About ReCraft
A maker space approach to recycling.
ReCraft started with a simple frustration: people want to recycle properly, but the process is invisible. Your bin goes out on Tuesday and that's the last you see of it. We wanted to change that.
Our story
It started with a jar of bottle lids.
We started saving milk bottle lids because they seemed too good to throw away. They're bright, tough and everywhere. A few months and a home-built press later, they became our first coasters.
The real lightbulb came when we showed friends and neighbours how it worked. Once people had sorted a pile of plastic and watched it come out as something useful, they looked at their recycling bin differently. That's what ReCraft is for.
Now we run workshops in libraries and community centres across Adelaide. We turn the clean plastic collected there into local products, and we're working towards community furniture.
Who's behind it
Crafted By Mathur
ReCraft is run by Crafted By Mathur, a small maker business based in Adelaide. We design and make things by hand, and we care about where materials come from and where they end up.
We're not a big company or a charity. We're a small local team with workshop tools, a lot of sorted plastic and plenty of enthusiasm. We work alongside libraries, schools and councils that want to make recycling more tangible for their communities.
Why HDPE first
One plastic, done properly
There are seven common resin codes. We picked one to start with, on purpose.
- Easy to identify
- It's marked with a 2, and most households already have plenty of it.
- Safe to process
- It melts at a fairly low temperature without the toxic fumes some plastics give off.
- Strong and durable
- It makes sturdy, weather-resistant products that can live outdoors for years.
- Recyclable again
- HDPE can be shredded and remade again, so today's coaster can become part of tomorrow's bench.
Our values
What we hold ourselves to
Honest impact
We measure what comes in, what we reject and what we make, and we publish it. No inflated numbers, no vague claims about saving the ocean. If something didn't work, we'll say so.
Safety
We only melt plastics we can identify and process safely, with proper ventilation, temperature control and protective gear. That's a big reason we start with HDPE.
Local first
Plastic collected in a suburb should benefit that suburb. We work with local venues, keep materials close to home, and put finished furniture back into the communities that collected it.
Residents, families & schools
Book a workshop
Free and low-cost sessions at libraries and community centres across Adelaide. Bring a bag of clean lids if you have them.
Councils & businesses
Partner with us
Run a 90-day pilot in your area. We bring the workshops and the machines, and you get clear, honest numbers at the end.