ReLignin: Sustainable additive manufacturing with recycled lignin

The ReLignin project aims to tackle some significant environmental challenges by creating a circular and sustainable production system since traditional manufacturing processes have a substantial carbon footprint. ReLignin project leverages additive manufacturing (AM) technology to create products with a lower environmental impact by reducing waste while using renewable resources. ReLignin increases the recycling of polymer waste materials into secondary raw materials for AM and ensures the circularity of recycled polymer waste composites through re-pelletizing for further AM.

Lignin, often seen as a waste product from the paper and biofuel industries, can be efficiently utilized to significantly increase resource efficiency and reduce environmental pollution. By developing a sustainable material system using lignin, we can decrease our reliance on petroleum-based plastics, which are both resource-intensive and non-renewable. The project aims to compound a bio-based material from Swedish forest residues, a secondary raw material not competing with food, that mixes well with recycled polymers to deliver Net-Zero plastics.