Local start-up turns recycled plastic bottles into blind-box Fortune Merlion collectibles
It took local start-up Unigons some 30 or so recycled plastic bottles to make each of these 3D-printed Merlion collectibles.
SINGAPORE – If you like cute collectibles, but are hesitant about contributing to junk plastic waste, local start-up Unigons has a green concept: Merlion figurines made of recycled plastic bottles in 10 different colourways, all waving their left paws in the style of the Fortune Cat.
For SG60, only 60 pieces of these Fortune Merlion figurines have been crafted. Priced at $118, each 3D-printed Merlion is packaged in a blind box and designed with a pedestal base that doubles as a hidden compartment.
The compartment contains accessories for the Merlion, including six charms engraved with auspicious words in Chinese script, such as wealth and longevity. Any of these charms can be attached to the right paw of the Fortune Merlion.
According to Unigons, each 18cm-tall Merlion required some 30 discarded PET plastic bottles as raw material, many donated by beverage giant Yeo Hiap Seng (Yeo's).
Unigons co-founder Joe Chua, who designed the collectibles, says that PET is among the few plastics that can be recycled into filaments for 3D-printing.
'We used more than 50 3D printers across Singapore and Vietnam for this project, and worked with PlasticTinkers, a local 3D printing start-up,' says Mr Chua, 50.
The first critical step was separating the PET waste from PP, PVC and other plastics, after which the PET waste was then thoroughly cleaned and dried.
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'We added colourants to create custom hues before melting and extruding the plastic into filament suitable for 3D printing. It's not the fastest or cheapest route, but it's the most meaningful one.' he says.
'It adds to the story of each piece.'
Unigons was founded in 2017, with the intent of developing creative technology that prioritises sustainability. The company's early projects include an eco-friendly hand-sanitiser refill dispenser, launched in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Unigons co-founder Joe Chua with some of the 3D-printed Fortune Merlions made of recycled plastic bottles.
PHOTOS: UNIGONS
In the last two to three years, Mr Chua noticed during his travels that European brands had begun to embrace the concept of circular economy in production. He also observed the concurrent boom of blind boxes and collectible toys in Singapore.
'I thought: What if we designed collectibles using recycled PET? With the right design and branding, we could increase the value of recycled plastic from 80 cents to over $50 a kilogram, and in doing so, create a new kind of demand for local recycled material,' he says.
Despite their potential, 3D-printed collectibles – much less those made from recycled plastic – have yet to take off, Mr Chua acknowledges.
'Many discerning collectors tend to shy away from 3D-printed pieces, often associating them with rough, unfinished surfaces and low-quality output,' he says.
But recent innovations in recycling technology have helped to narrow the gap in the quality between recycled and virgin plastic.
'We're seeing recycled PET being used to create smoother, more durable and more detailed products, opening the door for plastic waste to be transformed into high-value, collectible items that people cherish rather than discard,' says Mr Chua.
Some 25 pieces of the Fortune Merlions were printed first, and sold out quickly in an initial 'early bird' drop in mid-June.
Mr Chua says that batch was a testing of the waters. 'We were a little nervous. It was only after the success of this first drop that we went ahead with the remaining 35 pieces.'
Each Fortune Merlion comes with a pedestal base that also stores accessories for the collectible.
PHOTO: UNIGONS
The second drop will be launched at Blaxk by ActionCity in Funan Mall on July 25.
'The beauty of 3D printing is that it gives us this freedom to produce on-demand and avoid waste,' says Mr Chua.
After this first batch of 60 for SG60, Mr Chua anticipates new and different Fortune Merlion designs in the future, with unique twists. 'Maybe a kaya-toast Merlion or one bearing a pair of wings to soar,' he suggests.
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