Print me a Landfill (with apologies to The Economist article "Print me a Stradivarius)

http://www.economist.com/node/18114327?Story_ID=18114327&CFID=156180020&CFTOKEN=16372613

The Economist had a very interesting article recently, titled "Print me a Stradivarius" (Ref above). This article explored the new developing technology of "3D Printing" where one could use digital blueprints of components and fabricate them by "Printing" them out on a "3D Printer" or "fabber" similar to a regular desktop printer. While currently limited to products made up of certain types of materials (plastics, resins and metals) the article envisages a time, soon, when one could fabricate a component for your car, a lampshade or a violin. And customize it to your requirements and desire in terms of colour, shape, design etc. While this technology is currently limited to a few hobbyists, academics and workers in a few industrial niches (similar to computers in the 1970's, the article expects the technology to improve and become mainstream soon, as was the case with computers and desktop printing.

I'm thoroughly excited by the prospect of the obvious possibilities this would open up and the benefits in terms of innovations, creativity and the "democratization" of manufacturing and the empowerment it would bring to consumers like you and me. Just like we download opensource software such as "Open Office" and use it when we don't want to pay for the licensed Microsoft version, and just like my nephews download their favourite Music by the thousands of songs on to their MP3 players, one could download the inevitable "Open Source" design for that expensive pair of runners that your kid sees on the shop and "Print it out" at home for the cost if the materials, rather than pay Nike or Reebok the $150 that they sell it at. And one could tweak the colours, and customize it with one's name on it of one liked. One could even start a small "cottage industry" in almost anything. Like  Ranatunga Motor Stores did, in Sri Lanka. They were originally a small motorcycle repair outfit in Borella, Colombo, who discovered they could order small numbers of custom specified motor cycles from a Chinese manufacturer, who would brand it anyway they wished. Hence the now ubiquitous "Ranomoto" brand of motorcycles which are seen in the streets of Colombo.

Personally, I am excited at the prospect of "Printing out" a Ferrari to drop off the kids at their  "away" Soccer game like I currently print out a google map and directions to the venue just before we set off. But what would I do with last week's Ferrari? and the one before that? Or the Rolls I printed out to go for that family wedding last week? And what about the collection of SUV's and 4WD's I printed out because I couldn't decide on which was best?

Would we end up burying ourselves in so much unnecessary junk which we "print out" at every passing whim, purely because we can do it so conveniently? Just like the desktop printer has negated the so-called "paperless society" that computers were supposed to bring about and, instead, created a much higher per-capita consumption (and waste) of paper?