Our Story

The story of Precious Plastics at Carmel Elsa High School began with a simple idea: turning wasted plastic into new objects. The project was brought by a parent of the school after hearing about this project. Soon after, the necessary machines were bought and a lab was created.

However, what is a lab without materials? Students of the school set up multiple school challenges to raise awareness and collect wasted plastic for the lab. These challenges not only helped to provide the necessary raw materials, but raised awareness about the issue of plastic waste and the importance of recycling.

The process of turning plastic waste into new objects was a process of experimentation. Students worked in the lab testing the different machines and plastics to understand how each machine worked and perfecting their techniques. As they gained more experience and confidence in the lab, they started creating a variety of products like: Mesusa’s, Dreidels, Hamsas and more. Now, it has further ventured into students creating molds of their own and finding a way to sell their new products!

Today, ‘Precious Plastics’ which has been rebranded as ‘Upcycled by Carmel’ continues to thrive, with new students joining the project and the workshop becoming a hub for creativity, innovation and environmental awareness. We are proud to be a part of a movement of change for the better.