Morgan Williams

At Rusty Design, we have developed a manufacturing system from the ground up that connects creative design, automated production and material recovery, changing both how physical objects are made and what happens to them when their original purpose ends. Working with our technical team, we have built our own machinery, firmware, software and finished products, alongside processes to reclaim the plastic for use again, so an object’s next life is considered from the moment it is designed. Film and television provide a compelling starting point: conventional polystyrene props and scenery have limited recovery options after production, and for the types of build our process addresses, we estimate it can reduce waste sent to landfill by at least 80%.
Our patent-pending innovation encompasses both the composite material and a degradation process that creates opportunities to recover value after use. Our first priority is to return the plastic to production. Where that is no longer viable, our process offers a further, very low-energy recovery route requiring no added chemical reagents, such as converting the material into an ingredient for lactic acid-based cleaning products, meaning a screen prop could have a subsequent life in an entirely different sector. Rooted in South Wales, we are developing a “flat-pack business”: a repeatable production model that could be established wherever demand exists, connecting invention with practical industry change as one scalable system.

Rusty Design began with the idea that the simplest way to reduce waste on set is to use less material to begin with. Through advanced recycling systems, AI integration and a circular production process, they can significantly reduce waste and carbon emissions while meeting the growing demand for sustainable practices in the media industry.

Traditionally, props like columns or walls are carved out of large foam blocks, which are both a fire risk while creating a lot of waste. Rusty’s technology can hollow out internal structures, drastically reducing material use without compromising strength. Rusty’s business is now beginning to take off, and is ready to scale and deliver for the Film and TV sector – transforming the way props are made.

Justin Lewis

Media Cymru

 

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