The Tokyo Olympics used waste plastic to print the podium. What do you think of the environmental protection involution？

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which was delayed due to the epidemic, finally met with us this summer. From “using waste recycled plastics to print podiums” to “using electronic waste recycling as raw materials for medals”, the design concept of environmental protection is one of the keywords of this Olympic Games.

3D printed podium for the Tokyo Olympics

Take the podium as an example. In this Olympic Games, 24.5 tons of recycled plastics were used, and 98 podiums were made through 3D printing technology. The design concepts of the overall model are: sustainability, 3D printing, recycling, and reuse.

As a typical digital manufacturing technology, 3D printing technology has obvious advantages such as environmental protection, low manufacturing cost, and a short production cycle. It played a key role as a bridge in the production of the Olympic podium.

In recent years, with the further deterioration of the natural ecological environment, environmental protection has once again raised global concern. All walks of life have successively set off an upsurge in environmental protection. On the one hand, the 3D printing industry contributes to environmental protection, and on the other hand, it has never stopped the road of “environmental protection”.

Take eSUN as an example. As a 3D printing material manufacturer, what have we done to protect the environment?

01

Use environmentally friendly and biodegradable raw materials

Environmentally friendly materials, such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), have already had relatively mature applications in the 3D printing industry. eSUN has launched more than ten types of FDM3D printing  polylactic acid-related filaments, such as PLA+, bright PLA, lightweight PLA, silk PLA, super-tough PLA, etc., which are well recognized by users.

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In terms of LCD light-curing printing materials, eSUN has created the world’s first bio-based PLA light-curing 3D printing resin to promote photosensitive 3D printing into the era of environmental protection. Later, it came out eResin-PLA Pro, a bio-based high-precision resin suitable for black and white screen printing, to further meet user needs.

The combination of environmentally friendly materials and 3D printing promotes the further expansion of the3D printing application range as well as conducive to reducing waste of resources.

02

Plastic reduction + environmental protection packaging

After the traditional wire is used, a large number of vacant plastic wire reels will be produced, which are non-degradable and have low reusability, and will occupy the user’s storage space.

Based on this point of view, eSUN puts forward the concept of “Refilament + reusable sheet without reel (eSpool)”, replacing the traditional spool with a reusable no-reel sheet , which is matched with eSUN no-reel consumables, to reduce the waste of resources and environmental pollution caused by unnecessary plastic production.

Meanwhile, eSUN is continuing to develop new environmentally friendly packaging, such as paper spools, etc., coming soon~

03

Waste reusing

In June, eSUN officially launched Bright PLA. This product is based on PETG, ABS, PLA and other production waste and industrial waste re-use injection molding. The outer box is made of recyclable cartons, make 3D printing more sustainable..

Polylactic acid (PLA) chemical Recycle

There is a way to proceed and there should be a way back. In 2006, eSUN realized that degradation may also be a waste. Why not consider recycling? So far, eSUN has started the research of polylactic acid recycle and high value-added reuse for more than 10 years.

At present, eSUN has mastered the industrialization technology and recycling technology of polylactic acid (PLA). The company can obtain lactide by recycling polylactic acid and use it to produce a variety of “double high” lactides. The technology applied for and obtained patents in China and the United States. At the same time, Yisheng successively participated in the Second World Polylactic Acid Conference in Munich, Germany in 2012, the 2018 ITR Global Polylactic Acid Industry Summit in San Diego, USA, and the “Sustainable Development of Polymer Materials” Engineering Technology Forum hosted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering in Chengdu in 2019. A report on “eSUN Polylactic Acid Chemical Recovery and High Value-added Utilization” was made at the industry summit, which was widely praised.

At the production base in Xiaogan, Hubei, eSUN has achieved the chemical recovery of nearly 2,000 tons of PLA, effectively promoting the recycling and efficient use of PLA, which has improved both environmental benefits and economic benefits.

In the era of involution, various internal involution makes workers “silent and choke”, but “environmental involution” may be a kind of “good scroll”. In the final analysis, it can arouse attention to ecological environment protection and efficient use of resources, conducive to the long-term and healthy development of the human economy and society.

eSUN will also continue to explore research, recycling and reuse, while focusing on user experience and environmental protection requirements to achieve sustainable development, and let green become the background color of 3D printing, make the world a better place!

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Mail address：bright@brightcn.net

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