Ultimaker helps project seafood to transform discarded beach trash plastic into original 3D printed models
Project Seafood Turns Trash into Treasures with Ultimaker Original 3D Printer
Ultimaker, a leading 3D printer manufacturer, is helping Project Seafood to clean up beaches by repurposing littered plastic into original 3D printed objects. Project Seafood Founders Fabian Wyss and Jennifer Gadient left their home in Switzerland to explore the possibilities of mobile digital plastics recycling by driving beach to beach throughout Spain, France and Morocco in their mobile upcycling fablab, a digital fabrication and rapid prototyping workspace, to make a positive impact on the Earth by collecting discarded plastic and creating something new.
Every year, about 8 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the ocean. Wyss and Gadient created Project Seafood to help minimize waste left on beaches and create original recycled 3D prints. Project Seafood travels with a plastics shredder, extruder and an Ultimaker Original 3D Printer to turn plastic waste into recycled filament. To produce recycled filament to be used for new 3D printing projects, Wyss and Gadient wash discarded plastic, shred it by hand and then insert the shredded plastic into the extruder to produce filament. Every new 3D printed object created with the filament is stamped with the geographic region the plastic was found making the designs unique.
We are honored that our 3D printers are being used for sustainability. As the 3D printing industry grows, so does creativity, generosity and efficiency. It is exciting for Ultimaker to be able to help move towards a stronger, more sustainable community.
The Ultimaker Original 3D printer fit Wyss and Gadients’ unique needs because of its durability and easily fits in the Project Seafood van while traveling. In addition to the machine’s reliability, Project Seafood has incorporated modifications from the Ultimaker community to their printer, including the addition of a heated chamber, dust filter and a larger nozzle. The additions facilitate cleaner prints in a constantly changing environment.
Since 2011, Ultimaker has built an open and easy-to-use solution of 3D printers, software and materials that enable professional designers and engineers to innovate every day. Today, Ultimaker is the market leader in desktop 3D printing. From offices in the Netherlands, New York, Boston, and Singapore – plus production facilities in Europa and the US – its global team of over 400 employees work together to accelerate the world’s transition to digital distribution and local manufacturing.