3D-Printing Waste Solutions

The challenge is enormous

With the growing amount of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean, more and more waste solutions are needed. Non-biodegradable waste, largely plastics, have been filling up the sea for decades, creating the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This is a huge problem for islands like Samoa, which have had to ban the consumption of seafood and are concerned about the critical condition of their drinking water.

With no recycling methods existing on the island, design student Lionel Taito-Matamua came up with creative waste solutions for Samoa. His thesis outlines the use of this ocean trash as 3D-printing materials, integrated such products into society through normative practices. By integrating 3D-printing into the island's education systems and traditional gift-giving practice, the garbage could be repurposed and the island's surrounding water finally cleaned.