Italian company creates monumental 3D-printed sculpture from recycled plastic

Italian company R3direct has collaborated with artist Edoardo Malagigi to create a large-scale sculpture made entirely from recycled plastic waste materials. The sculpture, which was installed in the Parco San Salvi in Florence, is a reinterpretation of the “Marco Cavallo” from 1973, a symbolic work of art created at the time to draw attention to the rights of people with mental illness. In this new version, the “Marco Cavallo of the 21st century”, the monument stands for both sustainability and environmental awareness.

Two large-format WASP 3MT HDP 3D printers were used to produce the artwork. These machines work with plastic pellets that come from locally collected post-industrial waste. The plastic used was processed by Revet, a recycling company operating in the region. By using recycled plastic instead of conventional materials such as marble or bronze, the environmental impact has been significantly reduced. The sculpture is made from 100% recycled plastic, which emphasizes the importance of a closed recycling loop for modern art production.

Technically speaking, WASP’s printing technology enables the processing of irregularly shaped and coarse plastic pellets. This is an important step in the further development of additive manufacturing techniques, which increasingly focus on sustainability and the reuse of resources. The sculpture was printed in several parts, which were subsequently joined together and mounted on a lightweight metal frame to ensure stability.

The choice of recycled plastic as the raw material for 3D printing production demonstrates the potential of waste as a valuable resource for innovative manufacturing solutions. The monumental sculpture thus stands not only as an artistic work, but also as a symbol of the urgent need to transform waste into new, useful products. The use of large-format 3D printing and recycled materials marks a further step towards more environmentally friendly manufacturing technologies.