About This Project
The3D printingof waste plastics from the hairdressing industry project isa Solutionto a worldwide problem and it’s cutting edge. We want to do something now, we are well researched and have spent the last 12 months speaking to experts, touring commercial 3D printing operations and taking advice and sourcing out the process and the machinery we need,we know exactly what we want to do and how we want to do it.But there is no point in creating a solution without the hairdressing and wider Australian community being part of it. We as a nation are leaving a trail of plastic debris because of our throwaway lifestyle and Its a worldwide problem. We need your help to progress an Australian solution.
The world is awash withWaste Plastic, it’s in our oceans and waterways, minute particles are being found in the fish we eat and in the drinking water in some places. Millions of tonnes have been dumped into the landfill and will take hundreds of years to break down, and in some countries, huge piles of bottles as big as hills are waiting for solutions.
3D printing as an industryis already on its way and growing but not much is happening in the way of reprocessing waste plastic to filament so it can be used in 3D printing, this is the area we feel is ahuge opportunityand can be part of the global reprocessing of the plastic waste solution. At this time there is pressure on Governments and authorities to engage experts from all areas to find ways to resolve this plastic waste crisis for our future generations. We plan to be firmly in the mix.
We don’t have a problem with Plastic in general provided there are reprocessing processes in place so we don’t lose it as a valuable resource. Incinerating it to produce power is one solution but when it’s gone it’s gone.
We have been supporting the hairdressing salon industry with our waste management systems for two years now and with their help have saved tonnes of plastic waste from landfill, the only initial option was to sell that to a recycler or an Australian plastics company and it was turned into garden furniture or was sent to China and while we use the proceeds to support charity sending our problems out of Australia doesn’t sit well with us. Particularly when we see so much potential.
How are we going to do it?With your help, funding will cover a full 3D printing set up to take industry plastic bottles which are made of HDPE, PET, and other combinations as well as items that are made of ABS, like blow dryers, shelving, old tint brushes, we even picked up a child’s plastic toy pram the other day. And turn them into filament which can then be used in the 3D printing waste plastic to product program.
Some of the hairdressing industry plastic picked up on a daily basis……….
We have opted into the e’NABLE worldwide volunteer program of volunteers and will be starting the Brisbane chapter, where we will 3D print prosthetic plastic hands for children and give them away for FREE. This is a proof of concept program where we become part of a community and rather than reinvent the wheel we can use proven concepts and designs to make an immediate difference in the lives of the children recipients. These hands are seriously cool and colourful. Working in a specific geographic region helps when measurements and fitting need to happen.