Plastic bottles are one of the most common materials found in our environment. These bottles have been around for more than 50 years and they have been used for many different purposes. They have been used to transport liquids, as food containers, and in the medical field.

Strength & durability of plastic bottles

This post is about a project focused on researching and assessing the strength & durability of upcycled plastic bottles and exploring their aesthetic, translucent qualities to educate potential consumers about their pros and cons.

It’s not surprising that people are now looking for ways to reuse it. One way is upcycling, which is the process of turning waste plastic into something new and useful. The versatility of plastic bottles makes them an excellent material to be reused for many purposes, In recent years, plastic bottles have been upcycled into a variety of products. And a category that has my special interest is lamps.

“I do not like throwing away anything that has the potential to be transformed into something new.”

Louise Green

Weird and wonderful objects

A fantastic and charming upcycle project is Trashlamp, founded by sustainable designer Louise Green. One of the things she is most passionate about is environmental sustainability. Louise has set out on a mission to do her part in looking after our planet. And upcycling plastic bottles is a great way to help save the planet. Louise Green: “I do not like throwing away anything that has the potential to be transformed into something new. For as long as I can remember I have used waste products such as plastic bottles and packaging to create all kinds of weird and wonderful objects. This life-long hobby gradually developed into the creation of unique, geometric, sculptural lighting along with jewelry and other eco items.”

Collecting plastic bottles

Trashlamp is all about reusing waste items and materials. Before Louise throws anything away, she always checks for any renewable qualities. Plastic bottles are the most commonly used, but she also incorporates other items, such as lids, buttons, fabric offcuts or wallpaper – or even wool carpets. Other people’s bottles are collected to have enough material. Louise: “I don’t generate enough waste on my own, so I also get plastic bottles from friends, family, and neighbors. The business that collects them has also been really helpful.”

Louise Green studied for a 3D design degree and experimented with waste materials as lighting, mainly using recycled plastic. It was only in her Master’s degree when she really developed her own style. She loves finding inspiration, getting an idea, planning the design, deciding on geometry, and then building an object. All of this to her is not just fascinating in itself but also in enabling her to create other exciting things in life including jewelry, décor, and gift items. 

Design by Louise Green | Trashlamp