29
votes
Accepted
How to recycle filament material from printed parts?
There are a few options.
Machines are available which grind the used plastic into fine pieces, melt it down, and extrude it as filament to be reused. Filabot is perhaps the most well known.
Depending ...
- 1,503
18
votes
Accepted
Can I mix ABS and PLA when recycling filament?
This is not a good idea. Both filaments have different melting points, that of ABS being much higher than that of PLA. To melt the ABS you have to heat the plastic to the point where the PLA starts to ...
- 14.5k
16
votes
Accepted
What to do with failed/unwanted 3D prints?
The "obvious" answer is re-grinding the prints and making more filament. Unfortunately, this isn't yet a very economical or simple operation. A decent filament extruder capable of holding acceptable ...
- 6,446
9
votes
What to do with failed/unwanted 3D prints?
It will be very difficult to find a recycling facility that will accept your 3D prints, because they're mainly set up to handle packaging material (which constitutes the vast majority of plastic waste)...
- 14.5k
8
votes
Accepted
Making your own filament
Quality depends on 3 things:
Quality of pellets (purity, fillers, color)
Where/how they are stored before and during the extrusion (humidity, contaminants)
Have a filter in your extruder to get rid ...
- 934
8
votes
Using the end of a spool
Weld the fragment to the beginning of a new spool and use it that
way. Most are made from metal so they aren't that easy to make
at home. Here is another answer that lists other methods to
weld ...
- 2,090
7
votes
Uses for PLA scraps
Here is a great article on the subject, How to make your own filament by recycling old 3D prints | Part 1.
At $20/kg for new material, it is going to be hard for recycling to break even; but, if the ...
- 2,412
7
votes
Accepted
Can I really throw failed PLA prints on compost?
This question has been asked on just about every forum out there. Here's one example from filabot.com .
The reality however, is that this process will take several hundred
years in a typical ...
- 2,998
7
votes
How to recycle filament material from printed parts?
If you're more interested in the recycling and reuse aspect than the re-print aspect, you could melt all the scrap filament onto a cookie sheet or into a bar (like in a bread ban). You could then ...
6
votes
Making your own filament
You can basically use any machine that pulverizes your pellets into small pieces.
One guy on 3dhubs, explained it in details.
My conclusion is that you can recycle everything using this data ...
- 701
5
votes
Accepted
Plastic bottles to filament
I am asking if there is a machine that can turn a plastic bottle into usable filament.
I've seen several projects (one example, and another) where plastic bottles are sliced into long tapes, and the ...
- 421
5
votes
Accepted
Using the end of a spool
The welding option is only appropriate if you have the tool needed for it, the lighter welding is really hard to do and if your printer allows it you could just watch for the moment the spool runs out ...
- 163
5
votes
Making your own filament
Producing own filament is a challenging task. I see main pitfall in producing filament so it has same quality as you get in shop. You have to:
constant round-shape diameter
diameter tolerance ±0.05 ...
- 1,911
4
votes
Can I mix ABS and PLA when recycling filament?
Simply put, PLA and ABS should not be mixed into a filament.
The most common issues most printers experience, such as delayering, warping, etc., are addressed completely differently based on the ...
- 441
4
votes
Uses for PLA scraps
I ended up buying a little handheld 3D pen. It comes in handy when printing models that require assembly. You can use the leftover filament in the 3D pen. If you don't have a 3D pen, you can use a ...
- 151
3
votes
Finding a shredder for my failed prints
there is a project called precious plastic and there is a plastic shredder, but it is a rather expensive solution.
As I am waiting for parts for my Lyman extruder, ...
- 1,922
3
votes
Uses for PLA scraps
https://preciousplastic.com/ Is a fantastic project that promotes plastic recycling into useful objects. They offer free blueprints, videos on how to build the recycling equipment, and offer ...
- 31
3
votes
Cleaning IPA with the help of Mercury wash-and-cure?
Based on the frequencies of most UV cure resins, your suggestion has merit. Other factors come into consideration, however.
These illumination devices have a limited life span. Running the UV diodes ...
- 10k
3
votes
What to do with failed/unwanted 3D prints?
At Chaos Computer Club summit in Winter there was a talk from a Maker who recycled by himself.
How can be 3d printing a dual use technology? Print more things, produce less waste, save money!
You can ...
- 250
3
votes
Accepted
Print paper or cellulose - any recyclable filament?
Filament made of Polylactic acid (PLA) is usually made of biological materials (such as corn), and can therefore be considered bio-degradable in most cases.
Whether the filament is 100% bio-...
- 3,947
3
votes
Is it possible to manually 3D print on an uneven surface?
In general, maybe. But you need to have plastics that will bond with each other (so you need to know what the existing surface is) and you need to have a clean unobstructed path for the nozzle to get ...
2
votes
Optimal ratio of fresh to used nylon powder
I currently use the 60/40 recycling mix ratio and find that it works very well. I do however wonder if there is an even more effective ratio in order to recycle used powder. I currently discard all "...
- 21
2
votes
Finding a shredder for my failed prints
I'm in the same boat as you, was contemplating spending $2000 on a shredder, and I was inspired by this RepRap article "Plastic Shredder using Kitchen Blender".
In which someone cleverly ...
- 121
2
votes
Can I really throw failed PLA prints on compost?
TL;DR - No... well, yes you can, but it won't decompose in your lifetime.
Addressing this question fully - from the point of composting, rather than landfill:
From Wikipedia - PLA - End of life:
...
- 5,727
2
votes
Melting 3D printed scraps: Burns up
Plastic in general and 3d printer plastic specifically doesn't really melt so much as get softer in a range of temperatures (in a state refered to as "plastic" rather than liquid). Below ...
- 667
2
votes
Melting 3D printed scraps: Burns up
PLA starts to char at about 220 °C. However, it also starts to soft at about 100 °C and becomes sloopy (and printable!) at 180 °C. Putting the oven to anything above 180 °C will, with the heating ...
- 19.5k
2
votes
Plastic bottles to filament
There are 2 parameters you need to have good control over when printing any filament:
Melting temperature
Diameter
Of these, the melting temperature is directly correlated to the chemical ...
- 19.5k
1
vote
Melting 3D printed scraps: Burns up
Your kitchen oven is for food. I'd strongly recommend using a different heating device for this. Your oven probably has oils in it that are contaminating the plastic, and the plastic will make your ...
- 825
1
vote
Treating PLA (Polylactic acid) plastic to make it biodegradable
You can make it biodegradable but it is very hard you need oxygen a temperature of 140+ degrees and a 2/3 cocktail of organic substrate these are usually absent outside of a industrial composting ...
- 11
1
vote
Print paper or cellulose - any recyclable filament?
Check Green-TEC by extrudr.eu is made from lignin (wood)
or perhaps Algix Dura. They are both bio degradeable.
Green-TEC ist my favorite because of less warping and fast printing.
- 11
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible