There have been numerous studies conducted and articles written on how much food is wasted every day in the U.S. alone. Creative thinkers are developing innovative ways to prevent this waste from ending up in landfills, going beyond traditional methods like composting, reusing, or turning scraps into animal feed. It would also be great if the solutions they develop could be useful in our everyday lives.

Now imagine turning your banana peels, coffee grounds, and vegetable scraps into useful household items instead of throwing them away. That’s exactly what MIT graduates Yiqing Wang and Biru Cao have made possible with their groundbreaking invention, the Foodres.AI 3D printer. This innovative desktop device represents a completely new approach to dealing with food waste by transforming organic waste into functional objects.

Designers: Yiqing Wang and Biru Cao

The technology works through a combination of artificial intelligence and 3D printing. Users simply place their food waste into the machine, and the accompanying mobile app uses AI to analyze the materials through the phone’s camera. The system uses a self-trained object detection model to identify food types and assess their printability, then suggests appropriate “print recipes” based on the physical properties of your waste materials. The printer can create a wide variety of useful items from your kitchen scraps. Users can print cup holders, coasters, decorative items, and custom designs by simply dropping in food waste and selecting the desired form and size. The built-in material processing module helps users mix waste with natural additives to form a printable bioplastic paste, making the entire process seamless and accessible.

What makes this printer particularly user-friendly is its intuitive design that requires no prior 3D printing experience. The app provides a library of design templates, and users can also upload their own custom models. Once you’ve selected your desired object and size, the printer’s custom three-axis extrusion system converts your scraps into something useful. The environmental impact potential is significant, as food waste accounts for up to 50 percent of household organic refuse in the United States. The project began as part of research supported by the MIT IDEAS program, addressing the fact that 40-50% of household food is wasted before it ends up in landfills or compost bins. By enabling people to repurpose non-edible leftovers and organic matter into functional items at home, the Foodres.AI printer promotes what the creators call “hyper-local circular economies.”

Beyond its practical applications, the Foodres.AI printer represents a shift in how we think about waste. Instead of viewing food scraps as something to be disposed of, this technology encourages users to see them as raw materials for creation. By making sustainable behavior interactive, creative, and rewarding, the product builds a community-driven culture of eco-consciousness. As concerns about environmental sustainability continue to grow, innovations like the Foodres.AI printer offer practical solutions that individuals can implement in their own homes, making circular living both achievable and engaging for the average person.

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Even though a lot of coffee shops offer discounts if you bring your own mug or tumbler when you buy from them, there’s still a lot of disposable plastic cups that go to waste, staying in landfills for decades. Since people will still probably continue using them, we need to find a way to be able to properly recycle of this particular kind of waste.

Designers: Yoonjeong Lee, Minjoeng Kim, Changyu Seo, Songhee Kim, Geunyeong Do

Loop is a concept for a 3D printer that will be able to do just that. It actually looks like a coffee maker or a water storage device but its function is to actually turn those plastic cups to create scrubbers that can also be used at the cafes. Therefore it really lives up to its name as it creates a sustainable circulation structure.

The 3D printer melts the plastic cups that you put in it by grinding them into small particles. They are heated to turn them into a “soft and malleable state” then cooled to solidify. They are then extruded into the desired filament shapes for printing. The scrubbers can then be used in washing dishes at the cafe.

The suggestion of the product designers is for cafes to use this to incentivize their customers into returning the plastic cups instead of just throwing it. It would be interesting to see if something like this can actually change consumer behavior.

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To celebrate 8 years of cutting-edge devices that have helped the creative community build like never before, Snapmaker announces a Premium version of their flagship Artisan all-in-one making device. The Artisan, which debuted in 2022, is a multipurpose desktop device that laser cuts, 3D prints, and even CNC machines all thanks to a compact form factor and a brilliant modular design that lets you swap out 3D printing, CNC, and laser modules whenever you need. A whopping 400x400x400mm work area means you can create, prototype, or set up a factory line right on your table, and the Artisan Premium now features an upgraded 40W laser module that’s 4x more powerful than the one on its 2022 model. Along with this, the company is also ushering in its 8th anniversary with a 48-hour Makerathon event that fans can watch online, coupled with offers, gifts, and a referral program that gets you rewards!

Designer: The Snapmaker Design Team

Click Here to Buy Now: $2,599 $2999 ($400 off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!

The Artisan Premium is Snapmaker’s top-of-the-line creating tool. A 3-in-1 device that prints, engraves/etches, and CNC machines, the Artisan Premium offers a large work area and still saves space by offering so many functions in one workstation. An all-metal design ensures factory-grade precision, an enclosure contains the dust and protects your eyes from laser damage, and a control unit with a 7″ touchscreen allows you to easily operate the Artisan with ease. On the inside, a modular interface lets you plug in any of Snapmaker’s variousmodules, giving the Artisan its functions.

3D Printing: Thanks to the optimized transmission system and motion control algorithm, Artisan features a high dimensional accuracy when printing at a high speed.

Laser: Coming with the 10W Laser Module, Artisan is capable of faster and deeper cutting on more materials, and delivering refined laser engraving.

CNC: The high-rigidity linear modules and high-speed spindle empower the CNC module to carve or cut smoothly on various materials with a high dimensional accuracy.

The new 40W laser module is now more powerful than ever, allowing you to cut through thicker and tougher materials faster, giving you mastery over paper, fabric, leather, wood, plastic, metal, brick, glass, and many more materials. The 3D printer features a dual-extruder design that lets you print in multiple colors or add different material supports, and the 200W CNC machine is perfect for subtractive prototyping from wood, or even soft metal and stone. The 400x400x400 working area gives you the ability to build large-scale models, and the inclusion of an air pump in the Premium variant helps clear the working area while the Artisan is doing its job.

Along with the reveal of the Artisan Premium, which goes on sale on May 28th with an MSRP of $2999 USD, or €3299 EUR (vat included) if you’re in Europe, Snapmaker is even holding a 48-hour Makerathon with the theme “Play Well” that reflects the company’s roots in fun and exploration and its ongoing commitment to innovation and creativity. Held on 31st May and 1st June, the Makerathon will see Snapmaker’s entire company divided into 10 teams that will then participate in a series of challenges where they’re required to “Make Something Wonderful”. The event will stream on Snapmaker’s Facebook page, and will also coincide with Snapmaker’s Print & Play Challenge, a video contest that all Snapmaker users can participate in.. All you need to do is print anything you can play with (toys, games, music instruments, etc.) and film a video of yourself playing with it. The first five submissions will be screened at the Makerathon, and the Print & Play Challenge will continue all the way up until the 16th of June or Father’s Day. You can participate in the Print & Play Challenge, or even visit Snapmaker’s website to explore tonnes of new content, including printable 3D models of Snapmaker’s 3-in-1 machines, massive discounts on all products, and a referral program that offers a FREE 1064nm IR Laser Module to anyone whose friend buys an Artisan Premium.

Click Here to Buy Now: $2,599 $2999 ($400 off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!

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