In the Cèdres district of Lausanne, what if plastic waste could come back to life? Instead of being thrown into an incineration bin, plastic enters a new cycle thanks to our project. Once consumed, users can drop off their plastic waste at one of the vending machines located throughout the neighborhood. These machines have three compartments for different types of plastic: PET bottles, rigid bottle caps, and other plastics. A QR code appears on the screen, and by scanning it with the TrashApp, users earn points based on the weight of their recycled material. Plastic now has value, and every gesture becomes a meaningful contribution.
Once a day, a cargo bike makes its rounds to collect the materials. The three streams, carefully separated, are brought to the TrashHouse—a center where recycling becomes transformation, learning, and creation.
At TrashPrint, bottles are carefully cut into three parts: the top, the bottom, and the central body. The rigid parts, along with the caps, are shredded, melted, and extruded into ready-to-use 3D printing filament. The middle section is sliced into fine strips and extruded into a lighter filament. In the workshop, layer by layer, unique objects take shape: a repaired piece, a customized tool, a prototype. Thanks to the modeling courses offered in our auditorium, anyone can design their own objects.
Meanwhile, the other plastics go through TrashFabric: they are washed, decolored, shredded, extruded into thread, and woven into a recycled textile. This fabric becomes the raw material for TrashSewing, the sewing workshop where bags are made and torn items are given a second life—sometimes completed with hardware printed at TrashPrint. While the printers are running, visitors can relax at TrashCafé and enjoy the view of Lake Geneva and the distant mountains.
To raise awareness from an early age, we invite local schools to our Bring Your Own Bottle workshop, where children discover how a simple bottle can become their new favorite toy. Designed for everyone, our building is fully accessible, with stairs, ramps, and elevators. Here, plastic becomes a resource, a possibility, and a learning tool.