There are an estimated 15 million people globally who currently make their living from waste picking and many earn less than a dollar a day. A key problem, says environmental engineer Pai, is that workers only capture a tiny proportion of the value of the waste they collect, separate and transport to scrap dealers. More than 300m tonnes of plastic are produced globally every year, with much ending up in the ocean, in landfill, or on city streets. Protoprint says it currently has 4,000kg of pre-orders, mostly from small- and medium-sized distributors based in the US, UK, Germany and India looking to sample and test the filament. “We have not yet started commercial operations and are working on improving our filament" says Pai. The greatest potential 3D printing offers the developing world is not for the products made, but for “putting the means of production into the hands of the local people”, says Jeremy Faludi, a sustainable design strategy consultant.