"Is plastic the problem or the future?" asks Smile Plastics

Promotion: Welsh brand Smile Plastics' products promote the "imaginative, repetitive reuse" of plastic in a bid to mitigate its environmental impact. Swansea-based Smile Plastics was founded in the 1990s by engineer Colin Williamson and designer Jane Atfield. Since then, the brand has been creating plastic panels and bespoke products that are both 100 per cent

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Promotion: Welsh brand Smile Plastics' products promote the "imaginative, repetitive reuse" of plastic in a bid to mitigate its environmental impact.

Swansea-based Smile Plastics was founded in the 1990s by engineer Colin Williamson and designer Jane Atfield.

Since then, the brand has been creating plastic panels and bespoke products that are both 100 per cent recycled and 100 per cent recyclable.

Plastic was popularised during the 1960s and 1970s, but has been demonised in recent years due to its impact on the environment during its manufacturing and at the end of its often short lifespan.

However, Smile Plastics argues that people's attitudes towards the use of plastic are the central issue and that when these perceptions change, plastic can still be a viable and eco-friendly material.

"[Plastic] can and is contributing to a more sustainable future for the built environment," said the brand. "How? Through imaginative, repetitive reuse as part of a circular economy."

The company operates within the circular economy, meaning that its products are part of a closed-loop system that prioritises the reuse, repair and repurposing of materials.

Smile Plastics operates a buy-back scheme and also utilises standard recycling channels for the offcuts generated during the creation of its panels.

"When a product comes to the end of its life, [Smile Plastics] believes there's no reason that should be where it ends," continued the brand "The manufacturing process simply begins all over again."

The brand has worked with a number of designers to produce hospitality and retail interiors that share its common goal of eradicating waste and contributing to environmentally-conscious design.

Bar tops, tabletops, coat hooks, chopping boards and splashbacks in London eatery Silo – purported to be the first zero-waste restaurant in the world – are all made by Smile Plastics, and were specified by design studio Nina + Co per the design scheme's exclusive use of recycled materials.

Eyewear brand Monc also worked with Smile Plastics to develop an interior design scheme for its showroom, which features an apricot-hued surface developed specifically for the project.

Lush, a cosmetics and wellbeing brand, has been working with Smile Plastics for a number of years, working together to create a wide range of fittings and furnishings for its London and Bristol stores.

Other brands that feature products from Smile Plastics' pieces are department store Selfridges, for which the brand created surfaces that incorporate old Christmas decorations such as tinsel.

The products also feature in retail outlets for Danish fashion label Ganni and mountaineering gear brand Klättermusen, in the form of packaging and bespoke displays.

The brand takes specific measures to ensure that its manufacturing processes produce the least amount of carbon possible and reduce water usage wherever they feasibly can.

"Efficient production processes are carried out at its Swansea manufacturing plant, where panels are fully formed, ready-to-use products straight off the press line – requiring no additional post-processing for surface finish," the brand explained.

"These materials have some of the lowest carbon footprints of comparable decorative options and certainly the lowest carbon footprint among 100 per cent recycled plastic panels on the market – substantiated by Smile Plastics’ Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for PET and HIPS, which it readily provides," the brand continued.

"Its production process also significantly reduces water consumption compared to manufacturers using primary materials – particularly noteworthy when compared to traditional and alternative surfaces available in the marketplace."

"The brand is deeply committed to both its customers and the environment, prioritising authenticity, knowledge, and the best interests of those it serves," the brand added.

"With over 30 years of pioneering sustainable plastics, Smile Plastics has become synonymous with producing commercial interior panels of unparalleled quality and decorative appeal," said the brand. "Its expertise in transforming waste materials into beautiful, sustainable surfaces, is recognised on a global scale."

"Along with its clients, customers, and collaborators, UK manufacturer Smile Plastics is fervently dedicated to its unwavering mission to achieve the sustainably sound future that our built environment so desperately needs for survival," the brand continued.

"And, as part of that, putting plastic in its rightful place."

To find out more about Smile Plastics and view its recently developed materials, click here. To order a sample, click here.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Smile Plastics as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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