Firstly, a huge thank you to the parents, carers and students of Brakenhale for the overwhelmingly positive response to our request for empty Christmas sweet tubs. We are still receiving bags of tubs at the end of January and are delighted to share photos of the recycling process.

You can see the gigantic stacks of empty tubs in our workshop – this represents only half of what we received. The tubs and lids are placed into the plastic granulator, where they are transformed into highly coloured plastic granules. These granules are then poured into the heat press and turned into new sheets of recycled plastic.

Our technician, Mr Draper, has been experimenting with this process, and you can see how the lids have become centrepieces for what could be ‘Pop Art’- style plastic panels. These can even be laser cut and assembled into cube forms. The possibilities are endless, and none of this would be possible without the support and engagement of our wider community, which is very much appreciated.