It’s an undeniable fact that 3d printing is truly the technology of future. As it’s being used in numerous industrial domains like automobile, construction, medical, fashion and the list goes on. People are leveraging 3d printing to make our lives easier and more productive. But have you heard that we will be able to save our natural resources and planet with the help of this technology?
Yes! People are pushing the roof of 3d technology higher and higher. Researchers are recycling food scrap with the help of 3d technology to get something useful and beautiful out of it. A Canadian based startup has discovered a unique way to utilise the food waste and recycle it with the help of 3d printing. The 3d printer uses plastic bottles and food scrap to produce something useful.
30-40 % of the total food supply is wasted!
The USDA Organization came up with data that among the total food supply in the country, around 30- 40% of the total food supply is wasted due to various factors and reasons. In addition to this, roughly 25-30% of vegetable and fruits are rejected for commercial sale in South Africa.
Genecis Company Is recycling Food:
Genecis is converting organic waste into biopolymers. The company’s first ever product line is the PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) biopolymers. This biopolymer is utilised with PHA to make 3D printing filaments. This mixture is also used in the making of high-end flexible packaging material. As of now, the company is manufacturing the PHAs from food crops like sugarcane, corn, canola and also implementing 3d printing plastic waste technology.
The final object produced by this method is completely biodegradable and can be mixed with a variety of colours and 3d printing materials. The cost of producing this kind of PHA is 40 % less than the traditional manufacturing processes. This approach is not only cutting the cost but also protecting our ecosystem.
The company is having more than 200 species of rare bacteria:
This whole biological process revolves around bacterial reaction of natural food and materials to produce eco-friendly PHA and other 3d printing materials. The Genecis company has a collection of bacteria from across the globe. They are having over 200 species of bacteria in their work database. The company is trying various types of 3d printer material types with the food scrap to produce something beautiful.
More than a ton food scrap has been recycled:
A total quantity of 1,080 kg food waste is converted into 3d printed PHA for manufacturing numerous 3d printed objects. The company is planning to produce it’s first PHA bioplastic pellet product line which will be used for commercial purpose.
