The throwaway lifestyle of contemporary cities has exponentially increased the production of plastic waste, but what to do with it? With their project Print Your City!, research and design studio The New Raw, founded by Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki, recycles plastic waste into public furniture, using a 3D printing process.

In Amsterdam, residents generate an average of 23 kilograms (50.7 pounds) of plastic waste per person per year. The Print Your City! project processes recycled plastic pellets from municipal plastic waste or flakes from ground recycled products and 3D prints street furniture and equipment.

The first piece of furniture the studio made is the XXX bench, weighing 50 kilograms (110 pounds) and measuring 150 x 80 cm (4.9 x 2.6 feet). The bench is entirely made of recycled plastic and, in turn, is 100 per cent recyclable. The bench seats 2 to 4 people and has the form of a double sided rocking chair. Users have to find equilibrium together, or use their energy to rock each other.

The XXX bench was produced in collaboration with Aectual, on a large-scale pellet extrusion 3D printer. Its design can easily be adjusted for future benches, or feature messages and logos.

Following from XXX, the project is focusing on the development of a broader range of urban furniture and public space applications such as bus stops, recycling bins, playgrounds and anything else that city residents may need.

Photos: The New Raw