Lecture: 3D Printing in the Circular City by Foteini Setaki, October 31st, @ Protospace

Plastic waste has a huge impact on the environment, causing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

The project 3D Printing in the Circular City investigates an innovative way for recycling household plastic waste locally with large scale 3D-printing, in the city of Amsterdam. Recycling of plastic waste is considered here as an environmental alternative for solving the problem of disposal and, at the same time, for the cost-effective use of recycled building component in the urban context. The project explores the full process “from waste to product”. Local plastic waste streams are examined to define their utilization patterns and recycling potential. A selection of materials are tested and assessed with regard to their printability and mechanical properties. The first results are demonstrated in a 1:1 scale prototype of a bench from recycled PP; which show good potential for the use of recycled plastic in large scale 3d printing and for the reduction of municipal waste volume in combination with scale-up strategies.

A multidisciplinary consortium, consisting of TU Delft, DUS architects, The New Raw, AMS Institute and AEB Amsterdam, combine their expertise in this project.