Jun 6, 2014
Plastic pollution is an ever-growing problem. The production as well as disposal of plastic, pose a great threat to all the life forms on earth. Plastic bank, a plastics return, repurposing, and 3D printing center, is turning the problem of plastic waste and reshaping it into a solution.
In what's considered to be a world's first, the Canadian company has built the first-ever 3D-printed wrench made entirely from recycled ocean plastic. The plastic was collected from the shorelines of Alaska and sorted and recycled. The plastic is then brought to the University of British Columbia (UBC) where it was shredded and turned into filament used for 3D printing. The filament was then sent to Plastic Bank headquarters in Vancouver to be used to print the first 3D wrench.
The Recycling Council of British Columbia recently gave the Plastic Bank its Innovation Award for its movement to transform waste ocean into 3D printing filament. A large part of The Plastic Bank's life improvement program is to empower the poor to harvest plastics as a currency for various opportunities including education, training, necessities and 3D printing services.
"The completed '3D Printing from Ocean Plastic' project is a huge step forward for our mission to provide the world's poor with the ability to exchange plastic waste for access to 3D printing and life improvement opportunities," says Shaun Frankson, co-founder of The Plastic Bank.
"The exchange process for our recycled "Social Plastic" improves the life of a disadvantaged person while cleaning our planet," according to the Plastic Bank. "The goal of The Plastic Bank is to lead the movement towards a worldwide demand for the use of Social Plastic in everyday products. The higher the demand becomes, the higher the reward will be for harvesting Social Plastic. Much of the world's ocean plastic starts on land in developing countries. The Plastic Bank has created a system to prevent ocean bound plastic waste from being dumped into oceans, rivers and waterways by making it too valuable to throw away. "
The Plastic bank is in the process of setting up the first plastic recycling facility in Lima, Peru this year, where only 2% of plastic waste gets recycled.
Posted in 3D Printing Events
Maybe you also like:
- NASA scientists replicating a rock on Mars using images and 3D printing
- Students make 9-year-old a 3D printed prosthetic hand for less than $10
- SOLS raises $6.4 Million for customizable 3D printed orthotics
- Maker raising funds for 3D printed finger prosthetic project for those in need
- DIY 3D-printed Google Glass with a Raspberry Pi
- Get ready for 3D printed interactive speakers, in any shape you want
- Brilliance lets you 3D print your engagement ring before ordering
- Make your own 3D printed microscopes for as little as $2
Unknown used plastic turned into low-quality filament. I think I'll pass.
alvaro wrote at 6/6/2014 4:16:39 PM:
Another amazing use for 3D printers!
3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now seven years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
