Shaftesbury announces Are You Mad the first visible recycling unit on Carnaby Street. The space exists as both a plastic sorting facility and a retail store. They collect plastic waste from local businesses, shoppers and their growing community, which is then sorted, shredded, and turned into new objects, including the build of the shop itself.

The unit is located at the lower end of Carnaby Street, at 56B. In just 40 days they have diverted 1 tonne of plastic from going to landfills.

Advertisement

Beyond existing as a store, Are You Mad will also be open as a workshop space where customers can bring in their own rubbish, learn about plastic and have the experience to turn their own trash into something creative.

Samantha Bain-Mollison, Retail Director at Shaftesbury commented “We’re delighted to announce that Carnaby will be home to the first ever retail destination plastic recycling concept shop, Are You Mad. The conscious creative unit is one of a kind and we can’t wait to see what unique items are produced from all the plastic donated, as well as the future of recycling.”

The aim of the project is to Make A Difference (MAD), by creating an experiment in circularity. Are You Mad start by collecting the plastic then cleaning next up is shredding followed by weighing and logging and finally the fun part, getting creative.

They have been collecting three different types of plastic: (02) HDPE, (05) PP, and (06) PS which they have found through broken hangers, milk bottles, bottle caps, and food crates. These single use items have now found a second life as creative objects.

James Suckling, co-founder at Are You Mad says “We’re excited to be the first ever plastic recycling retail store in Carnaby. Having a bricks-and-mortar store is our way of making repurposed waste visible to the general public. We hope to change the perception of rubbish by showing the process of turning waste into unique and tangible objects. As a brand we make a difference by creating meaningful employment and circularity through waste and with this project, the amount of plastic sent to landfills.”

Retail brands in Carnaby that have signed up to support Are You Mad include; The North Face, Annie’s Ibiza, Ganni, Swatch, and G-Shock. As well as food & beverage brands; Soho Grind and Le Bab.

Items can be created as one-off custom products, including coasters, hair combs, incense holders and fruit bowls. Prices start at 50p and range up to £15,000 with over 100 different products available.

Are You Mad are a non-profit organisation who have partnered with GROW, a charity that works with schools and communities delivering bespoke programmes in sustainable food growing and outdoor learning. Are You Mad will be taking charitable donations for this project in store in exchange for retail products.