100 million plastic bottles are disposed daily. Plastic waste management practices have not been as easily accessible in isolated and remote places.

By leveraging innovative design thinking, Trashpresso overcomes distance and energy limitations to make upcycling scalable and potentially educating consumers in isolated areas on recycling practices. It is of a portable-friendly size and compacts the recycling process to a 3-minute cycle in 3 simple steps - size reduction, purifying and reshaping. The plant is also designed to be energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly. With the potential to recycle up to 500kg of plastic waste daily, it only uses 7kwh power consumption and leave a minimal air and water footprint.

The process is summarised as follows:

- AI technology is used to segregate plastic waste according to their colours and types, from polyproylene to polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

- They are shredded into flakes, washed, dried and melted in a mould before automatically being transferred to a heat-pressed machine, where the plastic is being forged to construction materials.

- The plastics are heated according to their exact softening temperatures, with the support of an integrated air filter to minimise environmental footprint. Water used for purification is being purified and recycled in the process.

Trashpresso has made a meaningful impact in remote communities in Tibet and Sardinia, Italy. It has helped to convert plastic waste to build schools in Tibet and converted ocean plastics from beach cleanups to build community centres in Sardinia. Upcycled construction tiles have been used in approximately 300,000 sqm of commercial retail, hotels and offices across significant international cities and by major brands such as Nike, Philip Morris, Nat Geo etc. The mobile plant has also contributed in educating local consumers on circular consumption and recycling habits. Trashpresso has organized about 500 days worth of educational interactive activities and campaigns for consumers. Moving forward, Trashpresso is actively looking for NGOs and government partners to collaborate and partner with.