Researchers at the UK’s Loughborough University have managed to turn polymeric refuse collected on the African continent into low-cost agricultural tools for local farmers there.
Working as part of the ‘Circular Plastics Project,’ the team has recycled discarded bottles into a processable filament, before 3D printing it into six circular farming implements. According to their designers, these contraptions, which range from a fruit picker to a fish farming system, could help those in developing countries to not only boost their economies, but reduce their local build-up of plastic waste.“Low-to-middle income countries have largely been excluded from the benefits of innovative polymer products that make tasks easier, cleaner and safer due to high manufacturing costs,” said Mark Evans of Loughborough Design School. “The project has effectively turned this on its head with the step-change benefit of using locally-sourced waste materials in their cost-effective manufacture.” - link - more like this - link