A New Breakthrough for the Repurposing Plastic Project:
Good news from the Repurposing Plastic Project (RPP): we think we’ve found a way to scale up repurposed plastic collection and production! Even as regional governmental agencies remain paralyzed about our plastic crisis, RPP is finding creative community-based ways to turn more waste into walls… but we need your help. Read on, and share with your friends and allies!
With gratitude, the RPP Team
In early October, RPP had the bright idea when crushing our weekly load of plastic you’ve donated, to make 8-foot long modular wall sections. This has turned out to be far easier, less expensive, more practical, and much more streamlined than our previous process (which included re-bagging, baling into awkward shapes, and storing them inside for unknown future uses).
These pre-made modular walls are valuable, useful, and could actually sell! We may finally have a product that builders besides us would want to use. We want to find out how viable this idea could be. To that end, RPP will begin a 3-month test window, starting December 1. During this time, we intend to:
- Make 2 to 4 modular wall units per week during December, January, and February. These first 24 to 48 modular wall sections will be stored on-site over the winter to develop an inventory.
- Continue to collect data as we build, determining costs, labor, amount of plastic used, etc.
- Develop promotional materials and spec sheets, comparing our product to cinderblock and adobe walls.
- Develop design plans for enclosed patios, creative courtyards, pocket privacy walls, etc.
- Purchase a pneumatic hog ring gun and other tools to streamline our process.
- Partner with two to three builders to use our product in a variety of applications such as patio, privacy walls, developing demonstration projects, best practices, and proof of concept.
- Confirm an appropriate price point to sell the product to the public in spring 2022.
- How Can You Help? We’re Glad You Asked!
- We’d love you to:
- Advocate to town and county officials, asking them to help us collect, transport, and store plastic that is clean, uncapped, and smashable—we’re looking for community allies!
- Help us market and promote our modular walls to homeowners who want to build walls.
- Help us connect with builders and landscapers who want to use our product as they build for their clients.
- Get more people and businesses to sign up for RPP—we’re now eager for more members!
- Beyond your base membership, please donate to TiLT and RPP—we rely on contributions to keep providing this service to Taos County.
- To donate to RPP and TiLT to support this good work, go to taostilt.org
- To sign up as a member, sign up at repurposingplastictaos.com
- To collaborate at a deeper level, contact Todd Wynward, tiltcoordinator@gmail.com; (575) 770-8681.
- Please print, post, and share!
Todd Wynward is the executive director of TiLT [Taos Initiative for Life Together] taostilt.org, (575) 770-8681,
and author of Rewilding the Way: Break Free to Follow An Untamed God.
