Three ecosystems. Three collections. One circular loop.
Plastic waste reborn as Portuguese heritage
RELIQUIA
PLASTICA
Plastic waste reborn as Portuguese heritage
Azulejo art pieces crafted from plastic collected across Portugal's coastlines, forests, and streets. Each piece will be traceable from cleanup to creation.
Each piece funds the cleanup of its source ecosystem
How It Works
We clean up plastic. We turn it into art. The sale pays for more cleanup. That's the whole system.
Cleanup
Ocean beaches, forests, urban streets
Collection & Sorting
Material gathered, documented with GPS
Processing
Cleaned and prepared at Fab Lab Lisboa
Moulding & Finishing
Hand-pressed into azulejo art pieces
Provenance
Each piece traceable via unique digital provenance page
Sale Funds Cleanup
Revenue will fund more cleanup → the loop continues
Prototyping with Fab Lab Lisboa
Every sale will fund more cleanup. That's the loop.
Not Souvenirs. Traceable Art.
Each piece carries weeks of effort — from cleanup to creation. Traceable back to a real place on a real day.
From waste to heritage
Not souvenirs. Weeks of work go into each piece — from pulling plastic off a beach to pressing it into an azulejo mould. This is traceable art, not a gift shop trinket.
Three ecosystems, one mission. Beaches. Forests. City streets. Each collection comes from a different place, and each sale sends money back to clean up that same place.
Full transparency. Every piece will have a unique code linking to GPS coordinates, cleanup photos, and production records. You can see exactly where your piece came from and how it was made.
Why This Exists
I've been fighting trash in Portugal for years. Not professionally — personally. Picking it up from beaches, forest trails, city streets. And it hurts seeing how much there is, everywhere.
At some point the idea came naturally: plastic is the anthropocene's mark on this planet. It will outlast all of us. So instead of just fighting it, let's turn it into a story. Let's make something meaningful and beautiful out of it while we still can.
The name itself is a statement — Relíquia Plástica. A plastic relic. Our generation's footprint reimagined as heritage.
— Alexander Pichugin, Founder
Full Transparency from Trash to Tile
Most "recycled plastic" products use anonymous industrial pellets from unknown origins. We do the opposite.
Every piece will have a unique code. That code tells the whole story — where the plastic was found, when it was collected, how it was made
GPS Coordinates
Exact location where the source plastic was collected
Cleanup Photos
Visual documentation of the collection process
Production Process
Step-by-step documentation of creation at Fab Lab Lisboa
Unique Piece Number
Each piece traceable — your key to the full story
No vague claims. No greenwashing. Just real data you can check yourself.
Three Collections. Three Ecosystems.
Each collection comes from a different ecosystem. Each sale funds more cleanup in that same place.
Ocean Collection
Four unique designs • Sourced from Portuguese coastline cleanups
The Four Designs
Each azulejo art piece tells a unique tale of ocean transformation
Floating Petals
#OCEAN01
‘Floating Petals’ turn fragments reclaimed plastic into a quiet statement: that every piece drifting in the ocean can be reclaimed and given meaning. Its shapes echo flowers, but also currents and movement, capturing the sea’s ability to carry and renew.
Dancing Squids
#OCEAN02
Inspired by marine creatures that move with intention and grace, ‘Dancing Squids’ is a nod to nature’s design and the adaptability of life underwater. Its lines are fluid yet structured, made possible through the reuse of plastics that once floated aimlessly.
Guiding Star
#OCEAN03
‘Guiding Star’ brings clarity and structure to a collection shaped by movement. Its lines reflect charts and navigation, but here, they point to something new: a future where what we discard can again become part of our homes, our tables, our rituals.
Blooming Reef
#OCEAN04
‘Blooming Reef’ is built on irregularity and growth. It honors reef systems, fragile yet determined, echoing our own need to repair what’s broken. Each groove holds color from the sea—plastics once lost, now set into something meant to last.
Forest Collection
Sourced from landscape park and forest cleanup efforts across Portugal. Rich earth tones and organic textures that capture the spirit of Portuguese woodland.
Each purchase will fund forest and park cleanup operations
Urban Collection
Sourced from Lisbon street cleanup initiatives. Bold, dynamic designs that capture the energy of urban life and the transformation of city-level plastic pollution.
Hotels displaying Urban tiles directly fund Lisbon street cleanup
Hotels, Restaurants & Architects
Custom azulejo pieces for your walls. Real art with a real story behind every tile.
Custom Projects
We'll work with you on colours, patterns, and quantities. From a single feature piece to a full wall installation.
Sustainability Story
Every piece on your wall is funding cleanup of the ecosystem it came from. Your guests can see exactly where and when.
ESG Documentation
Full provenance for every piece — GPS coordinates, cleanup photos, production records. Everything documented, nothing made up.
The Urban Collection comes from Lisbon's streets. If you're a Lisbon hotel or business, displaying these pieces means you're funding the cleanup of your own neighbourhood.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three collections?
Ocean, Forest, and Urban. Each one matches a Portuguese ecosystem we clean up. The Ocean Collection is first — four designs, launching Spring 2026. Forest comes next (landscape parks and woodlands), then Urban (Lisbon's streets). Every sale from a collection funds more cleanup in that same ecosystem.
How does my purchase fund cleanup?
Simple: you buy a piece, that money pays for more cleanup. More cleanup means more material. More material means more pieces. The loop keeps going. Your piece isn't just recycled plastic — it's proof that a specific stretch of coastline, forest, or street got cleaner.
How is RELIQUIA PLASTICA different from other 'recycled plastic' products?
Most 'recycled' products use anonymous pellets from who-knows-where. We source plastic from organized cleanup efforts at specific Portuguese locations. Everything is photographed and GPS-logged. Every piece will have a unique code that traces back to a real place and a real cleanup. You can verify it all.
What documentation comes with each piece?
Every piece will have a unique identifier. Through it you can access: GPS coordinates of where the plastic was found, photos from the cleanup day, and documentation of the production process. It's all real and all verifiable.
When will pieces be available?
We're prototyping with Fab Lab Lisboa right now. The Ocean Collection (four designs) is expected in Spring 2026. Register your interest and you'll be first to know.
Do you work with hotels and businesses?
Yes. Hotels, restaurants, and architects can commission custom pieces for their spaces. When you display our work, you're directly funding cleanup of the ecosystem it came from. We provide full provenance documentation for every piece. Get in touch — we'd love to talk about your project.