Self-Recycling

Last night Richard Horsfield from Macquarie University's Department of Environmental Sciences gave a lecture on Waste Management for Sustainable Cities. One point raised by Horsfield which I found particularly interesting and got me thinking was that developing countries are much better at recycling. Citizens in these countries perform a lot of self-recycling because recyclable goods are too valuable a resource for people with nothing. This idea of self-recycling reminded me of a video I saw on my facebook news feed.

Video: Hakkens, D 2016, Precious Plastic - create things from plastic, 24 March 2016, accessed on 16 April 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdUkOjIP0Ok>.

Dave Hakkens, composer of this video presents a series called 'Precious Plastic' which instructs watchers first how to build their own plastic shredders, teaches them about the different types of recyclable plastics and their melting points, how to build moulds and finally how to turn waste plastics into exciting new things. Hakkens creates a variety of beautiful, durable and useful objects using upcycled plastics and is just one of a number of youtubers, bloggers and the like jumping on the self-recycling band-wagon. Whilst self-recycling has been entwined in the lifestyle of the world's poorest since plastics began, there is now a wealth of information available which encourages the first world to do the same - saving energy, transportation and the user's own dollar in the process. One of the most exciting things I think coming out of this self-recycling phenomenon which is depicted in this video is the creation of plastic spool. Here, we see the opportunity to take the product of quite a base recycling technology and feeding it into one of our newest smart technologies: 3D printing. Plastic spool represents the base ingredient for 3D printing and a magnificent opportunity for creating a world of incredible yet inexpensive, completely recyclable, low energy intensive, super quick objects at the domestic scale. Imagine a future where mass plastic production is no more and 100% of recyclable plastics are reused for better things resulting in minimal need for the manufacture of new plastics. Not only will we be a thriftier and more sustainable people, we will be a more creative and artistic people!