Small-Scale Recycling, Local Manufacturing & Custom Products Made From Plastic Waste

Precious Plastic is a global, open-source movement of makers, engineers, educators, and recyclers who build small-scale machines to transform plastic waste into new materials and products. What began as a worldwide collaboration has now become a powerful tool for local circular economies everywhere.1 Plastic Life is proud to be part of Precious Plastic Los Angeles, operating one of the region’s most community-centered micro-recycling labs. Our work combines engineering, sustainability, and social impact — taking plastic pollution and turning it into opportunity.

What We Do

We produce:

• Branded products for events & schools
• Carabiners, clips, tokens, keychains
• Tiles, sheets, cut parts
• ​Specialty pieces & artistic items
• Custom designs for businesses and creators

Turning Post-Consumer Plastics Into New, Useful Products
We collect post-consumer plastics (#2, #5, #6) from schools, events, and community partners, then process them using a full suite of Precious Plastic machines and custom-built equipment.
Instead of ending up in landfills or polluting communities, these plastics are shredded, melted, reformed, and transformed into durable new items.
Our work serves two core functions:

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Everything is made from 100% locally recycled plastic.

Precious Plastic Recycling Lab 

We build, modify, and operate:

• Industrial Precious Plastic–style shredder
• Injection molding machine (modded PP design)
• Extrusion machine
• ​Sheet press + oven
• Custom-built equipment engineered in-house

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Custom Recycled Plastic Product Manufacturing

We produce:

• Branded products for events & schools
• Carabiners, clips, tokens, keychains
• Tiles, sheets, cut parts
• ​Specialty pieces & artistic items
• Custom designs for businesses and creators

Everything is made from 100% locally recycled plastic.

​Innovation + Social Impact + Local Manufacturing
Unlike traditional recycling, our process is hands-on, educational, and community-driven.

Machine Fabrication & Innovation
We modify Precious Plastic designs and fabricate new machines to:

• Increase output
• Improve safety
• Expand shaping/molding capability

What Makes Us Different

 Hands-On Job Training Through Recycling Technology
Unhoused and unemployed individuals train in:

• Plastic identification (#1–#7)
• Safe machine operation
• Shredding & contamination removal
• Mold use & temperature control
• Troubleshooting
• Quality control & finishing​

Participants learn real manufacturing skills and gain structure, confidence, and a path to stability.
This is where recycling becomes opportunity. Check out items we have in-store — purchase recycled-plastic products to support our mission.

Shop Our Products

Our Precious Plastic Machine Capabilities

Industrial Shredder

• Breaks PP / HDPE / PS into consistent flakes ready for molding or extrusion.

Injection Molding Machine

• Produces small to mid-batch items using aluminum or steel molds.

Extrusion Machine

• Creates beams, rods, sheets, and continuous material profiles.

Sheet Press + Industrial Oven
​Turns flakes into:

• sheets
• tiles
• signage​​

Custom Recycled Plastic Products

Made for Schools, Businesses, Events & Designers
Perfect for:

• School branding & sustainability campaigns
• ​Eco-friendly event merchandise
• Corporate sustainability initiatives
• ​Designer & artist collaborations
• Small-batch product testing
• ​Community giveaways
• Fundraising project​

​Explore what’s possible — create custom recycled plastic items for your school, business, or event.

Request Custom Product

Why Precious Plastic Matters in Los Angeles

Environmental Impact

• Keeps hard-to-recycle plastics out of landfills
• Reduces pollution in low-income communities
• Builds a localized circular economy

Social Impact

• Provides paid job training
• Builds workforce skills
• Helps participants regain stability

​Educational Impact

• ​Teaches students real recycling innovation
• ​Connects engineering to sustainability
• Inspires youth creativity and STEM learning

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​Support us in developing technology to process single-use plastics into new materials — donate today.

Donate