MILAN – Why throw plastic bottles in the bin, or worse still on the ground, once they are empty? The more creative ones amongst us recycle them to make cute and original knick-knacks. The possibilities and variations are endless: funnels, weights, bowling sets for kids, as well as cups, dispensers, pencil cases, plastic vases, change purses, bracelets and artificial flowers.
Mika Koizumi’s creations
Amongst the many and varied suggestions for creative recycling, the ones which stand out most are by Mika Koizumi from Japan, who has focussed on reinterpreting the theme of the sea; transforming plastic bottles into lovely colourful jellyfish with long, intertwined tentacles, using a combination of empty plastic bottles, special scissors, hot-melt glue and a soldering gun. The results obtained are impressive and may be viewed on the artist’s personal website, where a digital portfolio has been published, containing various photos of the completed artwork. By bringing together the various PET jellyfish created, the artist has also managed to recreate very realistic model aquariums.
The merits of PET
The plastic used to make the bottles we quench our thirst with every day, belong to the group known as “PET”; the abbreviation for a particular type of polyester, namely polyethylene terephthalate. Being a material which is easy to work with in injection or blow moulding, or for extrusion when it is in a molten state, it can meet practically any requirements. This is why it seems highly appropriate for creative recycling in the most varied ways. The plastic can bear six, seven lifecycles, after which it must be mixed with fresh material so it can still be reworked, thus prolonging recycling time.
