Additive manufacturing opens up opportunities for more sustainable processes in many industries through the production of design-optimized and lightweight parts. Due to its additive nature, the technology also tends to result in minimal material waste. On the other hand, it is important to consider how manufacturing operations within AM have an ecological impact and how they can be improved. Beyond the industrial side of AM, there are also many ways in which 3D printing and sustainability have become linked, in large part thanks to the ingenuity of visionaries who understand the need for ecological solutions in all parts of our lives.
Below are some of the most captivating ways that 3D printing has been employed to address environmental issues we face and push forward a more sustainable future for our planet.
Repurposing plastic waste
The New Raw has worked with a town in Greece to transform old fishing nets into 3D printed installations
Preserving ecosystems
The world’s largest 3D printed coral reef was submerged in the Maldives
Localized construction
WASP’s TECLA project in Bologna, Italy is making progress
Biodegradable materials
MIT Mediated Matter Group’s Aguahoja I installation made from a biodegradable material
Source: 3D Printing Media Network
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