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this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2024
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How much of the micro plastics from 3d printing make it to the outside? It does make a lot micro plastics, but most people have their printers inside. Do we know if most of that plastic makes it outside? Or is just contaminating the homes of people who 3D print.
Or is this like one of those, it's bad so there is no acceptable degree of usage?
With the amount of open bed, cheaper printers, a lot. Keeping them inside does not prevent them from entering the environment. As well we need to breath to start with, so airflow will take it outside. Add vacuum cleaning and waste disposal. Unless the plastics are trapped and melted into larger clumps. They get into the environment. This is why they are so dangerous.
Even with enclosed printers. Unless very well filtered and some plan for disposal of that filter that prevents this. It's just an extra delay.
Some plastic types are better than others. And I honestly think development of thermo plastic replacements is better than stopping 3d printing.
there are some PLA derivatives designed to compost quickly, PLA itself will probably compost faster than most other plastics, not that that's a very high bar
You never take your trash out? Also those microplastic go everywhere. Stick to your clothes your shoes…