New home 3D printer uses plastic bottles as filament

[Justin Kahn]

Plastic water and soda bottles create an enormous amount of waste every year even with all of the alternative options out there. One way to reduce this waste is with innovative upcycling programs that turn the otherwise environmentally harmful waste into something new, and now 3DSystems (3DS) has a new, creative way of doing that.

The Ekocycle 3D printer uses filament made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. The printer itself looks and works much the same as other personal sized 3D printers, but uses filament cartridges known as rPET that contain material from 20 oz. PET plastic bottles. 

The 3D objects created with the partly recycled filament will retain a similar flexibility and durability as traditional options, according to 3DS. From the start there will only be red, black, white and natural colors available, but reports suggest there is a good chance we will see others in the future.

The well known artist and music producer will.I.am is the chief creative officer at 3DS and has teamed up with Coca-Cola to launch the new Ekocycle printer. However, the eco friendly printer is just one part of Ekocycle's goal which is to "partner with the most influential brands around the world and use technology, art, style and inspiration to change an entire culture. We will make it cool to recycle, and we will make it cool to make products using recycled materials," as explained by will.I.am. 

The Ekocycle 3D Printer has a suggested retail price of $1,199, and is expected to start shipping commercially "in the second half of 2014," according to 3DS. 

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/57285-new-home-3d-printer-uses-plastic-bottles-as-filament.html

 

[Guest]

Neat. Too bad you have to buy a cartridge and can't just use old bottles or plastic like in these.

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130...0000-award-for-his-diy-filament-extruder.html

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20140...-turning-old-plastic-into-3d-printer-ink.html

 

[Jad Chaar]

Now what we need is a 3D printer that allows for plastic bottles to be put in and melts them down into usable filament all on the spot.

 

[Wendig0]

When I read the headline, I was hoping for something like the Mr. Fusion reactor that you just put the waste in. I might pay their price for something like that, but they can forget it if I have to buy their filament as well...

 

[Guest]

Great they are trying to literally sell trash to us now. hahahaha. They expect me to separate the trash for them for free and resell me other peoples trash for top dollar and just because it is such a great idea I should pay a premium for a printer that most people have no use for. Do I look like I am 4 and need stupid plastic toys? hahahaha. Also my son can... Wait a minute I have no sun. So I won't need one after all. Dog. He needs bones not stupid plastic toys.

 

[Guest]

I know that this is off topic but what comes right before 55? It is 54.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 dam not enough space. hahahaha

 

[wastedkill]

So not only does it come with a price premium thanks to will I am but you have to fork out for the filament as well....

To me it looks like an advertising stint specially as will I am is in it but also due to the fact it doesnt work as it should so :/

 

[Guest]

Yeah, print a plastic bottle from plastic bottle.

 

[Jad Chaar]

When I read the headline, I was hoping for something like the Mr. Fusion reactor that you just put the waste in. I might pay their price for something like that, but they can forget it if I have to buy their filament as well...

Same... I was expecting it to be like that, but instead it is 25% recycled filament... LAME.

 

[Kibaruk]

Well I won't get into the hate wagon.

I think that it's an amazing idea, hopefully it will atract other industries in the market to acchieve the same in the end improving their prices (Although I'm not sure how expensive it must be to reprocess those bottles and adding the other products to make it usable) benefitting the consumer helping the enviroment and in the end game, benefitting us all.

 

[Guy Gagnon]

This is sweet, we are so close to Star Trek replicators I can taste it!!
With the advent of 3d food printers, now recycled waste printers... Its very very exciting... and somewhat scary... Example: 12yr old hacks printer, makes gun, shoots people.

Thanks for the info Techspot!

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Well I won't get into the hate wagon.

I'll do it for you

Did you see this?

One way to reduce this waste is with innovative upcycling programs that turn the otherwise environmentally harmful waste into something new,

Turning waste into something new is called 'REcycling' If we start calling it 'up'-cycling I'm going to start throwing my soda-bottles in the trash (should we call that downcycle?) and claim I don't understand this upcycling fad.

Clearly this is a sign that I'm getting old and crusty.

 

[Guest]

I have some doubts about this project, hope somebody has an answer, I would like to know what’s the composition of the filaments, is it PET? As is a hard material to extrude, or is the filament made of the PP from the caps? Also how is the process to recover the bottles and transform them into cartridges? Is the packaging of the printer or the cartridges also using recycled material? What exactly do they mean with this 25% post consumer recycled materials?

 

[Kibaruk]

Turning waste into something new is called 'REcycling' If we start calling it 'up'-cycling I'm going to start throwing my soda-bottles in the trash (should we call that downcycle?) and claim I don't understand this upcycling fad.

Clearly this is a sign that I'm getting old and crusty.

Lol! I read it a couple times before I got it, english is not my first language haha, but still...

Well to clarify things a bit there is a major difference, recycling is using the same item for the same purpose, upcycling on the other hand is converting it into something new.

For example, glass bottles, those are used and washed and processed to become usable again, as bottles, this is recycling. To take that bottle and convert it into... don't know, a glass ceiling, that is upcycling.

Yeah I know it's a fad but... it has its sense in it's own way