Always on
This project successfully funded on 28th February 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
From Waste to Waves
Helston, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Aim
Turn Cornwall’s beach plastic into boards, benches & skills through creativity, connection, and change.
From Waste to Wonder: Turning Plastic Waste into Art, Design & Play
Plastic waste is everywhere — on our beaches, in our rivers, and across the wild places we love. At One Blue Eye Workshop in Helston, we’re transforming that waste into something beautiful, useful, and full of creativity.
Now, we want to take things further — expanding our community recycling space, adding new machines, and opening our doors to even more people: artists, schools, makers, and everyday ocean lovers.
Together, we can turn the tide on plastic pollution — and turn waste into wonder.
The Problem
Of the estimated 380 million tons of plastic produced globally every year, about half is single use.
Only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled! the rest? Its either been burned, buried or ended up in our environment.
Approximately 11 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean every year. That’s the equivalent of us dumping 2,000 bin lorries full of plastic into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes every single day (UNEP, 2025).
It’s estimated that UK households throw away a staggering 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging a week (Big Plastic Count, 2024). Surfers Against Sewage
The Ocean Recovery Project estimates that more than 16,000 polystyrene bodyboards are discarded on UK beaches every year. Each one is manufactured on the other side of the world and shipped thousands of miles, sometimes for as little as a few hours in the waves before they end up in the bin.
But there is always hope. With amazing organisations around Cornwall doing extraordinary things such as Clean Cornwall , The 2 Minute Foundation , Beach Guardian and a very special pirate mate's Clean Ocean Sailing !
Working with some of these legends we want to help engage and inspire the Cornish community and its visitors to make a real difference to our beautiful place.
The Project
I’m Matt, and I’ve spent the past three years building an open, hands-on recycling workshop in my local town centre, where anyone can see and take part in the full process of turning waste plastic into something new.
We’ve already helped local schools, artists, and community groups learn how circular design works — and we’ve made surf craft, accessories and art from discarded plastic.
Click this link to to see how a panini press and some ocean plastic got the idea started 👉 How it started
Now, with your help, we’ll add larger Precious Plastic machines to recycle more waste and create even bigger, better projects.
Your support will help us buy:
A Sheet Press to make large recycled panels and belly boards. £13,000 - This is our main priority and where we will focus our funds as part of the "keep what you raise" if we don't make our £25,000 target.
If we hit £15,700 then we will add:
An Injection Moulder. £2700 - This has a larger shot capacity enabling larger pieces to be injected such as surfboard fins.
(+shipping costs)
Hitting £25,000 + would allow the purchase of:
An Extruder for recycled “planks” and skateboard decks. £10,800
Stretch targets over the target could then look at helping us identifying more beach found plastic with:
PlasTell desktop NIR plastics scanner £3600
and further injection moulds....
Match Funding: Help Us Unlock £5,000+
With your early donations, we are eligible to receive match funding from Cornwall Council when we reach their target criteria.
Why It Matters
By backing this project, you’ll help us:
✅ Run workshops for schools, home educators, and youth groups — sparking creativity and awareness about plastic waste.
✅ Build a network of local plastic collection points to keep more waste out of nature.
✅ Offer volunteering, training, and hands-on learning opportunities — inspiring young people, NEETs, and those outside mainstream education to explore circular design, develop skills, and even start their own eco-enterprises.
✅ Produce eco-friendly, locally made products that give waste new life and show what’s possible when creativity meets sustainability.
Some of the sustainably minded people we have worked with so far:
Cornwall Council, Coastline Housing, SUEZ, Watergate Bay Hotel, UTMB, Radical Wax, Waterhaul, RNLI, 2 Minute Foundation, Brighton Marathon, Surf Life Saving GB, Children's Sailing Trust, Surfing England, Tate St Ives, MudCrew, and many more!
This is more than a recycling project — it’s a movement for creativity, community, and sustainability in Cornwall.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made