repurposing plastic in taos, Nm
our recent history
Since 2020, TiLT’s Repurposing Plastic Project has been turning local plastic waste into walls. We have had 300+ members who pay us to take their post-consumer plastic, and from this we’ve built barns, walls, and windbreaks. We’ve built pocket patios, storage sheds and carports, diverting more than 70,000 pounds out of the wastestream and into positive projects. Tiny little Taos once again is an innovator in cutting-edge sustainability, and we’ve demonstrated an effective, easy-to-implement local response to plastic pollution that could inspire communities to do something like it all across the world. TiLT’s microbusiness model was always meant to be merely a demonstration project, not a sustaining business. We wanted to show the citizens of Taos County and the world that any community anywhere could turn their plastic waste into walls and creative construction projects, and we’ve done that. So we’re putting our demonstration project to rest.
no to more collecting, but yes to more constructing!
We have too much plastic! We have a hundred pre-made Redi-Walls in stock, and a hundred more to make with the plastic we already have. Until further notice, the plastic-collection part of our business is going into hibernation. That’s right, we are no longer collecting plastic at this point…but that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped building with it! We’re still making Redi-Walls, helping clients with building projects, and constructing some of our own. Please continue below to see recent construction projects.
THE FUTURE OF REPURPOSING PLASTIC IN TAOS COUNTY
Though our little demonstration project is done, the dream of repurposing plastic in Taos is by no means dead. We’re working hard with larger entities like UNM-Taos and Taos County Solid Waste to bring repurposing plastic to a county wide level!
What are the creative and collaborative ways our community can bring repurposing plastic to the county wide level? How can our community be a world leader to other communities, demonstrating how to repurpose plastic locally?
recent construction projects in the news
Two breakthrough collaborative projects happened in 2024!
THE FIRST: A RE-USE SHED AT A COUNTY COLLECTION SITE
In May, in conjunction with Taos County Solid Waste, we worked with a professional contractor to create a ReUSE Shed—building a structure out of repurposed goods & materials, in order to create a storage and distribution center for repurposed goods & materials! It was a major landmark, a win-win-win collaboration between government, non-profit, and private business!
THE SECOND: A PERIMETER WALL AT A HIGH-END HOTEL
This project below doesn’t look like much—just another ordinary three foot high stuccoed privacy wall in Taos. But that’s just it: a wall containing post-consumer plastic can look just like one made of cement block or adobe. Hotel Willa, an eco-conscious new development across from Smith’s, contracted with us to construct this wall, keeping about 2000 pounds of our community’s waste plastic out of the local landfill. Again, this was a major landmark for the repurposing plastic movement—the first time a corporate client paid top dollar to demonstrate how for-profit businesses can get a great product and do their part to clean up our community!
What might you make?
we supply the product. you supply the project!
We’re not collecting the community’s plastic anymore, but we are still helping clients plan & build construction projects! Contact toddwynward@gmail.com to purchase Redi-Walls and discuss project details. RPP may offer a free site visit and initial architectural consulting if the project fits.
five steps to a successful project
HOW ANYONE CAN TURN PLASTIC WASTE INTO WALLS
HOW Tilt’s REPURPOSING PLASTIC PROJECT BEGAN IN TAOS
our origin story
China decided to stop taking the world’s plastic in 2019, and it left the rest of the modern world stunned. Plastic began piling up everywhere, on streetsides, shorelines, and city dumps. Communities all over the globe suddenly had to ask: what to do with all our plastic? Most communities took the easy, unimaginative route and did what our local government in Taos did: closed our plastic recycling and started treating all plastic like trash, dumping tons & tons of plastic into the local landfill every week.
The Team at TiLT was dismayed, disgusted, and determined. We imagined our community could do something better and different here in Taos. Thanks to the LOR Foundation and a lot of public support, we grew from one small volunteer project into an emerging business that produces Redi-Walls: 8’ long modular sections that can be quickly installed to create sheds as well as playgrounds, patios, and parking lots. The videos and articles on this page tell more of our story—check it out!
Repurposing plastic in the news
Here’s a story about how LOR helped TiLT buy a baler and start up our business: Baling [and Building] in Taos, NM
Here’s a feature how LOR has supported our efforts in education & training: Waste to Walls: Locals Learn How to Build With Plastic
