the new raw uses ocean waste to create 3D-printed seashell sculptures 

rotterdam-based research and design studio ‘the new raw’ has conceived a pioneering project which transforms ocean waste into digitally crafted sculptures. the initiative, which repurposes abandoned fishing nets and processes them into threadlike filaments to create design objects, raises awareness of the environmental issues of marine plastic pollution.

images courtesy of the new raw

titled ‘second nature’, the project began in greece where the new raw worked with local fishermen and divers to collect discarded synthetic fishing nets. the studio used these abandoned items to create a collection of 3D-printed objects, including a series of seashell sculptures that symbolize marine beauty and cleanliness.

also known as ghost nets, these fishing nets are considered to be the deadliest ocean debris and a major environmental threat. settling on the seabed and staying there for years, they trap fish, mammals and other sea creatures.

setting up in the small naval town of galaxidi, on the southern cost of central greece, the new raw set up a mobile 3D-printing and recycling lab. after collecting the ocean waste, they started transforming the nets into raw material for the 3D-printing process. they did so by classifying the ghost nets according to different material types: nets, ropes, floaters and weights. these different materials were then put through a grinder and extruded into colourful and textured filaments.

‘by nature, seashell geometry suits the layer-by-layer methods of 3D-printing technologies‘,  explains panos sakkas and foteini setaki, founders of the new raw. ‘rather than replicating their natural shapes, the 3D-printed version represents their geographically displaced entity, and embodies current environmental challenges.’

the project is accompanied by a 10-minute short film created award-winning documentary filmmaker daphne matziaraki. the film documents the studio’s research, revealing how marine plastic can become the raw material for a new circular economy.

second nature film from the new raw

project info

studio: the new raw

project: second nature