Plastic Recycling Network towards Affordable 3D Printed Homes

尽管塑料在广泛的应用领域具有丰富而宝贵的优势，但公众对塑料日益增长的依赖已经造成了严重的社会、环境和经济问题。因此，加拿大政府计划到2030年实现零塑料垃圾；然而，这一挑战高度依赖联邦、省和地区政府与公众、学术界和参与其中的行业成员的合作。塑料回收网络(PRN)由一个多学科的教师小组组成，旨在从不同的角度，即技术、环境、管理、社会和政策制定，带头解决塑料废物的全国性问题。该网络包括一个由来自工程学、林业、管理学和心理学的跨学科研究人员组成的团队，他们将与船上的工业合作伙伴共同工作。PRN希望在这笔赠款的有效期内成为塑料废物领域的关键区域和国家支柱，同时吸引外部研究资金，与更多的公司建立联系，帮助地方和国家政府在科学的支持下更系统地管理塑料废物，并通过多种媒体渠道和文化变革倡议成为社会影响者。此外，PRN打算在不列颠哥伦比亚省和加拿大利用回收塑料开发和商业化负担得起的3D打印房屋，从而产生重大的社会、环境和经济影响。革命制度网络成员提供的广泛的专门知识和设施，再加上各种伙伴的参与，将确保这一倡议取得成功。

Despite their abundant and invaluable advantages in a broad spectrum of applications, the rising public dependency on plastics has posed serious social, environmental, and economic concerns. As such, the Government of Canada plans to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030; nevertheless, this challenge is highly reliant on the collaboration of federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in conjunction with the public, academia, and engaged industry members. In concert, the Plastic Recycling Network (PRN) is composed of a multidisciplinary group of faculty members aiming to spearhead the national issue of plastic waste in different perspectives, i.e., technological, environmental, management, social, and policymaking. The network encompasses an interdisciplinary team of researchers from engineering, forestry, management, and psychology, who will work in concert and with onboard industrial partners. PRN envisions to be a key regional and national pillar in the area of plastic waste during the tenure of this grant while attracting external research funding, connecting with a larger number of companies, helping local and national government jurisdictions manage plastic waste more systematically, backed up by science, and being a social influencer through multiple media channels and cultural change initiatives. Furthermore, PRN intends to develop and commercialize affordable 3D printed homes across BC and Canada from recycled plastics, thereby having significant social, environmental, and economic impacts. The broad spectrum of expertise and facilities offered by PRN members in conjunction with the presence of diverse partners would indemnify the success of this initiative.