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How to Turn Plastic Waste into Products & Furniture

Self-Paced Two Module Course Plus Two Making Workshops

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The Making Design Circular approach is unique because it combines head, heart and hand skills and most courses include an element of each.
  • Head means you predominantly use your brain to think things though
  • Hand means you’ll have the opportunity to learn new making techniques
  • Heart means it’s informed by coaching techniques and there’s likely to be some soul searching required

When

Immediate start

Where

Online

Level

Seedling (Intermediate)

Time

4 x 60–90 minute sessions

Money GBP

£180 one-off payment
or 3 payments of £60
£216 inc VAT if payable

Money USD/EUR

$243 approx
208 € approx

Got questions?

When

Immediate start

Where

Online

Level

Seedling (Intermediate)

Time

4 x 60–90 minute sessions

Money

£180 one-off payment
or 3 payments of £60
approx $243
approx 208 €
£216 inc VAT if payable

Giving Back

10% of your subscription will be donated towards environmental causes and bursary places.

Got questions?

How to Turn Plastic Waste into Products & Furniture

If you’re feeling guilty about putting yet more “stuff” into the work, this course will show you how to work with plastic waste to create exciting new products

Does this sound like you?

1
You used to feel proud and excited about being a designer-maker, but have started to feel a creeping sense of guilt about putting more 'stuff' out into the world.
2
Maybe the idea of sustainability has started to feel heavy and you wish you could you engage with it in a way that feels more light, playful and creative, without dodging the issue.
3
You would rather give new life to things that already exist than create demand for virgin materials, but you're not sure where to start.
4
You might be excited about the possibilities of experimenting with new materials and what that might mean for your practice
5
You're interested in the creative potential of repair and mending within your creative practice
6
You'd like to see other people exploring similar ideas so you feel less like you're swimming against the tide
You can redefine waste as an exciting new raw material
Stefanie Cheong
Stefanie Cheong
Jewellery designer
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"Making Design Circular membership has given me the confidence and knowledge to evolve my making and business practice to become more aligned with my values. I have been able to do this at my own pace without feeling overwhelmed, but also with a good level of accountability. I enjoy being part of a community of other makers and really look forward to our regular meet-ups. Katie is generous, energetic and knowledgeable and has created something really special!"

Katie Treggiden in the press...

Introducing: How to Turn Plastic Waste into Products & Furniture

A 2-module self-paced programme with 2 making workshops that will help you to:

1
Get inspiration from designers who are already working with plastic waste
2
Get hands-on making experience and learn new techniques with workshops from Precious Plastics and 'plasticsmith' Bronwen Gwillim
3
Turn the heavy sense of responsibility that comes with being eco-conscious into excitement about the opportunities
4
Recapture the wide-eyed curiosity and creativity you started your career or studies with
5
Feel empowered to embrace the creative potential of waste as a raw material
Sarah Christensen
Sarah Christensen
Product & furniture designer
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“I’d often felt a disconnect between my work as a furniture designer-maker and my personal values; so I decided to bring them closer together. Being part of Making Design Circular has given me the knowledge to get started and a community to share my ideas with. I now have a job that I love and care about and I am excited about my future as a maker again.”

Hey, I'm Katie Treggiden

I once told a business mentor that my mission was to “inspire, educate and empower designer-makers to join the circular economy.”

He told me he didn’t think I was doing that. “What?!” I said. “I’ve written books, I’ve got a podcast, I give talks on the world’s stages, I write for everybody from The Guardian to Crafts Magazine – what more can I do?!” I responded, slightly affronted.

“Oh, you’re inspiring them, for sure,” he said. “But what about the educate and empower part? What about the ‘how’?”

He was right of course and in that moment Making Design Circular was born.

I have since interviewed hundreds of designers, makers, artists and craftspeople about their sustainability journeys and beta-tested everything in the membership, short courses and 1:1 nature-informed coaching offer with brave souls who saw me embark on my own “progress over perfection” journey.

I have seen first-hand the transformation this work has had for those who have joined so far – and I want that for you too.

What’s included

1
5 x videos that were recorded with a live audience to give you a sense of energy and camaraderie. (This course was originally recorded as part of Waste: A Masterclass – buy the Waste Bundle to get access to the whole masterclass)
2
We will start with a powerful introduction to the concept of working with waste. You will be given exclusive access to the keynote speech Waste: A Category Not a Fact that I gave for San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design followed by an insightful Q&A with renowned craft writer and critic, Glenn Adamson.
3
Interviews with designers and studios Precious Plastics, Ella Doran, Bronwen Gwillim and The New Raw who are already working with plastic waste about what their biggest challenges were, how they overcame them and the advice they have for you.
4
Hands-on making and mending workshops with Bronwen Gwillim and Precious Plastics
5
A ‘Read/Watch/Listen’ list of resources to explore for those who want to go deeper – kind of like the reading lists you largely ignored at art school or university, but more accessible for different learning styles and hopefully a whole lot more engaging
6
Access to a private online community to share your progress, ask questions and connect with likeminded souls
7
NB This course was originally recorded as part of Waste: A Masterclass and includes workshops from both live runs – buy the Waste Bundle to get access to the whole masterclass
Fiona Hall
Fiona Hall
Camban Studio
Read More
“It’s so nice to be in a group that’s at the same stage and feeling such similar struggles with the opportunity to chat them through and support each other.”

How it works

1
Start whenever you like. This is a self-paced programme so you can join whenever suits your schedule, lifestyle or workload. There are no deadlines or submissions and the programme has been designed to fit around busy lives.
2
You will get immediate access to a series of pre-recorded videos and audio files so you can watch or listen alongside your making practice.
3
This is a self-paced course, hosted on a platform called Circle, so you can find everything in one place and track your progress as you move through the content
4
You will receive reminders by email to keep you on track
5
A comments thread on each video enables you to share learnings and “aha” moments, ask questions and connect with likeminded souls on the same journey
6
A downloadable PDF workbook will you give space to engage with the exercises and implement what you learn
7
The videos will remain accessible for as long as this course exists, so you can go at your own pace and come back to it as many times as you need to.
8
Having taken this course, you will become eligible for my *free* quarterly “Ask Me Anything” sessions via Zoom so can get clarification or dig deeper on any part of the course.
9
All videos are fully captioned and written transcripts and audio-only versions are provided to cater for different learning styles. If there is another way I can make this programme more accessible, just shoot me an email and I will always do my best to help

Your investment

£180 one-off payment
or 3 payments of £60
£216 inc VAT if payable
Approx $243
Approx 208 €
✴ Money Back Guarantee ✴
✴ Money Back Guarantee ✴

We’re not here to waste your time or ours.

That’s why we offer a direct, no-nonsense money-back guarantee.

Our goal? Happy customers and zero regrets.

Note: Under the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations, you (as a consumer) have the right to cancel a course within 14 days. This right applies regardless of whether the course will be taken online or in person. However, this assumes that you have not accessed the course material on the course website. Our policy offers more than this…a full refund at any point before completing the course.
Diana Padwick
Diana Padwick
Textiles artist
Read More
“The best part has been finding similarities between other people’s journeys and my own. I feel like I’ve finally found my people.”

All Access Membership

A membership community and online learning platform in which you get to feel proud of contributing to a thriving planet with every product you make.
Monthly rolling membership.
Cancel anytime with 3 working days notice.

This is for you if...

1
You are a designer making your own products or you are interested in making products or prototypes from textiles waste for manufacture
2
You used to feel really proud of working with your hands, but increasingly have a creeping sense of guilt about putting more yet more ‘stuff’ into the world.
3
You are already working towards becoming more sustainable, but mostly work with virgin materials and haven’t yet fully embraced waste as a raw material.
4
You are open to an approach to your work that is experimental, collaborative and materials-led.

This is not for you if...

1
You are already working with textiles waste as a raw material and feel comfortable in this space – this course is a place to begin to explore and experiment with waste for the first time.
2
You don’t have the time right now to really dive in and ‘do the work’.
3
You are looking for live teaching and immediate feedback – the course is self-paced, but you will be able to find support in the community space and join the quarterly live Q&As..

Frequently Asked Questions

All the course materials hosted on a platform called ThriveCart, so you can find everything in one place and track your progress as you move through the content. You will receive immediate access as well as a series of reminders by email to keep you on track. (You can cancel or reset these at anytime.)

The exact content varies by course, but most include a series of videos and workbooks, a ‘Read/Watch/Listen’ list for those who want to dive deeper and email reminders to keep you on track.

Again, it varies by course so check the fact box at the top left of this page. Most videos are 30–90 minutes long and you can usually do the exercises as you watch. Some courses include additional homework or “challenges” which you might want to dedicate more time to – but you can do everything at your own pace.

You have access to all the course materials as long as the course exists, so you can work through at your own pace and revisit as many times as you need to.

This is an online self-paced course so you can work at your own pace, around other commitments and from any time zone. 

All videos are captioned and written transcripts and audio-only versions are provided. If there’s anything else I can do to make the course more accessible, please just ask and I will always do my best.

Nope! By popular demand, we have moved away from Facebook and now use ThriveCart for hosting all the course materials.

You can ask questions on the comments thread on each video – I check in most days so will respond as quickly as I can.

And if you’re stick stuck and need a quick response, you can always shoot me an email. 

Again, it depends on the course, so check the details in the fact box at the top right of this page, but most of the higher-priced courses have some sort of payment plan. 

We’re not here to waste your time or ours.

That’s why we offer a direct, no-nonsense money-back guarantee.

Our goal? Happy customers and zero regrets.

Dive into any course. If at any point before completion you feel it’s not teaching you anything new or it’s not relevant to your world, hit the brakes.

Reach out to us before you finish the course. That’s crucial. If you complete it, we’ll take it as a nod that you found value in our content.

We’ll refund every single penny. No hard feelings. No lengthy processes. Just straight talk and fair play.

Under the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations, you (as a consumer) have the right to cancel a course within 14 days. This right applies regardless of whether the course will be taken online or in person. However, this assumes that you have not accessed the course material on the course website. Our policy offers more than this…a full refund at any point before completing the course.

 

Email me and I’ll be happy to answer it!

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