Halifax e-NABLE Branch Recycling Plastic Weed Container Lids into 3D Printed Prosthetic Limbs
Boudreau said, “This project really resonated with me because it’s the perfect marriage between health and tech.”

Isabella, from Nosara, Costa Rica, received a 3D printed prosthetic hand from Kindness3D. [Image: Kindness3D]
But Boudreau’s work to provide 3D printed prosthetics is now dovetailing with another passion – recycling plastic waste from what he refers to as the “excessive cannabis packaging conundrum” of the NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation), the province’s legal cannabis distributor.
Boudreau said, “There’s no real plan in place for how much waste is being put through the NSLC.”
Recently, Canada became the first major world economy to legalize recreational marijuana. But many customers in Nova Scotia are criticizing the NSLC for using excessive packaging for the product. Cannabis guidelines for Health Canada say that the packaging must be tamper-proof, child-resistant, and prevent contamination.
While the white plastic containers that Canada’s pot comes in do meet these guidelines, some consumers say they are environmentally unfriendly and not able to be recycled. Boudreau says that all of the lids will eventually end up in landfills…so he’s taking action.Just like the Million Waves Project uses recycled ocean plastic to make 3D printed prosthetic limbs, Boudreau and Kindness3D want to use these plastic pot container lids to make 3D printed prosthetics for kids.
“We just noticed that there was an obscene amount of waste. To me it seemed incredibly wasteful. It was actually frustrating for me as a consumer,” Boudreau said.
He first got the idea to recycle the plastic cannabis lids into plastic for 3D printed prosthetic limbs when customers asked him if he could help with the waste problem.
“We jumped on board, noticing that there wasn’t really a plan in place to deal with this kind of waste. It’s something we’re really excited about,” Boudreau said. “We’re doing our part to kind of help out and as well repurpose this packaging and create some artificial limbs from it.”

Lizzy Brown of Kindness3D holds up an empty cannabis package at the recent workshop in Halifax. The group is asking Haligonians to drop off the used caps from cannabis packaging at various spots around the city for them to be shredded and turned into 3D printed prosthetics. [Image: Fadila Chater, Star Metro]

Boudreau hopes to use the lids of cannabis containers to make prosthetic limbs. [Image: CBC, Kindness3D]
But, according to NSLC spokesperson Beverley Ware, the corporation has not been contacted by Kindness3D yet…maybe it’s waiting to get a certain number of signatures first?
Ware is also requesting that customers continue to follow the recycling programs already set up in their communities.
Ware explained, “We do not recycle bottle or cans and don’t have the room in our stores to provide such a drop-off service or the infrastructure to deliver products for recycling.”
I hope this recycling initiative by Kindess3D doesn’t turn into some kind of legal battle. I understand that there are rules for a reason, and maybe the infrastructure doesn’t allow for this sort of program just yet. But the non-profit is trying to do a very noble thing in both recycling large amounts of wasteful plastic and providing 3D printed prosthetics to the people who need them most, so I hope that everything will work out in the end.
What do you think about this? Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
Print Services
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
You May Also Like
Daring AM: 3D Printing Antennas, Factories, and Rockets in Space
From 3D printed antennas rising 100,000 feet above Earth to futuristic orbital factories and metal parts made in space, 3D printing is reshaping how we build for space. In three...
New Tech Transmits 3D Printing Granules in Microgravity
Researchers from the University of Glasgow have secured a patent for an in-space microgravity 3D printing technology. The patented invention employs a conveyor-based system to transport granulate material for fused...
Flexibility Is the Bottom Line: Touring the Visitech Americas DLP Light Engine Factory
Visitech, a leader in optics for digital light processing (DLP) and powder bed fusion (PBF), recently expanded its footprint in the U.S. with a new factory in Allen, Texas. This...
3devo’s Filament Maker TWO Advances Custom 3D Printing Filament Production
The Dutch firm 3devo has been producing compact filament makers for several years, establishing their devices as mainstays for polymer and filament companies worldwide. The 3devo machines enable these companies...