3D printing and distributed recycling have the potential to disrupt Samoa's plastic waste issues by providing new recycling options. Currently, Samoa has no separation or recycling of rubbish collected. Cultural traditions like communal living and gift giving could integrate with online design communities and digital craft to promote recycling and reusing of plastic materials. Schools are exploring maker education aligned with Samoan learning styles to develop skills for a recycling ecosystem using 3D scanning, modeling, and printing of culturally inspired designs from recycled plastics. The tourism industry may help promote these efforts to raise environmental awareness.

1. ‘3D printing and distributed recycling
disrupting Samoa’s plastic waste stream.’
Lionel Taito-Matamua
MDI (VUW)
Renewing Materials

2. The Issue

3. “Recycling is a key focus for the Waste Management Division at SPREP
and we try and coordinate regionally with our colleagues in JICA on this
issue. Plastic is one of our most difficult recycling issues in the region
because it usually has no monetary value that would encourage its
recycling.”
-David Haynes, SPREP

4. Samoan Rubbish Collection – No recycling is separated and collected

5. A small part of Samoas largest landfill

6. Old HDPE plastic crates. Piled behind a Samoan Brewery

7. The only plastic collected on the Recycling Yard

8. Cultural Context

9. Fa’a Samoa-
Betham explained the Samoan communal way of life as captured in the term “fa’a
Samoa”:
“In Samoan traditional society (…) the matai, village and whole community join in
this on-going responsibility of learning and living as the young are instructed,
directed and guided in cultural ways and values of respect and good relationships.”
(Betham 2008)
Samoa’s communal way of life is most evident during times of traditional events and
covers different aspects of the Samoan culture including aiga (family), gagana
Samoa (Samoan language), Fa’a matai (chiefly hierarchy) and fa’alavelave
(ceremonial and family obligations). (Fana'afi 1986) Extended family, friends, and
local village neighbours help by sharing their time and expertise with the host family.
The idea of coming together as one big family is found throughout Samoa. This
concept of community is not dissimilar to online communities where users can share
ideas, information and designs, freely available for others to use and modify to suit
their purpose - such as thingiverse.com who facilitate CAD (computer-aided design)
file sharing between users in a participatory design process. These communities -
online communities and fa’a Samoa share similar characteristics, which can easily
co-exist.

10. Traditional Inspiration – Different uses of the coconut tree

11. Samoan Artist Naomi Apelu – Recyling Plastic Bags making tradition woven objects

12. Mea Alofa-
Mea alofa is the universal term that Samoans associate with gift giving.*
Gifts are presented at any large family occasions such as weddings and
funerals, including greeting visitors. Traditionally in Samoa, the
customary items which were gifted (sua) were fine mats or long lengths of
tapa cloth.* However, the old traditions are becoming harder to maintain
due to lack of master weavers. The fine mats of today are no longer “fine”
and have no function because most are too bulky to wear. (Schoeffel
1999) This perceived loss of quality represents an opportunity to revisit
the link between value and craft – not necessarily in the form of
traditional craft but reinvigorated with digital craft.

13. Material Exploration

14. Ground up Recycled Computer keyboard (ABS plastic)

15. FilaBot Equiptment purchased for Material Exploration

16. (L) Twinscrew Extruder and Pelletizer ® Recycled 3D printing Filament made from HDPE Milk bottles

17. Design Research

18. Education-
Schools in Samoa are an important link in developing a viable ecosystem of
(re)making. While a digitally capable community is necessary to provide
content – 3D digital files for artefacts and products, digital fabrication may
in turn offer special opportunities for education in Samoa by supporting a
cultural disposition towards kinaesthetic and tactile learning. (Faleolo 2013)
This approach to learning has found a new ally in the emergence of the
“Maker Movement” where “physical ‘making’ is the new frontier” and
brings with it a “making based model of education”, which has far reaching
implications for society. The maker movement is not just about making
things, “it is about developing agency, starting with the physical world,
through the use of platforms and technology that make it easier to connect,
learn and collaborate.” (Deloitte 2014) In this respect the maker movement
is not only aligned with modes of learning in Samoa, it is also connects to
the concept of fa’a Samoa.

19. The Tourism Industry-
At 20-25% of GDP Samoa’s economy is largely driven by tourism
(NZMFAT 2013) and there is clear awareness of tourism’s importance
to Samoa, including the need to maintain Samoa’s environmental
heritage as a “green, clean and healthy island.” (Leo 2014) Typically
tourism and cultural heritage are often closely linked, therefore the
tourism industry could be an important conduit for digitally crafted
products and artefacts that create compelling narratives and a greater
awareness of the issue. 77732

22. Proposed Design Ideas
(examples)

24. Recycled Filtration Bottle

26. Souvenir Concept – abstract Coconut

27. 3D Printed recycled ABS plastic (Computer keyboards)

28. Gift and Giftbox (Souvenir)
Mea alofa (‘Thing of Love’aka ‘gifts’)
Fa’a Samoa (exchanging of gifts)

29. Digitally Scanning Turtle Skulls at Te Papa

30. Raising awareness and Context inspired (3D digital scanning and 3D printing)

31. Functioning object (Asi holder)
Taro peeler (used everyday in the Samoan kitchen)

32. User defined Designs (parametric modelling)

33. Post Production

34. Traditional craft inspired Design