Setup a Shredder Workspace
Shredder Workspace
Without it, there’s no plastic to melt.
Ok, you want to set up a shredder workspace. Awesome! The shredder workspace is a crucial element of the Precious Plastic universe. Setting up a workspace can be broken down into three main steps:
- Search: what to think about when choosing your space
- Plan: how to plan your space effectively
- Build: transforming an empty room into a shredder workspace
Each of these steps is explained in more detail below.
🔍 Search
The first step of setting up a workspace is to find a space (duh). While searching, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.
Size: It’s important to be sure that you have enough space to move around freely with your machines and tools. The shredder space we designed is roughly 4 x 6 meters – you can go larger, but if you include the shredder (like ours) we wouldn’t recommend going much smaller.
Electricity: The Injection machine can run on single-phase, but the shredder sometimes runs on three-phase, so be sure to check the specs of the motor you plan to use when choosing your space.
Budget: While making sure your space meets your functional needs, it’s also important to keep in mind how it will fit into your budget.
Pro-tip: sometimes, cities offer discounted rent to entrepreneurs with purposeful missions, so it’s worth getting in touch with accelerators and representatives of your municipality to see if there are opportunities like this in your area.
✍️ Plan
You’ve found your space. Now you can begin to plan how you will arrange the elements of your workspace according to your unique floorplan.
Every space is different, so this is a chance for you to customize your layout to make it work for you.
To help you begin, we’ve included some starter floor plans, CAD models, and a custom floor planner in the download kit, which you can use to explore different layouts before diving into the real thing.
Once you’ve made a floor plan that seems promising, test it out in real life by blocking it out on the floor of your space with chalk. Continue to iterate until you arrive at a floor plan that feels right.
🛠 Build
Now that your floor plan is blocked out, it’s time to transform your empty room into a shredder workspace.
Begin with basics
Start with your most essential items - shredder, workbench, basic tools – then build out from there as you start to see what suits your workflow best.
Pro-tip: it’s nice to keep your workspace furniture on wheels so that you can easily move it around as needed
When possible, look for secondhand options to reduce the amount of new materials and resources being used to start your space.
If what you need isn’t available secondhand, buy new or build.
Some essential items to get you started:
- Shredder - of course
- Pre-shredded plastic storage containers - bags work well, might depend on how you collect your plastic
- Shredded plastic storage containers - make sure they’re sturdy. Nice if they fit under the shredder and can be stored directly after shredding to eliminate the need of pouring shredded plastic from one container to another. Keeps types and colors pure. Clear is nice, but not required.
- Plastic beam or large rubber - mallet for pushing plastic into shredder when needed
- Assembly tools for cleaning between shreds - wrenches, allen keys, mallet
- Stiff-bristled brush - to clean the blades
Once you’ve got your basics covered, start working with the shredder to develop your workflow and see what else might help you work more efficiently and comfortably.
And don’t be afraid to spice the place up with your own unique charm! Plants, posters, the right lighting, and a boombox will make your workspace more enjoyable to be in.
Your role in the universe
| Your icon | Your task |
|---|---|
 | Workspace A Precious Plastic Workspace is a place where plastic gets transformed from waste into valuable materials or products. There are five different workspaces: Shredder, Extrusion, Sheetpress, Injection and Mix. |
👋 Share
You’ve built your space. Nice! We’re all learning together, so be sure to share back any hacks or developments that have helped you improve your space 🙂
Want to share feedback, chat about the Shredder Workspace or learn more from the community? Head to the #Spaces channel on Discord. Here we answer questions and give tips on setting up your workspace and how to run it.