stronger, lighter concrete

made from trash

waste material deserves a second life

We saw too much usable material ending up in landfills and polluting our waterways.

We turned that problem into our purpose: creating durable, beautiful site furnishings from recycled materials.

Trashy transforms discarded Styrofoam into innovative concrete products, designed and made in North Carolina.

We partner with architects, designers, and developers who want to create pieces that are as sustainable, innovative, and durable as they are visually striking.

Engineered for durability. Designed for impact. From made-to-order furniture to custom fabrication and manufacturing partnerships, we bring your vision of the future to life.

our story

What began with one person wanting to recycle Styrofoam on a beach has grown into a team of designers, makers, and sustainability experts. Together, we combine decades of experience in design, concrete innovation, manufacturing, and organizational leadership to turn waste into timeless architectural and furniture pieces.

Who's behind trashy ?

Laura Olson

FOUNDER & CEO
An industrial designer with a Master of Industrial Design from NC State. Her background as an Agile Coach means she brings a rare mix of design vision and process expertise — knowing how to align teams of architects, engineers, designers, builders, and craftspeople from concept to finished work.
She is driven by a passion for circular and human-centered design, exploring its impact across landscape, architecture, fashion, and furniture.
Bradley Baker

RECYCLING PARTNER AND INNOVATOR
Owner of High Cube in Durham, NC. Leaving employment at a pharmaceutical giant in 2014 to seek self-actualization, Bradley turned entrepreneur and inventor. He focuses on industry waste problems.
Educated at NC State as an Industrial and Systems Engineer, trained as a Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma Black Belt, and held various roles from Senior Engineer to Business Change Manager.
Liz Tracy

COO & SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR
Liz is a sustainability expert and organizational psychologist with a track record of helping companies achieve B-Corp certification and embed purpose into their business models. She has launched multiple co-working spaces across North Carolina and brings exceptional skill in listening to customers and uncovering creative, human-centered solutions. With a PhD in Organizational Psychology, she teaches innovation and entrepreneurship at NC State and works with Fortune 100 companies to drive meaningful change at scale.
Peter Bustin

ADVISOR AND MANUFACTURING PARTNER
Peter is a serial entrepreneur and former General Manager of Landscape Forms’ concrete division. He has developed advanced high-performance concrete mix designs, including Extremeconcrete and MeldStone, that incorporate recycled aggregates and push the boundaries of material innovation. Over his career, he has delivered more than 5,000 custom projects for clients such as Adobe, Epcot, and Room & Board. With a proven record of scaling organizations, improving quality, and bringing bold ideas to market, Peter is recognized as a leader in sustainable concrete design and manufacturing.