The construction industry is undoubtedly one of the world’s biggest generators of waste. Depending on the statistics and what is included in this waste, it is estimated that 2 to 3 billion tons are produced each year—accounting for 30 to 35% of all waste generated on Earth. Bricks, concrete, wood, rubble, plastic: the list goes on.
In response, BENTU DESIGN has decided to repurpose this waste with 3D printing. The idea is to transform it into a 3D-printable material to create street furniture. Called Inorganic Growth, the project has so far produced chairs and stools that are 3D-printed using 85% recycled waste.
Construction waste is gathered on site.
A Localized Workflow
Specifically, the Chinese studio collects construction waste from demolition sites in urban villages. The team will then crush, ground, and sort the material. This is done in a mobile processing unit set up directly on-site. The workflow is entirely localized, which reduces all transportation-related constraints and carbon emissions.
The goal is to produce a very fine powder (0 to 3 mm in size) to be mixed with industrial byproducts such as silica fume, ash, or slag powder (from the steel industry). This yields a material that can be used for 3D printing.
BENTU DESIGN Opts for FDM
The BENTU DESIGN group chose fused deposition modeling (FDM), specifically a dual-extrusion machine, for the project. This allows for control over the distribution of pigments, resulting in this specific color effect. The colors are derived from the mixture of construction waste—featuring red tones from brick, the gray of concrete, and the blue-green of ceramic fragments.
An example of 3D printed furniture
This results in furniture made with 40% fewer materials and a significantly lower carbon footprint. The entire project is based on a closed-loop approach, where everything is sourced locally and can be recycled afterward. And in addition to being more sustainable, these pieces are original and stand out: the design is truly one-of-a-kind. If you’d like to learn more, click HERE.
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*All Photo Credits: Bentu Design