Recreator3D turns plastic bottles into filament for a 3D Printer
The Recreator3D is a low-cost DIY Pultrusion Project; tailored to upcycle aging and salvaged 3D printer parts you're already acquainted with, empowering you to construct your very own pultrusion unit.
Help reshape our future's recycling methods, one bottle at a time!
Reduce, Reuse, Recreate…with The Recreator 3D!
https://www.recreator3d.com/Open linkView original on slrpnk.net
5 replies
These are cool, but I highly doubt anyone uses theirs regularly. What we need are makerspace-backed hyperlocal recycling projects. A much more expensive but much more effective method to recycle the same PET bottle would involve a plastic shredder and proper filament extruder. And old 3D prints? Sort them by color and material, they can go through the exact same process. Pulltruders can still be a useful tool, but more for education and spreading awareness than a practical source for filament.
Plenty of folks are using them regularly and the project is just getting started in building awareness. I am currently making one myself. I was also given some sample filament to try out, and plan to share my experience. If anyone wants to see what people are doing with these, definitely check out the discord...
I'm familiar with the other methods of PET recycling you've mentioned, and projects such as Precious Plastic's or Brothers Make, but as you mention, while they are great methods, they are much more expensive and less accessible to everyone.
Doesn't this just ensure you're 3d prints can't be recycled from regular trash pickup?
Indeed, the intention is not to rely on centralized recycling.
You'd use the artme perhaps, if you need to turn your 3D print into something new: https://youtu.be/BT04glGDjB4
Actually most PET bottles dont get recycled anyway (less than 30% in the US), so turning them into something useful yourself is probly better than tossing them in the bin where they'll likely end up in a landfill.