3D printers will radically change our daily lives at home and at work, says Gary Shapiro, Chairman and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association. Shapiro strives to stimulate innovation around the globe, a job in which 3D printing plays a vital part. Aside from the widely-known benefits of 3D printing, one aspect I feel has been slightly overlooked is the prospect of meeting our sustainability needs.

 Products will no longer necessarily be made by manufacturers – end clients can start creating products for themselves, or through a local intermediary like a 3D print shop. This has a major impact on distribution chains, dramatically reducing the journey from manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to end client. Just imagine how much pollution and fuel we could save by not getting our products from China.

In situations where we do have to transport printed parts, their reduced weight makes a difference. Companies such as EDF have demonstrated this; they use 3D printing to produce wind turbines more efficiently and at a lower cost. Thanks to this production method, wind turbines are lighter, more economic and stronger than ever.

Sustainable food production

What really fascinates me is the fact that we can use this new technology for sustainable food production. In the aerospace sector, for example, astronauts’ food comes in the form of freeze-dried powders and gels. Not only is this not very appetising; it’s also not particularly sustainable, as the weight of the food means reduced fuel efficiency during the launch.

The prize-winning ‘Astrogro’ 3D printing project is making this a thing of the past. It throws away the existing concepts of food transport, allowing astronauts to print their own recyclable ‘pods’ themselves, which are a sort of miniature biotope. They can then grow fresh food in these biotopes, which are equipped with sensors that monitor and control elements such as atmospheric pressure, moisture and light. Ultimately, this process cuts down on the weight they need to carry with them into space.

So 3D printing brings to light a type of sustainable, modular food production that doesn’t depend on location or climate. Developing countries would benefit hugely from this possibility, which could allow farmers to produce all kinds of affordable resources: from simple agricultural instruments to advanced systems for monitoring water quality.

In the future, we might also be able to eat ready-made prints, as proved by the German start-up Bocusini. They’ve brought all kinds of gels to the market, from sweet to savoury, which a 3D printer can convert back into food. The printing of ‘on-demand’ food reduces unnecessary food production – and therefore food waste. And that is quite a persistent problem: in the Netherlands alone, we throw away 10 per cent of all cooked food.

Environmentally-friendly printing materials

Finally, printing materials themselves are becoming increasingly sustainable. These include environmentally-friendly printing materials such as bioplastic, a plastic based on corn oil, sugar cane or starch, among other things. 3D printers can even recycle waste by printing new material from it. The Lowlands Festival is one good practical example: visitors were able to convert their plastic cups into jewellery.

All of these examples show that 3D printing is more than just an interesting new revenue model for businesses; it means we’re able to produce, transport and consume in a more sustainable way. The technology is there – we’re just waiting for even more creative ideas. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us.