Problem: plastic waste (it is estimated that Amsterdam residents generate 23 kg of plastic waste per person annually)

Solution: 

• Rotterdam-based studio The New Raw is turning household plastic waste into furniture for public spaces
• Household plastic, including plastic shopping bags, can be melted into a base product for large-scale 3D printing
• They have also launched a campaign called “Print Your City!” to redesign urban spaces, whereby communities’ own collected plastic can be used to make the same furniture used in their community
• The annual plastic waste from two people is enough to produce one bench such as their prototype – the XXX bench (in collaboration with Actual,  who specialize in large-scale bio-based 3D printing).

Article: This brilliant project turns plastic waste into 3D-printed benches for Amsterdam

Link: The New Raw – Print Your City! 

Stakeholders:

• city residents – who have the opportunity to design their own pieces of furniture for public spaces
• municipalities and city governments
• business owners around public spaces which are prime sites for urban rejuvenation

First 3 steps in deploying this technology: 

1. Public awareness & engagement for design ideas
2. Collect plastic from recycling depots
3. Design furniture