Towards SDG 9: Using 3D Printing to Make Chemical Industries More Sustainable

United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) aims to ensure we make things in a sustainable way. Many kinds of equipment and chemicals are needed to make all the products we use every day. This is not an easy task—millions of people all over the world work in giant “kitchens” called chemical industries, where they prepare and mix materials to make everything from the plastic in your toys, the fabric in your clothes, and the medicines that heal sick people. To be sustainable, all industries need to reduce the amounts of energy and materials they use, and the garbage they produce. This challenge requires new ways of making products, and new machines to make those products! The good news is that we have some new high-tech alternatives. In this article, we will tell you how 3D printing can help industries be more efficient, safer, and better for the environment. Watch an interview with the authors of this article to learn even more! ( Video 1 ).