3D Printer Filament Reclamation and Recycling

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3D
DALL-E
PLA

Overview of Project 

Motivation

PLA has gained a lot of traction as a compostable, non-toxic bioplastic. It is used in many things, such as eating utensils, medical devices, and as 3D printing material. Despite technically being compostable and biodegradable, it is extremely costly and difficult to, and most ends up as trash waste. UC Berkeley lab spaces throw away lots of PLA as print scraps, misprints, and test prints.

Objective

  • To establish a closed-loop mechanical recycling system for the UC Berkeley campus.

  • To expand the interdisciplinary efforts of sustainability and technology and provide UC Berkeley with economical and viable PLA filament created out of recycled plastic material.

  • Make 3D printing technology more accessible to the community.

Process

Step 1

PLA waste is collected from various campus labs and brought to our granulation machine. This includes failed prints, test prints, and excess scraps.Read more about Step 1

Step 2

The Granulation Team takes these prints and turns them into small plastic pellets using the granulator. They sort the granules by size and color, and dehydrate them to remove any moisture.Read more about Step 2

Step 3

The Extrusion Team takes the granules, and uses an extruding machine to create new filament. To create consistent, viable filament, they test many variables such as melt temperature, extrusion speeds, and cooling methods.Read more about Step 3

Step 4

The Mechanical Testing Team uses a 3D printer to test the mechanical properties of prints using the recycled filament, and compares the results to samples made from virgin filament to maximize the properties of the recycled filament.Read more about Step 4

History

Founding

  • 2016 - Project founded by Nikki Panditi and Scott Silva after receiving funding from The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) as part of the Zero Waste Research Center (ZWRC)

  • 2019 - Collaboration with Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) to bring engineers onto the project, and develop a plan for testing and maximizing recycled filament properties

  • 2020-2021 - In person work on the project was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The team focused on virtual research. ESW disbanded, and the project became fully housed under the ZWRC in SERC. 

  • Current - The team is currently rebuilding after Covid and from the transition from ESW. We are now also working in collaboration with Zero Waste Labs (ZWL) and Citris Labs. The focus is on extruding consistent filament that can be produced at higher rates 

Progress

We currently have a team of 10 working on the project, coming from a wide range of campus departments. Since ESW disbanded, the project has shifted to be more accessible to any majors, and provide an easy way for people with non-technical backgrounds to gain experience in a technical project. We have equipment located in the O’Brien Breezeway, Citrus Labs, and the SERC space. We are working to create a consistent filament that can be scaled up in production, and create a collection and distribution system around campus.

Get Involved

To get involved you can apply through SERC or through Zero Waste Labs. Our team is open to all majors and anyone who is interested in learning more about 3D printing and plastic recycling. 

For more information please feel free to reach out to the current Team Lead, Carissa Loverme, at cmloverme@berkeley.edu. 

Founders and Organizations