While the cost of 3D printers has dropped over the years, the cost to supply them with filament “ink” has yet to fall.
Amid concerns about the amount of waste that 3D printed materials contribute to landfills, it seems natural that more eco-friendly and economical solutions would present themselves soon.
Liz Havlin, a Seattle based entrepreneur is working on a project that turns recycled plastic into 3D printer ink. Alongside 3D printer ink, recycled plastic can be used for a variety of different projects, including the likes of gardening and construction. These new recycled objects will prove to be environmentally friendly and help communities in more ways than one. By visiting a website like – https://www.kedel.co.uk/ can help you find the relevant recycled materials for your project so that you can do your bit to help the environment. The 3D printer ink that Liz is working on could prove to be beneficial for a lot of people. The extruder she is working on, known as the “Legacy,” is designed by Hugh Lyman, an 83-year-old designer who holds eight patents and has been building a number of affordable desktop 3D printers. The Legacy extruder allows an 80 percent savings on the material costs. While a spool of plastic filament costs about $50 per kg, buying a kilogram of pellets and extruding your own filament only costs about $10.
Source: 3dprinter.net