Origins is the name of a decorative material that offers fantastic visual stimulation. It achieves its punch by acknowledging its origins which are colorful post-consumer detergent bottles. The material elevates recycling to a new art form. Unlike plastic laminate products whose printed patterns are repeated, the randomness of this material’s color at the surface is real and unique. The penetration of colors all the way through the material offer design and fabrication advantages. It is a completely safe, non-toxic material that causes no harm to the environment during its manufacture or use and it helps to minimize waste.

The creation of Origins is an involved process. Plastic bottles must be collected, sorted by color and shredded into pieces about the size of oatmeal. The flakes must be washed in hot water to remove contaminates such as soap, milk and paper labels and then thoroughly dried. By isolating the individual colors during the feed stock preparation process, a wide variety of color pattern customization is possible.

Individual colors of flakes are carefully blended into specific color formulas. A measured amount of the blend is spread into a mold, which is positioned in an oven and heated until the plastic becomes molten. Pressure is then applied and this causes the randomly distributed colors of flakes or pellets to move in fascinating ways, as they permanently bond together. Conversely, the processes of injection molding and extrusion are unable to match this technique because their process homogenizes the color of the molten plastic.

One of the best things about Origins is that it offers an aesthetic response to recycling that is not dull and dutiful but rather colorful, joyous and in many ways, superior to its competitors. Given that most plastic items are only one color, this material has a future in many as yet untapped applications. Origins is a serious decorative material made from recycled plastic. By making a recycled material look and feel desirable, the material takes a step forward, changing the use of recycled materials from a cause to a common place.