhoven, Holland, individuals and groups have been able to set up shop as low-volume, specialist plastic recyclers or educational community projects.
Kiki, Martin, Nathan and Timo at Precious Plastic Lancaster
Matthew Lynch
