A group of Ukrainian medical students has developed a way to transform recycled plastic into valuable medical equipment using 3D printing technology. The team, working under the name Alium, creates dental training blocks and other medical tools from plastic waste that would otherwise pollute the environment.

The project began when 19-year-old Anastasiia's medical school plans were interrupted by the war with Russia. She and fellow students Olha, Myroslava, Anna, and another Anastasiia joined UNICEF's UPSHIFT Start program to launch their recycling initiative. Their innovation addresses both environmental concerns and medical supply shortages in Ukraine, where factory-made equipment can be expensive and difficult to obtain.

Medical associations and universities have already expressed interest in expanding the project. The students have printed parts for centrifuges, lamps, and microscopes, and are now working on anatomical bone models. By turning common plastic bottles into filaments for 3D printing, they're creating affordable alternatives to costly medical equipment while reducing the 57 million tons of plastic waste produced globally each year.