The Alberni Valley Makerspace has received nearly $700,000 in government grants for education programs in plastic recycling and the equipment it takes to run them.
Josie Osborne, NDP MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, announced the grants late in May: $190,000 from CleanBC Plastics Action Fund to create a mechanism to recycle consumer plastic and $500,000 from the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP) to create a pilot micro-credential training program in hands-on manufacturing technologies. Alberni Valley Makerspace founder Michael Moore will work with NIC to create a curriculum in time for a first intake in October.
CleanBC grant will help create plastic waste collection system
With 24 3-D printers and five resin printers among other equipment at the Makerspace on Third Avenue, Moore saw waste plastic accumulating. "It's not going away," he said. "Trying to find a way to repurpose our waste material is a way to deal with plastic...in our everyday lives."
He started his plastic recycling project in 2021-22. "It was in a garage; just me and a few friends got together with a panini press and a toaster oven," Moore said.
They found a way to make some hard plastic bench seats with their rudimentary product, then graduated to a T-shirt press to create a "more refined" raw product that works well with a laser cutter.
Moore started out laser-cutting earrings from flat squares of recycled plastic, then found a way to melt the plastic and pour it into moulds for items such as combs and soap dishes. The CleanBC grant allows him to dream a lot bigger.
"Our goal is to make 2x4s, 2x2s and what I would equate to being half a sheet of plywood in size." While the plastic will never be suitable enough to use as construction-grade material, it could go toward objects such as the tables and chairs featured on the Quay to Quay Pathway by Tyee Landing. Those were purchased from a company on the east side of Vancouver Island.
"Why buy furniture for our ever-expanding waterfront when we should be able to make it with our own waste material," he asked. "It's a perfect material for a waterfront environment because it's not going to be mouldy or mildewy."
He has invested $40,000 in new equipment and expanded from the second-floor Makerspace atop the Third Avenue Recycling Depot building to a space in the back of the building that will accommodate larger equipment. He will put together an education program to take to schools to talk about plastics recycling, and create a mobile program to collect those plastics.
Eventually he would like to take the project on the road to neighbouring communities.
"The Alberni Valley Makerspace has developed an innovative solution to help recycle more plastic materials, and it is great to see them tackle this problem faced by rural residents and businesses," Osborne said.
$500K goes to new micro-credential program at NIC
In addition to the 3-D and resin printers, the Makerspace has two laser cutters and two CNC machines as well as its plastics recycling equipment. And that's just the big pieces. Moore started thinking about how he could sustain the plastics recycling, and is partnering with NIC to create micro-credentials for workers transitioning from other industries such as forestry into something else.
He turned to NIC to help build a curriculum, and Makerspace experts who use the equipment will introduce new workers to the tech. "We provide space, tools and the knowledge base of the particular technology," he said. The program will introduce learners to software engineers or designers as speakers, as well as equipment. They will get to work on a project to take away with them once they finish the course.
"It's a fantastic opportunity for us. This will work as a six-week sampler program that gives people access to emerging tools and technology. They'll get a chance to try all these tools and hopefully establish that as a career point."
Transitioning forestry workers, women, youth and Indigenous people will earn certificates in 3-D printing, CNC cutting, eletronics prototyping, laser engraving and textile techniques. Three cohorts of eight students will receive training, mentorship and practical experience.
The program will start in October and is funded until March 2027. Moore is hoping by then they will have found a way to be self-sustaining.
The government grants will help elevate the Alberni Valley Makerspace's profile beyond its city's borders. However, Moore knows these are project-based grants: there is more to do to keep the rest of the Makerspace sustainable. He is up to the challenge.
