ReCyclad3D HUB
[Strategic service design, product design]
Description A strategic change by design that aims to transform and upgrade the recycling scheme of Syros island and the Cycladic region, offering new revenue schemes and education about the emerging prototyping and manufacturing technologies.
Context The New Raw was a one week workshop held in Syros island on September 2015. The goal of the workshop was to find ways of improving the recycling of plastic in the island. We had the pleasure to learn from the guys of Better Future Factory and their Perpetual Plastic Project how to upcycle PET polymer into 3D printer fillament.
Team members Dimitris Niavis | human-centered designer Strategy, concept development lead, research, visualization Eleni Avramidou | design engineer Concept development, research Costas Partheniadis | design engineer student Concept development, research, product design [glasses] Alkistis Papageorgiou | design engineer Concept development Keterina Tsirepa | Architecture student Concept development, product design [glasses] Sonja Lunau | Environmental consultant Concept development
Syros Island, Greece
About Syros island Syros is an island in the Aegean sea, Greece. It is the “capital� of cyclades and has a rich historical and cultural heritage. The locals are proud of that heritage and try to promote cultural events throughout the year. A wide variety of festivals take place in the island, ranging from film to performing arts. As an island, it heavily relies on the import of potable water. The majority of it arrives from the Greek mainland in the form of PET bottles. Our team was comprised by six members. Four out of six, have lived in the island and are familiar with the culture, problems and specialties of it. The other two helped us to challenge our assumptions and in combination with user-research and stakeholder interviews to crystalize our understanding of the matter.
Syros Island, Greece
About Syros island Syros has 25.000 residents and 80.000 tourists visiting each year. The average consumption of water for each person is about 2Lt per day. The big [1.5Lt] plastic water bottles weight 13 grams of PET and the small [0.5Lt] 10 grams. If the individual drinks 1.5Lt water per day form bottles [there are other sources for water, eg coffee, beverages etc.] that equals in 20 grams of plastic per day for the individual. A quick calculation shows that there are 103.3 tons of plastic water bottles used every year in Syros island alone. Beverage and other PET or polymer bottles aren’t included in this equation. We found out that collected PET is bought by recycling factories for 640 dollars per ton. The municipality could take advantage of this opportunity and increase their earnings by 66.112 just by not mixing the PET.
Water consumption
PET usage
Current situation
There is recycling scheme in the island that uses different bins for each material [plastic, aluminum, paper, glass]. Locals have embrace it and have high percentages of recycling. Yet, that scheme has some fatal flaws. They collect the separated materials in a single truck, mixing them together. Then, the materials are packed in a container and shipped to Athens. Mixed materials are sold in a really lower price. A truck must take them form the port and transfer them to a factory that will separate them once again. After that, they are transported to recycling factories and when they are ready, sold and transfered to another factory to be used again. This process has an increased ecologic footprint due energy consumption necessary to separate and carry them around. Man hours and costs are increased as well. There is a huge profit loss for the municipality of Syros [as well others] due to the lower selling price of the mixed materials.
Proposed System
The creation of an experimental HUB/makerspace near the port of Hermoupolis. There, locals and tourists will be able to see and experience the whole recycling/upcycling process and participate in it, providing closure and education. The PET bottles collected will be upcycled in to 3D printer fillament. 3D printed souvenirs made of the bottles consumed in the island will be sold. The visitor will be able to choose form a wide database of 3D models the one that she likes to print. This database will be consisted of functional and decorative items. University students, designers, makers and 3D printing enthousiasts will be able to print their own models there. Talks and workshop about the emerging technologies will be held in the HUB in order to educate and create synergies in the region. Partnerships with boat companies can be made and sell custom made souvenirs on their vessels. At the same time, a processing mini factory will operate near Hermoupolis thandling the heavy recycling of the PET bottles. Water bottles will be used as filament for FDM 3D printers [fusion deposition modeling]. The following functions will be done there, cleaning, grinding, extrusion, rolling and packaging. The filament will be sold in both local and international markets. Both structures will be primarily powered by solar and wind energy generated in the island.
Stakeholder map
Key Benefits of the new system - Provides closure about the recycling process - Educates locals and tourists about emerging technologies - Takes advantage of the money that have already been payed for the PET - Increased income for the Municipality - Upcycle the PET that is imported in the island - Lowers the overall carbon footprint of Syros island - Offers a unique experience to locals and tourists - Offers customizable and unique souvenirs to tourists - Provides opportunity to user to print and use customized objects. - Elevates the cultural image of Syros island - Creates synergies in the Cycladic region and beyond - Strengthens the maker culture of the region - Strengthens the recycling culture in the island and beyond
Roadmap
First blood [SE3D glasses]
As first, launch project of the HUB, we proposed to print glasses for the IInternational film festivals that are held in Syros island. Each festival can customize the shape and add their logo. The glasses will be used to view 3D films. After this first stage of use and in co-operations with opticians in the island, the users can stransform the 3D printed glasses into sun glasses, a much needed, functional item for the visitor of the Aegean. This can help spread the story of ReCyclad3d HUB beyond the borders of the island and Greece.