GoGo Plastics Foundation, based in the Netherlands, is a professional recycled plastic sheet producer that processes 20.000 kilos of waste plastic into sheets (or panels) annually. They have global experience working in India and the Philippines, in remote locations with unstable electricity and no proper recycling infrastructure. Their concept is based on an open source worldwide network of plastic recyclers, namely Precious Plastic. The same basis of Perpetual Plastics (PP) under the local EPIC Foundation, which launched in mid-2024.
PP, with great thanks to Stichting DOEN, recently acquired and received a sheetpress that can process large amounts of waste plastic into plastic sheets (panels), which in turn can be manufactured into many various items, such as you would with a 1x1m sheet of plywood, with this version being more durable and sustainable, needing little to no maintenance. To ensure efficiency and professionalize local production, PP invited GoGo Plastics for hands-on training on site, and has undergone 2 weeks of intensive guidance in the process.
Not only with the production but also maintenance, marketing, design, as well as the educational component that comes along with the community involvement and engagement. Education and awareness being a very large part of all EPIC programs and projects. During GoGo’s visit, a stakeholder session was hosted, appropriately named ‘Let’s Talk Trash’, persons within Government, education, the social sector, the waste / recycling sector, and those in nature and environmental conservation and protection came together to learn more about PP’s new plastic sheet endeavour and how we can all collectively make a positive impact with our local plastic waste problem.
In closing, everyone joined in to collectively make a piece of art, portraying our collective effort in making a greener and cleaner Sint Maarten. The Perpetual Plastics team would like to thank all those that joined their ‘Trash Talk’, but also those that made the GoGo visit and recycled plastic sheet making possible, from various private donors, to Seaview Beach Hotel, and Stichting DOEN.
To all those interested in learning more about getting involved in plastic recycling, the team welcomes you to visit the Perpetual Plastics plastic recycling social workspace in Cole Bay, Union Road 125-3.
The workspace is open Monday and Saturday 9.00am-12.00pm and Tuesday and Friday 8.00am-4.00pm.
PP works with persons with a distance to the traditional labour market, and accepts plastic types 2 & 5 (number is indicated in a recycle triangle under the item). Want to know more, or want to get involved? Email: [email protected]
