WEIMA is a proud technology partner of the Precious Plastic community. Together we develop solutions and compact machines for micro recycling projects around the world.
WEIMA is a proud technology partner of the Precious Plastic community. Together we develop solutions and compact machines for micro recycling projects around the world.
In collaboration with Precious Plastic, WEIMA has developed a new version of the “Shredder Pro” for the global recycling community in recent months. The particularly compact shredder consists mainly of standard parts and is designed to be easy to reproduce. It is ideal as an entry-level machine for people who want to start their own small recycling business but still want to achieve certain throughput targets. The shredder can also be used for projects in developing countries and educational institutions thanks to its low connected load of just 3 kW and particularly simple operation.
The drawings are freely available soon as open source for reproduction:
Precious Plastic was initiated by Dave Hakkens, a designer from the Netherlands, during his studies at the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2013. Given the widespread problem of plastic pollution and the limited possibilities of conventional recycling, Hakkens developed an approach that enables people all over the world to process plastic waste locally.
He designed simple but effective machines that can shred, melt and reshape plastics. He made the building instructions for these machines freely available on the internet to enable broad and easy participation. This open and accessible strategy empowered individuals and communities to start their own recycling businesses.
The Precious Plastic concept quickly gained notoriety and grew into a worldwide movement. It not only supports the recycling and reuse of plastics, but also promotes a sense of community, educational opportunities and innovative solutions in the field of waste management. The project is an impressive example of how design and creativity can be used to actively tackle important environmental issues.
Official Precious Plastic Workspace for live demos and training purposes
WEIMA operates a Precious Plastic workshop at the company headquarters in Ilsfeld. It was specially designed for workshops and consists of a shredder and an injection molding machine. The plastics recycling process can thus be experienced live by college and high school students, and other interested parties.