Workshop setup, choose your starting point

Five workshop setups, every budget

Live pricing for the kit, the moulds, and the extras you need to start recycling plastic at desktop scale. From a £190 filament maker to a full £6,769 production line. Pick your goal and budget below.

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All prices on this page exclude VAT, shipping, and import duties. See our shipping information for delivery rates and timelines to your country.

Workshop tools and Sustainable Design Studio machines arranged on a workbench. — From hobby bench to small-batch production, the path is the same shape.

All 5 setups, at a glance

Compare every setup

Sort by starting price, total budget, or experience level. Click any row to jump to the full breakdown.

Setup	Best for	SDS kit	SDS items from	Realistic total	Experience
Starter 3D Printing	Hobbyists, makers learning recycling	Filament Maker	£190	£450 to £750	Beginner
Budget Injection	Individuals, startups testing ideas	Injection Mini V2 + Bead Mould	£1,315	£1,500 to £2,000	Beginner
Educational	Schools, scout groups, makerspaces	Injection Mini V2 + Shredder Mini + Ruler Mould + Fume Extractor	£2,034	£2,500 to £3,500	Intermediate
Prototyper	Designers, print studios, universities	Injection Mini V2 + 3D Print Holder Mould + Shredder Mini + Fume Extractor	£1,964	£2,400 to £3,500	Intermediate
Small Business	Startups scaling to small production	IMM V2 + Custom Mould + Desktop Shredder V2 + Fume Extractor + Extruder Mini + Training	£6,769+	£10,000+	Advanced

SDS items from is the starting cost of Sustainable Design Studio machines and moulds. Realistic total includes typical extras like an air compressor, PPE, hand tools, and (for Starter) a 3D printer. Click any row to see the full breakdown. All prices exclude VAT, shipping and import duties, see our shipping information for delivery to your country.

1

Setup 1 of 5 · Beginner

Starter 3D Printing

Entry-level recycling combined with 3D printing. Ideal for hobbyists, makerspaces, and anyone curious about recycling PET bottles at home. Shred and melt bottle plastic into usable 1.75mm filament for small prototypes.

PET bottles 3D printing Compact desk setup

Sustainable Design Studio items

Live pricing from our store. Click any item to view.

Filament Maker

PET bottles to 1.75mm filament, 84g/hr

from £190

SDS items subtotal £190

You'll also need

Buy from any supplier in your country. Estimates are typical mid-market.

Entry-level 3D printer

Creality Ender 3 V3 SE is a good starting choice

~£200
Heat gun

For expanding PET bottles before extrusion

~£25
Small bike pump

For pressurising the plastic bottles

~£15
Digital calipers

For measuring bottle thickness

~£20
Basic PPE

Safety glasses, heat gloves, apron. See PPE guide

~£40

Extras estimate ~£300

Realistic total to get started

£450 to £750

Excludes VAT, shipping and import duties. See shipping info

Great for making: 3D printed objects, prototypes, beginner builds

Shop the Filament Maker

2

Setup 2 of 5 · Beginner

Budget Injection

The cheapest route into injection moulding. The Injection Mini V2 paired with our most affordable mould lets you test product ideas, make prototypes, or run a small side hustle with recycled plastic.

Injection moulding Hand-shredded plastic Small batch

Sustainable Design Studio items

Live pricing from our store. Click any item to view.

SDS items subtotal £1,315

You'll also need

Buy from any supplier in your country. Estimates are typical mid-market.

Air compressor

Required, minimum 8 bar / 24 litre tank

~£150
Heat gun

For prepping plastic and pre-heating moulds

~£25
Basic hand tools

Pliers, spanners, Allen keys

~£40
PPE pack

Safety glasses, heat gloves, respirator, apron. See PPE guide

~£100

Extras estimate ~£315

Realistic total to get started

£1,500 to £2,000

Excludes VAT, shipping and import duties. See shipping info

Great for making: beads, jewellery, spinning tops, small giftware

Shop the Injection Mini V2

3

Setup 3 of 5 · Intermediate

Educational

For schools, scout groups, makerspaces, and community organisations teaching sustainability and product design through hands-on recycling. Students shred, melt, and mould real plastic, then take the output home.

Schools and groups Hands-on STEM Supervised use

Sustainable Design Studio items

Live pricing from our store. Click any item to view.

SDS items subtotal £2,034

You'll also need

Buy from any supplier in your country. Estimates are typical mid-market.

Air compressor

Required, minimum 8 bar / 24 litre tank

~£150
Stackable plastic bins

For sorting shredded material by colour

~£30
Metal table or bench

Heat-resistant workspace for the injection machine

~£150
Hand tools + heat gun

Allen keys, pliers, spanners, heat gun for prep

~£80
PPE for 4 to 6 people

Safety glasses, heat gloves, respirators, aprons. See PPE guide

~£200
Lesson packs and posters

Optional, supports the educational angle

~£40

Extras estimate ~£650

Realistic total to get started

£2,500 to £3,500

Excludes VAT, shipping and import duties. See shipping info

Great for making: rulers, plant pots, keyrings, wireless chargers, teaching pieces

Book a school demo

4

Setup 4 of 5 · Intermediate

Prototyper

For designers, print studios, and universities already comfortable with 3D printing. Convert failed PLA prints into functional products using 3D-printed mould inserts. Supports low-volume production up to 200 units.

3D printed moulds Recycle PLA prints Small batch

Sustainable Design Studio items

Live pricing from our store. Click any item to view.

SDS items subtotal £1,964

You'll also need

Buy from any supplier in your country. Estimates are typical mid-market.

Air compressor

Required, minimum 8 bar / 24 litre tank

~£150
Resin 3D printer (if not already owned)

For printing your own mould inserts

~£250
Stackable plastic bins

For sorting shredded PLA by colour

~£30
Metal table or bench

Heat-resistant workspace

~£150
Hand tools

Allen keys, pliers, spanners

~£40
PPE pack

Safety glasses, heat gloves, respirator, apron. See PPE guide

~£100

Extras estimate ~£720

Realistic total to get started

£2,400 to £3,500

Excludes VAT, shipping and import duties. See shipping info

Great for making: custom products, design prototypes, recycled PLA pieces

Shop the 3D Print Mould

5

Setup 5 of 5 · Advanced

Small Business

The next step for entrepreneurs scaling a recycled-plastic business. Multiple machines, industrial-scale shredding, and custom moulds for branded, sellable products. The closest thing to a mini manufacturing line on a workbench.

Branded products Volume shredding Custom moulds

Sustainable Design Studio items

Live pricing from our store. Custom moulds and training quoted on request.

SDS items subtotal (excl. training) £6,769+

You'll also need

Buy from any supplier in your country. Estimates are typical mid-market.

Workshop air compressor

Larger tank recommended for sustained production

~£200
Heavy duty bench and bins

Metal table, sorting bins, storage

~£300
Workshop electrics

Higher draw, may need an electrician

~£300
PPE for staff

Per person, multiplied by team size. See PPE guide

~£150 each
Hand tools and consumables

Allen keys, spanners, replacement nozzles, cleaning kit

~£200
Premises, branding, insurance

Business overheads not itemised here

Varies

Extras estimate (excl. premises) ~£1,200+

Realistic total to get started

£10,000+

Excludes VAT, shipping and import duties. See shipping info

Great for making: branded products at small-batch scale, custom-mould product lines, mission-driven recycling businesses

Book a consultation

The kit no setup ships without

Add-ons, tools and PPE

These items appear across multiple setups. Prices are mid-market estimates from any general supplier. Use your favourite tool brand or local shop.

Workshop tools

Air compressor

Minimum 8 bar / 24 litre. Larger tank if running long sessions. Required for the Injection Mini V2.

From ~£150
Heat gun

For pre-heating moulds and prepping plastic. Any standard 2000W unit.

~£25
Metal table or bench

Heat-resistant workspace for the injection machine. Stainless steel or sheet metal top.

~£150
Stackable plastic bins

For sorting shredded plastic by colour and polymer. 5 to 10 litre clear bins work well.

~£30
Hand tools

Allen keys, pliers, spanners. Required for assembly and routine maintenance. See our tools guide.

~£40
Digital calipers

Only needed for the Starter 3D Printing setup. Useful elsewhere too.

~£20

Personal protective equipment

Safety glasses

Eye protection. Required at every setup level.

~£8
Heat-resistant gloves

For handling hot moulds and freshly injected parts.

~£15
Respirator mask

P2/P3 rated. Extra protection against fumes, especially with PETG, PLA, ABS.

~£35
Apron or lab coat

Protects clothing from plastic splatter and oils.

~£20