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PROVO — Plastic bags aren't typically considered to be beautiful, but a Provo man aims to change that.
Carter Zufelt developed a new way to recycle plastic trash as an industrial design student at Brigham Young University. He calls his products Müll, which is German for "trash." His senior project featured marbled tables that snagged several accolades, including the 2015 DesignArts juror's award in the student category.
Now, Zufelt plans to carry out his project on a larger scale. By using his process to create furniture and organizational objects, he hopes to take plastic waste out of the environment and encourage others to recycle. Plastic bags in particular pose a problem because they tend to slip through the cracks of recycling and can take up to 1,000 years to break down, according to Zufelt.
"To be honest, before this I didn't really recycle a lot," he said. "I knew it was important, but in further researching I've realized it is quite the problem and so it has helped for me to be more proactive with what I do with plastic trash."
Zufelt gets the plastic bags for his creations from landfills and recycling drives carried out by friends. While other recycling companies generally mass manufacture uniform pieces of plastic, Zufelt's creations have an artistic touch. He went through a long period of experimentation before landing on a process that uses indirect heat and consistent pressure to melt the plastic.
"One guy I was talking to made the analogy that I am kind of like a glass blower, that with this unique process I have developed this cool way to manipulate the plastic," he said. "In placing the plastic in certain ways you can actually determine what it will look like at the end."
For his senior project Zufelt used the oven in his home and C-clamps from Home Depot to make the recycled plastic tables, but he is currently raising funds to upgrade his operation by selling organizational objects and cubes on Kickstarter. He plans to use the proceeds to buy better equipment and rent a warehouse.
Zufelt's true passion lies in designing furniture, so his long-term goal is to sell his recycled furniture or recycled pieces that complement furniture like countertops and tiles. The plastic he makes is durable and sturdy, lending itself well to these types of projects.
He also envisions others joining the movement to remove plastic from the environment by making their own recycled creations. One of Zufelt's motivations is a love of the outdoors, which he said he wants to help preserve for future generations.
"Plastic is kind of encroaching on the beauty and the rawness of the natural outdoors," he said. "That's where this whole process started from, this hope to keep nature as beautiful as possible."
More information about Zufelt's project can be found on Kickstarter.
