Purac: Closing the Loop
Purac, Gorinchem, the Netherlands, has sponsored the Perpetual Plastic Project to highlight how easily Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) bioplastic can be recycled. PLA drinking cups were provided by Purac; intended for use at events where people can immediately recycle them into new products after use. The project is designed to educate people on the recyclability of bioplastic, in order to close the loop and promote a circular, biobased economy for future generations.
The Perpetual Plastic Project has successfully created a ’do-it-yourself’, interactive ’Machine’, which provides users with a small-scale demonstration of how easily PLA can be recycled: following the steps of cleaning, drying, shredding, melting and extrusion, before finally being remade into a new article. In this case, a 3D printer was used to create jewelry and small toys from the used PLA cups. The Machine is currently touring the Netherlands at numerous events, including the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, the Science Center NEMO in Amsterdam and the National Sustainability Congress in Nieuwegein.
The Perpetual Plastic Project is an initiative created by former TU Delft students. Purac, together with GroenBeker, provided the PLA bioplastic drinking cups which accompanied the Machine.
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