Nottingham College make Planters & Birdboxes with Future Makers
Hands on Plastic Recycling Workshops
Between September 2024 and January 2025, Future Makers worked with Nottingham College on hands-on workshops exploring plastic recycling, design and making. Students learned how plastic can be processed and transformed into outdoor planters for their campus.
The pilot was funded through the UKSPF Nottingham Open Call 6 - Green and Low Carbon Skills. Following its success, the Wilding Campuses project brought students together to assemble recycled plastic bird boxes with You Grow Gardens and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
Nottingham College Learners with Liz Morley, Bird Box Workshop at Future Makers Studio
Changing Perceptions of Plastic
The workshops helped students explore the full lifecycle of plastic, from processing and recycling to designing and making new products.
Their feedback showed how the experience changed their understanding of plastic:
“My perception of plastic is more positive after the workshop and it was very interesting to see how plastic can be recycled into something that can be useful.”
“Gaining more knowledge about the plastic industry and what can be achieved made me excited to work with plastic and think of better ways to utilise it without harming the environment.”
“I learned that plastic is a more recyclable material than people realise and the designs and uses that can come out of it are very beautiful and complex.”
Creative Workshops at Future Makers
All four workshops took place at the Future Makers studio in Nottingham, giving students the opportunity to see plastic recycling and manufacturing in practice.
Students explored our specialist equipment, including shredding, injection moulding and compression moulding machinery, before getting hands-on with their own projects.
The first workshops focused on making outdoor planters from sorted, shredded and thermoformed recycled plastic. These were later installed at a Nottingham College campus.
For Wilding Campuses, students assembled recycled plastic bird boxes designed by Toby Maurice and Janis Zube in consultation with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
Hands on Learning with Real World Results
Students explored additional recycling techniques, including colour-sorting 3D printer filament and using manual injection moulding machines.
These hands-on sessions helped learners understand the recycling process and see how recycled plastic can be used creatively to make useful products.
“It’s been so valuable for our college students to learn the process of how plastic is recycled and to actually, physically do it themselves.”
Liz Morley, Project Manager, Wilding Campuses
A Lasting Impact
The finished planters and bird boxes are now in use across Nottingham College, giving students a lasting reminder of what they created.
The projects showed how hands-on recycling can connect materials, creativity, wildlife and community, while providing a model that could be developed with other education partners.
Bring Plastic Revolution to Your Organisation
Future Makers works with schools, colleges, universities and community organisations to deliver hands-on projects exploring plastic, design, recycling and making.
We’re also looking for funding and delivery partners to help bring Plastic Revolution to more learners.