The Plastic Press

The penny press of the plastic era.

Marine plastic pollution is a massive and ever-growing issue plaguing the world. Billions of plastic bottles are manufactured every year, used once, and thrown away in most cases. The production of plastic bottles is expected to increase by billions in the coming years. Single-use plastic bottles, as well as single-use plastic coffee cups, often end up in our natural environments, harming wildlife and contaminating our food and water supplies. This reckless contamination of our own planet with a non-biodegradable material must be stopped quickly.

The Plastic Press aims to help solve the growing global plastic pollution epidemic while creating revenue for educational institutions such as museums, aquariums, and zoos. It is a kiosk that intakes plastic bottles, coffee cups, and other plastic waste, and turns them into souvenirs for museum goers. As the tagline states, it aims to be the "penny press of the plastic era". Although instead of a penny, the machine prompts users to insert a plastic bottle or coffee cup along with payment. Through a hand crank, users get to satisfyingly crush or shred their single-use plastic waste, and mold it into an up-cycled museum logo, or animal figure. Along with supporting educational material, this product can act as a dynamic attraction that teaches sustainability while also creating an additional source of passive revenue for the owner.

I believe this will help change the world in 3 ways. Primarily, this kiosk will encourage people to up-cycle the single-use plastics they consume on a daily basis. This kiosk will also offer a great dynamic attraction that will educate citizens on the harmful effects of single-use plastics. And finally the kiosk will provide a constant, passive revenue stream for the educational institutions that buy it, further helping them educate citizens on environmental issues.

Imagine if millions of people around the world had an outlet to
automatically up-cycle their single-use plastic waste into an
environmental souvenir that reminds them to reduce plastic usage.

This is a new technological product that takes inspiration from the classic penny press to help solve the global, growing plastic pollution epidemic. This product leverages the general public to help up-cycle plastic waste into educational souvenirs. The most innovative thing about this product is that it turns trash into money while educating its users.

Electronics and mechanics are required to perform the crushing, shredding, and heat molding that produce the final product. There is a substantial amount of plastic molding technology used as well.

Over the next 12 months, I would like to improve upon my prototype and install a fully autonomous machine in the Museum of Science to test the product usage and business model. Up-cycling 1000 plastic bottles in a month is the first real goal.

Over the next three to five years, I would like to see plastic press machines in several educational institutions across Massachusetts. Once the product is fully working locally, I would expand to neighboring states, targeting the same type of educational institutes. By the end of 5 years, I would like to have at least 100 plastic press machines installed in most states in the North East, as well as Toronto and Montreal.

The primary targets of the plastic press are educational institutions such as science museums, aquariums, and zoos. These groups will be contacted directly. Customers will be retained by providing an excellent, reliable product. Customers will also pay for annual or semi-annual maintenance.

We are not currently serving any people.

In 12 months, I expect to be serving a few thousand people per month through a potential partnership with the Museum of Science. Several thousand people attend the Museum of Science weekly. If the plastic press is installed in a high-traffic area and promoted internally, a few thousand people per month, or even week, could be educated on the harmful effects of plastic pollution while generating revenue for the museum.

In 3 years, we could be serving tens of thousands of people per month depending on product adoption by other educational institutions.

My skills are:

• Electrical Engineering:
  • Schematic and circuit board design, build, order, and debug
• Software Engineering:
  • Embedded C firmware development, Python, Artificial Intelligence
• Mechanical Engineering:
  • 3D CAD, 3D printing, outsourcing metalwork, mechanics, building stuff
• Product Development:
  • Rapid prototyping, iterative process, User Interfaces, User Experience
• Negotiation:
  • Negotiating payment rates, negotiating salaries
• Networking:
  • Connected to Greentown Labs, Artisan's Asylum, the Cambridge Innovation Center, and many local engineers and entrepreneurs
• Salesmanship:
  • Pushing through customer hesitations, cold calling, negotiating term

The ideal price per machine will ultimately be less than $5000 once fully developed.

The revenue model is to install plastic press machines for free and the company receives 100% of revenue until the machine is fully paid for. Once fully paid, the owner starts receiving revenue. The owner's share of the revenue increases over time.

The high returns of newly installed units create revenue immediately to help sustain early operations while more units are built and installed in new locations. Over the years, the number of units installed increases and the returns from old units diminish. This creates a rolling-bolder effect for the company.

All units installed will create a small revenue from regularly scheduled maintenance.

Another source of revenue can also be created through selling different molds to create different souvenirs. Each institution may opt for multiple designs and multiple machines.

I am applying to solve because I have a product that can truly help impact the plastic pollution epidemic. This product has the potential to create lasting revenue for educational institutions. And I have a strong business model in mind for this product.

I am applying because I need funds to create a professional, fully automated product to test the idea and business model.

The largest barrier for me is the long-term sustainability of this product and business idea. To test this, I need the funds and people to create 1 professionally developed, completely autonomous plastic press machine to install at the Museum of Science.

If the machine works well consistently, satisfying museum goers and creating strong passive revenue for the Museum of Science, I believe it has the potential to be a huge business and environmental impactor.