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A small copy of the Eiffel Tower, made from old plastic bottles found in the ocean, has been built near Lake Most in the Czech Republic.  The tower was finished just in time for the Olympic Festival, which starts on July 26, 2024. The organisers want to show how recycled materials can be used in cool ways and to get people excited about the Olympics.

From Ocean Waste to Olympic Wonder

The mini Eiffel Tower stands as high as a four-story building. It was made using 800,000 recycled plastic bottles, which equals 1.3 tons of trash that was cleaned out of the ocean. A Czech company called 3DDen created this amazing structure.

Jan Hrebabecky, the boss of 3DDen, said, “We used special technology to turn ocean plastic into material for 3D printing. We call it OPET. It looks and feels just like normal plastic, but it’s trickier to work with.”

Building Challenges

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The tower is made up of more than 1,500 separate pieces. The 3DDen team spent months figuring out how to work with the recycled plastic. Jan Prindis, who works at 3DDen, explained, “It took us about six months to learn how to use this material. It’s softer than regular plastic but harder to shape.”

The team had to be creative to make sure all the pieces fit together perfectly. They even used different cooling methods to create various shades of gray in the tower.

A Global Effort

While the tower now stands in the Czech Republic, its story begins far away. The plastic used to make it came all the way from the Pacific Ocean. Mr. Hrebabecky shared, “People in coastal areas collect this waste. They get clean drinking water or food in return. Some plastic is sorted right there, and the rest is sent to Switzerland for processing.”

Olympic Spirit by the Lake

The Olympic Festival at Lake Most will run from July 26 to August 11, 2024, matching the dates of the Summer Olympics in Paris. Visitors can try out 52 different sports, watch the opening and closing ceremonies, and cheer for their favourite athletes on big screens.

The mini Eiffel Tower will be a star attraction, reminding everyone of the Olympic host city while also spreading an important message about recycling and protecting our oceans.

To Many More Applications

The 3DDen company usually makes smaller things like wall decorations and sports medals from ocean plastic. This big project shows that recycled materials can be used for much larger and more exciting creations.

As the Olympic Festival kicks off, the mini Eiffel Tower stands as a symbol of creativity, environmental care and the Olympic spirit. It proves that with some imagination, even trash from the ocean can be transformed into a work of art that brings people together.