Rotterdam company 3D prints boats from recycled plastic

The Rotterdam company Tanaruz sells 3D printed boats made from recycled plastics. With a price tag of 15,000 euros for the entry-level model, Tanaruz wants to make pleasure sailing accessible to more people. The company also aims to make pleasure yachts more sustainable by using only reclaimed polymers. At the end of its life, a Tanaruz boat can be shredded to make new boats.

The company offers four different models, ranging from 4.5 to 10 meters in length. They can be personalized and equipped with electric motors, batteries, and solar panes. It takes about two days to print the smallest models.

"With Tanaruz, we want to make pleasure yachts accessible to everyone looking for an affordable, but above all sustainable product," Alex Shifman, the founder of RAW Idea, the startup behind Tanaruz, said to RTL Nieuws. The recycled plastic boats are virtually indestructible but also circular, he said. "If you want a larger boat because your family is growing, we will use your old Tanaruz yacht as raw material to print a new one."

At 15,000 euros, the entry-level Tanaruz model costs about half the price of a traditional boat of the same size, according to the company. Tanaruz wants to lower those costs even further by scaling up production and adding a second location. The company wants to print about 100 boats this year and increase that to 300 boats next year.