Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have introduced Foodres.Ai, a 3D printer that turns food waste into useful household items: mugs, cups, coasters and cutlery.
Using the device is simple: it is enough to photograph the waste in the app, after which the built-in AI identifies the material and suggests item options. The user chooses a template or comes up with a custom design. Then natural components are added to the waste, forming a bioplastic paste from which the printer creates the item. The whole process is fully automated and designed for home use — no special knowledge of 3D printing is required.
Each year, about 66 million tons of food waste are generated in the United States. Much of it ends up in landfills, which means greenhouse gas emissions comparable to the output of 42 coal-fired power plants. Foodres.Ai not only helps address the waste problem, but also supports the building of "hyperlocal circular economies" — where resources get a new life right in a person’s home. Now our morning coffee can come back to us as a coaster for our mug — eco-friendly and stylish.
