06/07/2025
Leotech Successfully Implements “The Circular Economy Pathway to Additive Manufacturing (Waste for 3D Printing)” Workshop in Freetown in Collaboration with the Freetown Innovation Labs and Skills Pool.
From 25 June to 3 July 2025, Leotech successfully conducted the first-of-its-kind “Waste for 3D Printing” capacity-building workshop in Freetown, empowering eight staff volunteers from Leotech, Freetown Innovation Labs, and Skills Pool.
This “Waste for 3D Printing” workshop focused on enhancing participants’ ability to convert waste plastic bottles into 3D printing filament, along with computer-aided design, 3D printing, and business model development within the circular economy. This powerful workshop was more than just training; it was a journey from “Waste to Value”, with Additive Manufacturing serving as the enabling technology.
By bringing together a consortium of local and international experts, this workshop has opened up the possibility of tackling plastic pollution while also developing a local and sustainable supply chain for 3D printing filaments. Acting as a facilitator, the significant technical and equipment support provided by Rasmus Emil Tofthoj, a design engineer from Denmark, contributed substantially to the successful ex*****on of this event. Alongside supplying the 3D printer and accessories, Rasmus brought his extensive experience in product design and Additive Manufacturing, combined with our local facilitator, Alfred Mbayoh, CEO of Leotech, to create a meaningful and practically focused learning experience for the participants.
The host organisation, Leotech, with over five years of experience in building youths’ capacity in Computer-Aided Design, provided the facility and local experts, CAD operators. Mohamed Kamara, Managing Director of the Freetown Innovation Labs, contributed his extensive experience in successful business model development within the circular economy sector, offering participants practical guidance on their strategy for marketing products made from recycled plastic. On behalf of Ali Swazie Bangura, Managing Director of Skills Pool, Shamsu Koroma shared their skills in locally converting waste plastic bottles into 3D printing filaments, a vital consumable that enables additive manufacturing.
The participants have refined their technical skills in utilising circular economy for 3D printing to foster local innovation for regional impact.
We are grateful for the participation and support of everyone who contributed to the success of this workshop.
