Best Bar None Nottingham Awards Made from Recycled Plastic
Turning locally collected plastic waste into handcrafted awards for Nottingham’s hospitality industry
Future Makers worked with It’s in Nottingham to create the Best Bar None Nottingham Awards 2024 from 100% recycled plastic.
The awards recognise pubs, bars, clubs and venues across Nottingham for their commitment to safety, crime prevention and community wellbeing. In 2024, 105 venues were recognised as part of the scheme, supported by the Home Office and led by It’s in Nottingham.
Photo credit: It's in Nottingham by Tom Platinum Morley
Developing the Awards
Future Makers worked with Jake Epton, Project Executive at It’s in Nottingham, to develop awards that would recognise Nottingham’s hospitality industry while demonstrating what recycled plastic can become.
The brief was to create awards that felt valuable, distinctive and lasting, combining thoughtful design with a circular approach to materials.
Photo credit: It's in Nottingham by Tom Platinum Morley
Collecting the Material
Future Makers joined the It’s in Nottingham team on their weekly litter picks in Nottingham city centre, helping collect plastic that would become part of the awards.
The material was cleaned, processed and combined with recycled UK kerbside plastic, creating the raw material for the finished awards.
It's in Nottingham weekly litter pick in the Old Market Square
From Recycled Plastic to Finished Awards
Back at the Future Makers studio, the collected plastic was cleaned, processed and blended with 100% recycled UK kerbside plastic to create contrasting colour components.
The awards were CNC cut for precision, then hand-finished by Future Makers interns to achieve a high-quality finish for each piece.
Interns: George Odeke, Janis Zube and Aurean Luemba at Future Makers studio
The Finished Awards
Custom plates featuring each winner’s name and category completed the awards, adding a personal finishing touch to the recycled plastic design.
The Best Bar None Nottingham Awards 2024 took place on 3 September, celebrating 105 venues across Nottingham’s hospitality industry.
Seeing the finished awards presented to the winners was a fitting conclusion to a project that brought together local material collection, recycled plastic and thoughtful design.
Photo credit: It's in Nottingham by Tom Platinum Morley
Recognition and Impact
The project brought together local material collection, recycled plastic and community collaboration to create awards with a direct connection to Nottingham.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Future Makers on creating the Best Bar None awards, crafted from recycled plastic collected by the It’s in Nottingham team during various litter picks around the city centre.”
Amy Coulson, Projects, Events & Sponsorship Manager, It’s in Nottingham
“It’s a significant achievement for Nottingham that over 100 city centre leisure and hospitality venues have met and exceeded the standards this year.”
Alex Flint, CEO, It’s in Nottingham
Gill Barker, Marketing Manager at Future Makers, Tristan Hessing, Managing Director at Future Makers, Amy Coulson, Projects, Events & Sponsorship Manager at It’s in Nottingham, Jake Epton, Project Executive at It's in Nottingham.
Create Your Own Recycled Plastic Awards
Future Makers creates bespoke awards from recycled plastic, working with businesses and organisations to turn existing material streams into distinctive, lasting pieces of recognition.
Have a material stream or award project to explore?