• We up-cycle our community’s waste plastic

    into durable tools and infrastructure.

    Our mission is to develop & implement small-scale, decentralized technologies

    that address systemic challenges to sustainability & community resiliency.

    What is our potential as community members to create a non-violent and equitable society?

  • Caring for Port Townsend one lid at a time.

    Reducing waste & maximizing community resources

    Mission: to utilize "appropriate technologies" to process and upcycle our community's waste plastic into durable tools and infrastructure.

    Vision: we see a decreased reliance on plastic in our community, and this valuable resource is contained and upcycled into new components of tools that improve community resiliency.

    broken image

    Waste Stream Reduction

    Mitigate Pollution

    We are mitigating the amount of trucks transporting plastic and the associated CO2 emissions. And we are mitigating plastic contamination of land and water. Join us at one of our bimonthly drop-offs (details below in events section).

    broken image

    Cultivating our Community

    Helping Consumers become Creators

    Begin to acknowledge the fact that plastic is pervasive in our current economic system, and it will take time to rid it from our lives. We must consume wisely and organize towards a more localized, non-violent system in which we are creators.

    broken image

    Connecting businesses & projects to reclaimed resources

    Adapting

    We are working with local businesses to responsibly manage plastic from their enterprises and provide useful instruments and tools as we move towards a changing climate and demographics.

  • Projects

    Plastic!

    broken image

    In practice (2023)

    Our team is currently processing plastic via the plastic shredder designed by the good folks at Precious Plastic, and then using a 20 ton press to make tiles. We hope to continue develop useful infrastructure identified by the needs of our community. In the meantime, we are stockpiling shredded plastic for future projects, building partnerships, and developing a "consumer guide".

  • Our goal is to mitigate pollution and adapt to inevitable changes incurred by climate change.


    MISSION: To develop and implement small-scale, decentralized technologies that address systemic challenges to sustainability and community resiliency.

     

    VISION: We see a Port Townsend that is empowered to thrive upon its own resources and shares its successes with communities across the world.

  • Let's get together

    Events

    broken image

    Pop-Up Drop-Off

    • Thank you everyone who has come out to be a part of our pop-up drop-off. It has been incredibly successful and have collected over 800 lbs!
    • We will be taking a break from collection in order to focus on producing some products and moving our very full workshop.
    broken image

    Bi-annual Community Shred Down

    • Coming soon
    • Enjoy dancing, games, conversation, and the shredding of community waste ; )

  • FAQ's

    What's going on here?

  • 1. What will you make?

    - A tangible awareness of our crisis. We are actively drawing attention to the failures of our current economy and a call to action for us to be better stewards of our world. In short, an impetus for change.

    - We are also reaching out to local farmers and businesses now to see what we kinds of plastic tools we can provide for them to strengthen our local, circular economy.

    -You tell us. We will have a page for community members to request items as long as they meet our standards (specifically something that will have a long, safe life).

    2. What plastics will you be accepting?

    - We plan to target #2, 4, and 5. They are the least toxic to work with on our scale, and some of the more durable ones from which to make quality goods.

    3. How much does your service cost?

    - We have developed a sliding scale from $0 (such as our "approved" products) to $10/ lb. Keeping in mind, plastic is very light.

    4. Where is plastic going now?

    - Really hard to know for sure. There are statistics saying that between 9% and 30% of plastic is recycled at all. This means the majority of it goes into landfills, is incinerated, or ends up in our wild spaces

    - In Jefferson County, we have rock star waste managers looking out for us and the most vulnerable people on the plant. They will not accept or send plastic to the transfer station in Tacoma unless they know there is a domestic market for it. This means all of the plastic that they accept at any of our transfer stations will have a greater chance of becoming products instead of pollution.

    5. Shouldn't we just stop using plastic?

    -Yes, but this means restructuring our economic and food systems, and heavily pressuring our representatives and government. In the meantime we must mitigate pollution and wisely repurpose this unique material.

    6. What's the biggest impact I can have as a consumer? Does it really make a difference if I use plastic wrap or not?

    - The largest inflow of plastic into your life is possibly from your grocery shopping. Convenience foods, specifically, have a lot of plastic packaging but fruits and vegetables, frozen foods and dairy all have some plastic. Some of this we can refuse immediately and some we can't. Try to shop in bulk and collaborate with neighbors and transition initiatives.

    - CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. No matter what you think about voting or democracy, it takes very little time to send an email or make a phone call to the people representing your town, county, state and country to let them know how you feel about plastic. Are you overwhelmed? Fed up? Nervous? Sad? Tell them. Even if you don't think you have the solutions.

    7.. What about turning it back into energy?

    - We need to stop burning stuff.

    - It is a useful material when it is in the right place, well cared for, and not a single-use item.

    8. Why don't you make ______?

    - Sure, if it meets these criteria:

    1. Must be a benefit to the community, 2. Must not be exposed to too much UV light, 3. Is an item that is unlikely to be thrown away, Etc.

    - In time, we will have a commission request form on the website for this purpose.

    9. Isn't working with plastic bad for you? Are you all at risk making these things?

    - We will be taking as many safety precautions as possible, but believe it is a small price to pay for the benefits of a successful endeavor. We know that plastic was recently found in human blood and lung tissue. It's in our water, air, soil and plants. We're not taking extra risks but we feel the urgent need to do something. Now.

    -Also, we think it is better to take those risks on ourselves than to concentrate them in vulnerable neighborhoods far away.

    10. Can you start taking my plastic now?

    - We are still figuring out the best practices for our business. We can't manage the volume of plastic that our county consumes. No one can. Eventually we will be able to accept SOME from the general public that is in our consumer guide, but we will be focusing more on working with businesses who buy larger, bulk containers (more people served per lb of plastic).

  • RE-USE

    We know re-use better than re-cycle, so please let us know if you can put these back into action!

  • WHO WE ARE:

    1. Why work with PTP?

    2. Favorite thing you love about living in Jefferson county?

    3.. What's your "real job(s)"?

    4.. What future PTP product are you most excited for?

    5. What's your favorite season?

    6. Pineapple or no pineapple on pizza?

    7. What's your "weirdest" hobby?

    8. How long have you been obsessed with plastics or saving the planet or making change?

    9. Super hero you most identify with?

    Roarke Jennings: Initiator, Worker-Owner #1, Plastic Hauler

    broken image

    1. I believe we need to take quick collective action towards developing the infrastructure and culture that actively mitigates pollution and adapts to inevitable changes wrought by climate change via appropriate technology and community engagement. And that’s what PTP is aiming for one project at a time.

     

    2. It’s hard to boil it down but here’s my best shot: The culture of farmers, music, creators, and adventure.

     

    3. The Food Co-op, Adachi Farm, Father

     

    4. Stackable worm-bins, so that we can continue to empower our community to address another source of great pollution via small-scale, decentralized tools. Plus more fertilizer for the gardens we need ; )

     

    5. Spring

     

    6. Pineapple for sure. Helps digestion? And it’s tasty.

     

    7. Backcountry snowboarding

     

    8. In general: high school. The precious plastic project, specifically, peaked my interest when I was compiling a world newsletter for “Peace Boat” in 2015. As the plastic crisis grew in recent years it seemed a good place to start demonstrating the potential of appropriate technology and the need for a more circular, local economy.

     

    9. Spiderman. Remember, “with great power comes great responsibility.”

    Ronnie Crusta: Worker-Owner Pledge, R&D, Social Media, Kickstarter Host

    broken image

    1. I had a familiarity before meeting Roarke with precious plastics and the second I heard he was working on something I jumped. After our first chat where we shared our interests in local plastic recycling, agroforestry, and David Flemming’s economic philosophy I knew we were going to make something interesting.

     

    2. There is already a thriving local economy here. We have so much resilience as a community with an equal capacity for celebration.

     

    3. Haha, I try hard to avoid real jobs but most of my time is dedicated to setting up an agricultural project with my mom and partner. PTP takes a nice portion of my days, too.

     

    4. I want to be most excited about the infrastructure stuff like sheets, tiles, bricks and boards but my excitement is usually all about whatever thing I’m working on in the workshop at the moment, as long as it’s working and going to plan. Right now I’m making woven plastic bait bags for dogs but I secretly can’t wait to make climbing holds. That’s not a priority but it’ll be super fun.

     

    5. Whichever season is next. Right now I’m thrilled that the harvest is soon over-ish and I can hibernate and create over the winter. But in the dead of winter I’ll be excited for spring and all of the planting and outside time after a winter of planning.

     

    6. Pineapple. I will fight you or at least order half and half. It must have a balance of salty-black olive and pineapple pizza is my go to.

     

    7. Can I say plastic? I also do a lot of other fiber stuff (knit, crochet, sew, weave) and I usually make it weird.

     

    8. Feels like since birth. I was born in the 70s and I feel like all of the stuff coming into my jelly brain as a kid was preparing me for right now. I started crafting with plastic about 15 years ago.

     

    9. Don Cheadle's Captain Planet. Obviously.

    Mandi Johnson: Networking Extraordinaire

    broken image

    1. I have been enthralled by Precious Plastics for years! Shortly after moving to Port Townsend, I heard Roarke was working on one of the machines and I was beyond excited. After about a year I worked up the courage to ask if I could be involved in some way. I love the idea of taking the waste we already have and turning it into something. So many of us have no idea where our trash and recyclables actually go, but with this type of project you know exactly what is being done with it! I love that with the vision PTP has, our waste is recreated into something useful all while keeping our waste local!

     

    2. I don't think I have ever experienced community until moving to Jefferson County. I was originally destined to only stay here for a year, but the beautiful sense of community this area has is what has kept me for now going on 5 years. I love how supportive, uplifting, and connected this community can be.

     

    3. I am the Outreach Coordinator at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center where I am currently focusing on sustainability initiatives that mostly deal with waste reduction - I've got a thing for trash!

     

    4.Pegboards

     

    5. Summer. I am originally from Arizona and love the feeling you get when you walk outside and can feel the sun sizzle and sap every last drop of moisture from your skin. Just makes me wanna take a nap in pure bliss.

     

    6. Pineapple but ONLY if there are olives!

     

    7. I mentioned I have got a thing for trash, right? I am practically a hoarder of things destined for the trash because they are broken, missing pieces, etc, etc, etc. I love figuring out how to fix or repurpose and find new homes for these things!

     

    8. My obsession with plastics and making a change started when I was about 19 and I went off to an internship in the Caribbean. There I met and worked with some incredible people doing conservation work and from that moment forward the planet had my heart.

     

    9. I would say maybe poison ivy for my super hero...? She might be slightly evil but she is just fighting against the man and pollution.

    Sam Cardoza: Worker-Owner Pledge

    broken image


    1. Because I also love to be creative and make things with my friends, and if I can channel that into providing a real service and alleviating a real problem within my community then, well, that's pretty awesome and empowering for all of us.
     

    2. Wild foraging berries and mushrooms, and the beach.
     

    3. Currently somewhat piecemeal - my main gig this year has been as a field hand at Midori Farm in Quilcene.
     

    4. I'd love to see frames for backpacking backpacks. That, and geodesic domes.

    5. Summer. It's almost not even that cold here for a couple months.

    6. Honestly I like pineapple on pizza, but I don't get why this question is such a big deal lol.

    7. Of the one's I'd feel comfortable sharing, probably fire spinning. I also love chess.

    8. I ended up volunteering on a vegetable farm in Colorado for 5 months after I graduated college with an engineering degree. I cared about environmental and social issues before then, but during those 5 months I had a lot of conversations with my fellow farm workers and other community members which led to a deeper understanding of some of the issues we are facing. Then, I ended up working at a worker owned kitchen in Berkeley, CA where we packaged all of our food in reusable mason jars. That's when I became a true nut about curbing plastic waste.

    9. I don't know if this counts as a superhero, but I do really like and identify with Finn from Adventure time.

  • Contact Us

    Volunteer? Collaborate? You + us = awesome.

    Cookie Use
    We use cookies to ensure a smooth browsing experience. By continuing we assume you accept the use of cookies.
    Learn More