3D printing has been touted for its ability to re-shore production and use less overall feedstock than conventional techniques. Discussed less frequently is the technology’s ability to repurpose materials. One 3D printing startup keenly aware of this fact just came out of stealth and is in talks with investors to scale up its operations. But Marvel Labs doesn’t just revitalize waste materials, it captures carbon in the process by 3D printing objects out of biomass.
It sounds like science fiction. Marvel Labs converts disused waste—including seaweed, coffee grounds, and sawdust—and processes it for use in a 3D printing technique called binder jetting. The startup’s machines deposit a bio-based binder across a bed of fine powder layer by layer until the final object is formed. Echoing the company name, the printed items are as marvelous as the nature from which they’re derived.
From 3D Printing Legacy to Environmental Entrepreneur
After serving as head of innovation for new programs at large conglomerates, such as United Technologies (acquired by Raytheon), Marvel CEO Jake Miller decided to apply his expertise to a pressing issue that he was truly passionate about: sustainability. Miller began researching the possibility of 3D printing biomass waste in 2017 before ultimately teaming up with binder jetting veteran Andy Jeffery and co-founding Marvel Labs.
“You know, 3.7 million tons of wet coffee grounds end up in landfills every year. In Mexico, 0.1 million tons of sargassum seaweed washes up on beaches. 15 billion trees are cut down every year and only about 10 billion of them are replaced. We have a net loss of forest every year, and if it keeps going, we’ll run out of trees by 2100,” said Jeffery, the firm’s head of sustainability. “At Marvel Labs, we want not only to do something with that waste, but help regenerate the Earth in the process.”
Capturing Carbon with 3D Printed Biomass
The best part of Marvel’s technology is that all of the materials used in the technique are 100 percent biologically derived, meaning there are no plastics or toxic glues. Among its partners is Carbonwave, a company that is able to convert the excessive seaweed boosted by global warming into a fine powder for Marvel’s binder jetting operations.
“Carbonwave is excited about working with Marvel Labs to unlock low emissions and upcycling opportunities to 3D print with the largest seaweed bloom on the planet, sargassum, in order to create various objects such as bathroom fixtures, furniture, artwork, and more,” said Geoff Chapin, CEO of Carbonwave. “This will allow sargassum-affected areas to turn a liability into assets, quite literally, that are sustainably sourced, prevent methane emissions, and have a far more efficient supply chain.”
Moreover, because the powder is obtained from wasted biomatter, it constitutes the most realizable and sustainable form of carbon capture. While 1,000 machines could feasibly capture 81,000 tons of CO2 per year, this amount increases exponentially with larger machines and more products produced, which is typically the opposite of most manufacturing today. This offsets the 400 million parcels delivered per year in Mumbai.
“Each item we produce will indicate how much carbon has been locked up in that object. That’s carbon that is not going into the atmosphere,” Jeffery said.
Established Partners
Notably, Marvel Labs is entering the market with partnerships already in tow. One deal may see the startup’s technology used to produce home goods at scale with Spanish manufacturer FINSA, who wants to order a fleet of 20 printers. With Laughing Man Coffee & Tea, Marvel is in the process of 3D printing consumer goods made from waste coffee grounds.
“Laughing Man Coffee and the Laughing Man Foundation are super excited to partner with Marvel Labs on what we think is a really revolutionary and game-changing, sustainable technology: reusing coffee grinds with 3D printing to bring about consumer products, on behalf of Laughing Man, such as mugs, travel mugs, and home goods, that are affordable, user-friendly, and sustainable. There’s even the possibility of turning cafes into on-site manufacturing opportunities,” David Steingard, CEO of Laughing Man Coffee & Tea, said of the collaboration. “We’re also excited for the Laughing Man Foundation to look at ways to use this technology across the globe with its coffee farms and partners to bring jobs and opportunities to those areas, as well.”
Re-shoring Production with Digital Manufacturing
Marvel Labs’ ultimate goal is to be able to rely on whatever material makes the most sense in the context of a given region, which may be discarded coffee grounds in the U.S. and cassava in South America.
“It’s not just about what they’re made of. It’s also about how we make them,” Jeffery explained. “There’s very little transportation cost involved with our material because the 3D printing machines are located close to the source of the raw material. Every town has a few coffee shops that generate hundreds of cubic meters of waste coffee grounds. If those materials can be used to make products for that local community, then that reduces the reliance on supply chains to provide raw materials shipped from distant locations.”
Low-cost Mass Production
As promising as this all is in terms of green cred for customers, what may be most surprising about both Marvel’s systems and materials is the cost. As it stands, industrial 3D printers and their feedstock are cost prohibitive for mass production applications. This isn’t the case for the technology that Marvel Labs uses.
Biowaste is already so cheap that some businesses will actually pay you to take it. That alone sees Marvel Labs parts often produced at a lower price than even traditionally made items. As a result, the economics of Marvel Labs’ business are second only to its ability to heal our ecosystem. All that’s needed for Marvel Labs to get these items into the hands of consumers is the necessary capital. For that reason, the startup is in talks with a number of investors who are interested in facilitating the future of production. If all goes according to Marvel’s plans, that future will reflect its own motto: “Local. Sustainable. Manufacturing.”.”
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