Plastic Forest Project Update

Andrew Widner
Post 3 - 2025 : Upcycle Progress
4 Comments

Upcycle progress

For my plastic forest project, I have struggled to find areas where I can source the tree supports from without having to make my own. I have a finalized idea of how I want the model to look, featuring an ascending central location where the tallest tree will be in the middle. Also, I intend to 3D print the text of Plastic Forest using scraps or small leftover filament spools to give it a ‘recycled’ aesthetic. I am actively exploring this recycled aesthetic as well.

Rough sketch of my project

My timeline goes as follows:

  1. Collect as many high quality, unbroken tree supports as possible
  2. Source a piece of plywood to serve as the base of the project.
  3. Print letters using leftover filament spools
  4. Adhere the tree supports to the board in an artistically pleasing manner
  5. Paint (?) still deciding on if I intend to do this

I definitely have not made as much progress on this project as I would like to have made at this point. I really don’t want to have to print tree supports for the sole purpose of this project but if I have to, I willl.

4 Comments. Leave new

  • Mila Bergmann-Ruzicka
    February 9, 2025 10:06 pm

    Hi Andrew,
    This is an interesting project! Maybe you can use some other recycling materials like bottle caps or other plastic usually thrown away in the recycling bin. You could also add some animals to your forest. I think that would be cute. Excited to see how this will turn out. Good luck!

    • Andrew Widner
      February 21, 2025 8:58 pm

      Hey Mila,

      Those are good suggestions! Worth considering. After having worked on the project for a bit I decided it needed a tiny splash of color in the form of a single pink tree support in the “O” of the plastic forest text. I would love to add animals or other creative prints to the project, but sadly I don’t think people would ever really throw these away unless the print failed. Still, a good idea! Thanks for the feedback.

  • Tyler Lloyd
    February 9, 2025 9:22 pm

    Sounds like an interesting project, however, I would have liked to hear more about what your plan is moving forward to meet the final deadline. If it was more in-depth it would help me understand what your scope looks like as well as how you are going to retrieve your materials. Other than that good job!

    • Andrew Widner
      February 21, 2025 9:00 pm

      Hey Tyler,

      Yeah, material collection was a bit difficult. It’s hard to get the message across to people that not only do I need their scrap tree supports, but that I also need them intact. This proved challenging, because folks needing to take extra time out of their day to remove these tree supports gently significantly hinders my chances of getting good supports. Still, the collection process went well overall. Luckily I had quite a few projects going on where I could remove my own tree supports from my own prints, so I was at least able to collect from that! Thanks for the feedback!

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Andrew Widner
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