The Washington Open Object Fabricators (WOOF group) has recently created a boat with 3D printing. They had hacked a plasma cutter and attached a makeshift extruder to make it. The material used to create the small one-man boat was #2 HPDE milk jug plastic taken from dumpsters.
The WOOF group had much more than making a boat in mind. WOOF Rocks the Boat (Open3DP), “This technology has great application in many third world countries and islands where plastic processing is limited or, the materials must be shipped off island. However the greatest contribution is not the plastic being reused, but the land and water masses it reclaims turning them from dumping sites to useable spaces and ecosystems.”
With this mentality of environmental stewardship (and proven success), there are many opportunities for this kind of ‘recycled 3D printing’ to occur all over the world. This may just be the next step forward for recycling.