About Sustainable Design Studio
We design and build plastic recycling machines in the UK, helping businesses, makerspaces, schools, and researchers close the loop on plastic waste. Founded in 2020, we make circular economy production practical, affordable, and accessible.
All machines designed, assembled, and tested in the UK · UKCA & CE Certified
What we do.
Sustainable Design Studio makes desktop recycling and manufacturing accessible to everyone. Our goal is to help entrepreneurs, educators, designers, community projects, and professional teams connect the dots between waste and product by giving them the tools and knowledge to turn plastic waste into real, useful products from their own workspace.
We design and build compact, professional desktop machines that deliver reliable results. From shredding and preparing plastic to injection moulding parts, our equipment is engineered to be modular, repairable, and straightforward to use. The kit-based approach keeps our machines affordable, easy to ship worldwide, and future-proof to maintain, with build guides that double as long-term repair references.
But the hardware is only one part of the system. We support the full journey from idea to production: product design, mould design and manufacture, training, consultancy, and clear step-by-step illustrated manuals and free resources that remove the jargon and make the process genuinely achievable.
We also keep pushing the ecosystem forward with practical tools and innovation that make recycling easier and more widely understood, including projects like the Plastic Scanner. And we take responsibility for our own impact too, using product passports to measure the footprint of what we make and ship as we work toward a truly carbon-neutral approach.
Sustainable Design Studio is built on a simple belief: sustainable manufacturing should be hands-on, infinitely repairable, and accessible, without compromising on performance. If recycling is going to scale, it needs to be easy to adopt and reliable in the real world. That's what we build.
Rory Dickens
Founder & Lead Designer
Rory is a UK product designer who founded Sustainable Design Studio in 2020 with one idea: that practical plastic recycling shouldn't require an industrial facility or a six-figure budget. He leads product design, engineering, and development across the full machine range.
Every machine is designed as a kit because Rory believes that if you can build it, you can fix it, and that's how you make equipment that lasts decades rather than years. The kit approach also keeps machines affordable and shippable to workshops anywhere in the world, which matters when your customers are in 92+ countries.
Safety is baked into everything. All machines carry UKCA and CE certification, with enclosed designs, door sensors, and documented safety procedures, because accessible shouldn't mean unsafe, especially when schools and community groups are core customers.
Education is central to what Sustainable Design Studio does. Free guides, open-access resources, and training programmes are built into the business, removing the barriers that stop people from getting started with plastic recycling. The goal isn't just to sell machines, it's to build the knowledge base that makes the whole circular economy more achievable.
Behind every machine is a small, dedicated team of designers, engineers, and makers based in the UK. We keep our process hands-on, every machine is built and tested before it leaves us.
Powering
Plus many more under confidentiality.
Our sustainability commitment.
We believe the best solution to plastic waste is keeping it in circulation, not landfill. Every product we make is designed to extend the life of plastic, enabling waste materials to become new products.
Our machines are built to last. We use powder-coated steel frames, serviceable components, and supply spare parts for every machine we have ever sold. We ship in 100% recycled and recyclable packaging.
We align our work with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically around responsible consumption, clean production, and climate action.
All machines ship in 100% recycled cardboard · Life Carbon Neutral shipping · No single-use plastic in our packaging
Frequently Asked Questions
-
All our plastic recycling machines are designed and manufactured in the United Kingdom. We hold UKCA and CE certification and ship worldwide from our UK workshop.
-
Sustainable Design Studio was founded in 2020 by Rory Dickens, a UK product designer focused on making plastic recycling accessible to businesses, makerspaces, and educational institutions.
-
Our machines are sold as kits because if you can build it, you can fix it. The kit-based approach keeps machines affordable, easy to ship worldwide, and future-proof to maintain. Build guides double as repair references, so you never need to rely on us for a fix.
-
Yes. We provide free illustrated manuals, guides, and open-access resources alongside our machines. We also offer hands-on training and workshops for individuals, businesses, and educational institutions.
-
The circular economy is an approach to production and consumption that keeps materials in use for as long as possible. Our plastic recycling machines allow organisations to shred, melt, and remould waste plastic into new products locally, reducing landfill and cutting the need for virgin material.
-
Collaborative, honest, and straightforward. We're here to guide the process, bring ideas to the table, and keep things moving.
Everything you need to know about who we are and what we make.
Ready to start recycling?
Browse our full range of plastic recycling machines or get in touch to talk through your project.