Turning Plastic Trash into Phone Cases

Several high school students from Italy have invented an amazing vending machine that grinds used plastic bottles into pellets, which are then turned into smartphone cases by a built-in 3D printer. Saving the planet, making the world cleaner for future generations and just doing the right things are powerful arguments for recycling, but the truth is that some people require more materialistic incentives not to care about the environment. It is a sad reality, but these students came up with an amazing invention that may just get more young people involved in waste recycling. Marco Tomasello, Daniele Caputo, Vincenzo Virruso, Vittorio Maggiore, Toni Taormina and their teacher Daniela Russo were looking for an efficient way of getting youth more involved in environmental conservation when they came up with the idea for the My ProMotion device. It looks like a regular vending machine, except that instead of money, it only accepts plastic bottles and releases stylish smartphone cases in return. The amazing device breaks down the plastic waste into small pellets, which are then used by a built-in 3D printer to create various case designs. It’s not clear whether the cases are created on the spot after someone introduces a certain amount of plastic, or they can only select one of the pre-made cases. I suspect it may be the latter, as the 3D making process can take a long time. Still, the concept is pretty cool, as the My ProMotion vending machines could be very popular in schools and places where youths who love upgrading their handhelds hang out. After all, getting a free phone case for many empty plastic bottles is a pretty sweet deal. The five students said that they had no idea their high-school project would ever become a reality, but after the AXA Italia Social Impact Award in a national contest, the amazing vending machine has been gaining worldwide interest. They currently have four prototypes set up and are looking for a distribution partner to get them mass-produced.