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this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2023
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3DPrinting
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I've believed for a long time that a viable way to do this consistently is the game changing technology that will change the world.
A system where every home has a 3D printer, and beside it, an economical, easy to use recycler that turns your plastic bottles, etc.. into working filament.
Dishes, cutlery, cooking utensils, you name it, could just be recycled in an environmental loop, or used as raw material for a coat hanger or a curtain hook or any other thing made of plastic in our homes.
It would change the world more than 3D printing already has.
I'm not an expert, but plastic degrades. It still needs new plastic in the mix to keep its material properties. Not all plastic is suitable for everything either, and not all can be recycled.
I do agree that it would be awesome, but don't think it's feasible in the near future.
It might become feasible for certain types of plastic. #1 and #2 (PET and HDPE) are easily cleaned and remelted.
ABS can offgas butadiene (the B) and is pretty cancerous.
PVC can lose the Chloride and that’s deadly too.
The polystyrene is too bulky to make sense recycling in low quantities without big compaction equipment. But apparently can be profitable if you can offload the compaction and collection costs to sellers or consumers. Otherwise recyclers don’t touch it.
We really just need to outlaw using most difficult to handle plastics for one time use.
You can at melt polystyrene down with acetone for compact storage and repurpose it as glue. It's an option at least.
Mmmmm VOCs
Cooking on a gas stove produces so many VOCs that any plastic melting will cry in the corner. Yet many people still cook on a gas.