We’re a small micro-factory based in the UK and trusted by well-known brands, architects and designers worldwide to deliver materials for their projects.

We take waste plastics and other materials traditionally classed as waste and transform them through our unique processes into large scale, solid surface panels.

We tend to focus on single-use plastic packaging and other materials that would usually find their way to landfill. We chose these plastics to disrupt the unsustainable industrial ecosystems that have become the norm whereby finite and useful materials have very short, single lives.

A company with a circular history
Smile Plastics enjoys a long history dating back to the early 90’s.
After two decades of recycling plastics, the first Smile Plastics closed as the founder retired – leaving designers and architects struggling to find sustainable materials that have both great quality and great design.

But in every end, there is a new beginning. So, having spent a decade developing circular design solutions for waste, award-winning design partners Adam Fairweather and Rosalie McMillan re-established Smile Plastics in 2015, focusing on new technology and industrial ecosystems, evolving its design and growing the product range.

Today, Smile Plastics continues to be a global leader in making superior-quality materials from waste for design cognoscenti.

Recycling should up-value, not down-value
Our mission is to create next-gen circular economy materials to encourage us to value our resources and waste less. To do this, we reimagine end-of-life materials into products that tell a story that resonates with people. We pride ourselves in making some of the highest quality and striking decorative panel materials around – 100% recycled, but also 100% recyclable (so they can be reused over and over again).

Inspired by “waste” plastic
Inspiration usually comes from the materials themselves. We start by exploring discarded plastics to understand their intrinsic value and their potential to be used again. First, we test for quality, colours, textures, patterns, etc., in combination with other waste materials. Next, we go about turning them into the finished product, which is the reimagining that’s at the heart of the Smile Plastics design process. It’s not just about the aesthetic; testing is key to delivering peak quality so people can cherish our materials for a long time.

Materials that connect the dots and tell a story
We include distinct traces of the plastics’ origins in their new life to create a narrative around the materials. This takes shape as flecks of foil from the original yoghurt pot lids or text and barcodes from plastic packaging.