The Netherlands – Alumni from the Netherlands-based Technical University of Delft have shown that music and recycling can be very much in tune.
The group unveiled a hand-operated recycling installation at the nation’s Lowlands music festival to promote the recycling of bioplastics and the process behind it all. The recycling machine is part of the university’s Perpetual Plastics Project (PPP) and consists of a do-it-yourself washing, drying, shredding, extruding and 3-D printing line.
Fed with the 20 000 visitors’ polylactic acid (PLA) drinks cups, it yielded string-like bioplastic material which was then converted into fun accessories ranging from seal rings and iPhone cases to bath ducks.
‘The installation is as accessible and transparent as possible,’ the PPP group states, noting that the interactive approach supported by a ‘tangible souvenir’ ensures the visitor will remember the process and will have ‘an emotional bond’ with his or her own recycled product. The machine proved to be a talking point at the festival and has subsequently been taken to numerous other events across the country by the Delft alumni.
‘This initiative demonstrates in a tangible, understandable way just how easily PLA can be recycled,’ remarks François de Bie, Marketing Director at Purac Bio-plastics – the project’s sponsor. Although PLA is still a relatively new material to the plastics industry, it promises to become widely used across a broad range of applications.
‘Thanks to the Perpetual Plastics Project, we can show people at events and festivals what can ultimately be achieved on a much larger scale,’ he adds.
For more information, visit: www.perpetualplasticproject.com
Don't hesitate to contact us to share your input and ideas. Subscribe to the magazine or (free) newsletter.
Loading ...
