“Its really interesting to look at the sheet and you can see a little celebration of a label or logo or something so you can see what the material was originally.”
Jared Seifert is the founder and CEO of Design Declassified, a Grand Rapids-based manufacturer that takes recycled plastic…
“Number 2, number 5 and number 6 plastics that are commonly milk jugs, bottle caps, detergent bottles, plastic cutlery and other food packaging.”
…and transforms it into solid surface sheet materials for countertops, cabinetry, wall treatments, shelving, even furniture.
“Being located in one of the furniture capitals of the world – Grand Rapids – we have some really unique opportunities with manufacturers here.”
Design Declassified was the big winner of the” Make It in Michigan” Award at this year’s NextCycle Summer Showcase by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy where seventeen teams pitched projects.
“This program is all about accelerating innovative solutions that enhance material recovery, reuse and recycling in Michigan.”
Seifert says he was inspired by a trip to Indonesia where he watched communities collect plastic waste from rice paddies, beaches and streams to create unique recycled products.
“I thought, what could be better than bringing that inspiration here and driving a circular economy of innovative waste materials into something that could be useful again?”
He’s using the award money to invest in equipment and is partnering with local manufacturers on pilot runs to see how best to grown and expand the business.
Learn about all 17 teams on NextCycle’s website.