A Sustainable Need
“In a world where more than 5 million bottles are thrown away every hour” consumers and businesses are increasingly challenged to embrace sustainability for a healthy planet. As we prepare for Thanksgiving, dinner tables will be set, families gather, and in many cases there will be plenty of leftovers for all. Unfortunately, there will be more than just turkey and pie to take home, there will also be trash bags filled with disposable dinnerware that is on the way to the landfill instead of a recycling plant. How do we change this? Well…if you see some extra pumpkin pie or squash at your dinner table, take a moment to contemplate that those members of the Cucurbitaceae family may play an important role in driving sustainability. The gourd has found its place in the world of innovations.
Gourds: Making a Difference
Créme Design of New York City was recently recognized by Mashable for their unique approach to creating 100% biodegradable and organic cups, flasks, and pitchers all grown out of gourds. The owner and architect, Jun Aiziki, used 3D Printing technology to create custom molds. Once the mold is printed a gourd sapling is planted within, growing naturally to the dimensions of its container, allowing for a variety of unique shapes and uses. The result is the completely natural and organic “HyO-Cup“.
This is one of the incredible ways forward thinking innovators are creating solutions for a sustainable world. In the near future we will hopefully see these cups -and maybe other dinnerware- on a dining table in your home. In the meantime watch the full video here and then navigate to Dassault Systémes to discover why we were recognized by Corporate Knights in early 2018 as the world’s most sustainable company. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform seeks to harmonize product, nature and life by helping companies and cities adopt renewable and sustainable approaches in their industrial, business and civic models. Innovations in 3D printing can play a role in helping us consumers reduce waste and impact with new, albeit unique approaches!
