What To Do With 3d Printer Waste

The opportunity for diy repairs especially to everyday items that we might otherwise decide were uneconomic to fix appears enormous.

What to do with 3d printer waste. Abs can produce some very nasty chemicals and fumes so it will nearly always end up in a landfill. It creates new recycling problems but has considerable potential to help prevent waste. Everything 3d printed is ultimately waste. Some have proposed using desktop filament production devices to grind up and re extrude the waste material to create fresh filament and generating a virtuous cycle.

Utlise plant based bioplastics when there is no recycled alternative. Polypropylene pp filament is not commonly used for 3d printing as its semi crystalline nature causes it to warp significantly while cooling. Until such a solution is achieved we will still continue to be the sustainable choice in 3d printing by committing to. Once again abs is the big offender here.

Most 3d printed parts can be recycled in theory but youll struggle to do so curbside. It could even be an outlet for recycled plastics. For the brave few that do print with pp it is recycled in some municipalities contact your local recycling center to find out whether they accept it or not. What to do with solvent waste from finishing your 3d prints.

Unlike the plastics used in fff 3d printing the resins used in sla 3d printing are not inert and are actually a skin irritant in their uncured form. Using recycled material post consumer and post industrial where possible avoid the use of new virgin polymers to reduce energy and demand for raw materials. Recycling 3d prints there are machines currently on the market that you can purchase to chop up your 3d printed waste into tiny bits which can then be fed into an extruder and eject new filament that can be spooled to use in your 3d printer. In general nitrile gloves and isopropyl alcohol will have you covered.

However there are several caveats to consider before making this purchase. Recycle it with the sidewinder.