FAQ
WHAT IS THE LOST CLUB? The Lost Club is a nonprofit plastic recycling and manufacturing think tank for high school students. We collect clean plastic waste from local manufacturers before it reaches the landfill and put it in the hands of students who use it to design and build real things their communities actually need. Students are taught and guided by volunteer educators, skilled tradespeople, and most importantly, each other.
IS THIS A SCHOOL? No. No grades, no tests, no sitting in a chair while someone talks at you. The Lost Club is a free third place. It's a hands-on innovation space where students come to solve real problems, learn real skills, and see their work actually get used in the real world.
WHO IS THIS FOR? Students who learn better by doing than by sitting. We're especially looking for the kids who feel like they don't fit the traditional classroom mold. We want the tinkerers, the builders, the visual thinkers, and the problem solvers who haven't had anywhere to put that energy yet. No experience required. We teach everything from scratch.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? Nothing. The Lost Club is designed to be completely free for students. We're funded through a combination of grants, product sales to municipalities, donations, and the operational backing of Pork King Good. The only thing we ask is that you show up ready to learn.
WHAT WILL STUDENTS ACTUALLY BUILD? That depends on the students. Projects are pitched and led by students themselves based on problems they identify or needs brought to us by local cities and organizations. Past project ideas have included park benches, planters, recycled lumber, public art installations, modular furniture, and civic infrastructure. If it helps someone and can be made from recycled plastic, we'll build it.
IS IT SAFE? Safety is the first thing we teach before anyone touches a single piece of equipment. We run the lab like a real manufacturing floor because it is one. Every student is trained and supervised by adult mentors before operating any machinery. Safety certification is part of the program.
WHY PLASTIC? Plastic is the perfect learning material. It's colorful, forgiving, and endlessly reusable. If a student makes a mistake, you re-melt it and start over. It teaches real manufacturing principles immediately. It is also essentially free because Wisconsin businesses generate tons of clean plastic scrap every day that would otherwise cost money to landfill. We turn their problem into our raw material.
WHERE DOES THE PLASTIC COME FROM? Primarily from local manufacturers and businesses that generate clean plastic scrap as part of their normal operations. We also plan to establish community drop-off points and school collection drives as the program grows. The short answer is there is no shortage of supply. Wisconsin buries an estimated $64 million worth of recyclable plastic every year. We're just intercepting it before it gets there.
WHAT SKILLS WILL STUDENTS LEARN? Fabrication and manufacturing basics. CNC machining. 3D modeling and CAD design. Plastic processing and material science. Project management and R&D. How to pitch an idea, build a team, and see a project through from concept to finished product. Business fundamentals. And the real kind of leadership earned by actually running something.
WHO RUNS THE LAB? The students lead the projects. The day-to-day operation is overseen by a paid Executive Director. Skilled volunteers, including retired machinists, engineers, educators, makers, and tradespeople, rotate through to teach specific skills and mentor student teams. Rick Koston, “Dude Boss” of Pork King Good, serves as board chair and provides business and manufacturing oversight.
WHAT IS PORK KING GOOD'S ROLE? Pork King Good is the founding anchor of The Lost Club. The for-profit manufacturing company provides financial backing and operational support so the nonprofit can focus entirely on its mission instead of chasing the electric bill. This structure means that grants, donations, and product revenue go directly toward equipment, programming, and students rather than overhead.
ARE YOU A REGISTERED NONPROFIT? The Lost Club Foundation is currently in the process of filing for 501(c)(3) status as a Wisconsin Non-Stock Corporation. Visit our Foundation page for current registration details and to download our policy plan.
WHERE IS THE LAB LOCATED? We're actively searching for our home. We're looking for a partner city in the greater Milwaukee area, specifically Cudahy, South Milwaukee, Oak Creek, St. Francis, or Franklin, that wants to bring Pork King Good's expanded manufacturing headquarters and The Lost Club onto a shared site as a combined economic development project. If you have a lead on land or a building, we want to hear from you.
HOW CAN I HELP RIGHT NOW? Three ways. Volunteer your skills as a mentor or educator. Connect us with a business that generates plastic waste. Or help us find land by connecting us with a city official, economic development director, or property owner who might have the right site. Every introduction matters at this stage.
I'M A CITY OFFICIAL OR INVESTOR. WHERE DO I START? Contact Us! We're looking for a partner city ready to bring in jobs, community programming, and a plastic waste solution under one deal.