Recap Dublin Maker

Thanks for everyone reaching out to us at the Dublin Maker. We had a great day and were super happy with all the discussions and feedback we got from you about our plans, plastic recycling in Dublin, and the solutions we can provide when we come together as a community.

During an industrious Tuesday evening at The Ladder in the Digital Hub, after completing our Design Sprint, the Precious Plastic Dublin team decided to focus our efforts on The Dublin Maker fair in Merrion Square. The only problem being that we had just a couple of weeks to get ready!

Building a machine prototypeBuilding a machine prototypeOur recycled plastic signOur recycled plastic signOur repurposed pull-up bannerOur repurposed pull-up banner

Plans were made, tasks were assigned, waste plastic frantically collected and with lots of people working evenings and weekends, using their imagination and recycling and up-cycling like mad, it all came together! We had the makings of our stall! We had a newly designed logo, painted onto a flag made from recycled plastic. A colourful nameplate for our stall, with each letter cut from bright-coloured plastic waste, a recycling game to illustrate the complexities of plastic waste, a re-used banner with our logo and contact details handprinted in bright blue letters, a life-sized model of one of the machines we will build, painstakingly assembled and spray-painted and a “magic recycling machine” for our younger visitors too! Working together we had created the first Precious Plastic Dublin stand and with lots of effort from the early-risers, had it all in place on Saturday 20th July ready for the fair to open. Best of all, we had made virtually everything out of recycled/reused materials! But … would anyone visit our lovely stall … only time would tell.

Irmantas explaining the machinesIrmantas explaining the machinesMorane painted our beautiful logoMorane painted our beautiful logoSupport ouf GuFundMe campaignSupport ouf GuFundMe campaign

As people started to flood into Merrion square it soon became evident that the Precious Plastic Dublin stall was attracting attention … so much so that even with at least 2 or 3 of us manning the stall at any time, there were people waiting to see what we were doing and talk about plastic recycling! It was great to have such a good reception - everyone was keen to know more, offer suggestions or even join us :) Our scale model recycling machine was the star of the show and the hours of effort put in by Irmantas and Mauro clearly paid off. Having a model of the machine made it much easier to explain the process and our plan for recycling/making in Dublin. Best of all it was so good to see that the younger generation has some big ideas about plastic waste and the environment as a whole - there’s hope for all of us!

Jan, the first Plastic Man of the dayJan, the first Plastic Man of the dayOur teamOur teamSo many peopleSo many people

I think we all managed to find time for a quick peek at the other stalls; an amazing diversity of imagination and creativity on display. Mental note to allow more time next year!

All too soon it was time to dismantle the stand and pack it into a van, but it had been a fantastic day. We had been so lucky with the weather and so rewarded by the amazing interest and engagement from the public. We ended the day with a celebratory drink (or two!) with the other Makers, delighted that The Dublin Maker fair had been a success for us and inspired to build the machines and make community plastic recycling happen for Dublin.

Building a machine prototypeBuilding a machine prototypeEverything is upcycledEverything is upcycledFrom the insideFrom the insideGathering a good crowdGathering a good crowdIrmantas explaining the machinesIrmantas explaining the machinesJan, the first Plastic Man of the dayJan, the first Plastic Man of the dayMatheus, our second Plastic ManMatheus, our second Plastic ManMorane painted our beautiful logoMorane painted our beautiful logoOur recycled plastic signOur recycled plastic signOur repurposed pull-up bannerOur repurposed pull-up bannerOur teamOur teamPrecious Plastic StallPrecious Plastic StallSetting up our stallSetting up our stallSo many peopleSo many peopleSupport ouf GuFundMe campaignSupport ouf GuFundMe campaign

Precious Plastic Dublin

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Precious Plastic Dublin is a volunteer collective working on practical solutions to plastic waste and pollution in Dublin. As part of the Precious Plastic global movement, we aim to bring plastic recycling closer to the local community, enabling the public to transform their own waste, while demonstrating the remaining value of plastic waste.