Alexei Volkov
Plastic is one of the most harmful byproducts of human consumption, and it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. As of 2015, only 9% of plastic waste was recycled, with the majority of the 300 million tons of plastic produced every year going un-recycled. To combat this, several technologies have been developed to allow people to recycle plastic at home, including the Precious Plastic system, which uses a set of open-source, easy-to-build tools to recycle plastic and manufacture new plastic products. With these tools, people are finding creative ways to recycle plastic waste into valuable products, such as decorations, toys, and household items.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| DIY plastic recycling machines | Precious Plastic, an organization that designed machines to recycle plastic and manufacture new plastic products |
| The plans for the machines are open-source and can be built inexpensively with accessible materials like wood or metal | |
| Machines can chop up and shred clean plastic refuse into scraps | |
| Other machines heat and reuse plastic by squeezing it into filament for 3D printers, injecting it into a mold to form small objects, or compressing it into a mold to make larger items | |
| Other DIY recycling systems | Water recycling systems that use filters to clean water and make it suitable for reuse |
| Converting plastic bags into usable yarn | |
| Turning old batteries into energy storage systems | |
| Turning coffee grounds into biodegradable planters for houseplants | |
| Upcycling plastic bottles into toy cars, watering cans, scoopers, or sub-irrigated planters | |
| Distributed recycling and additive manufacturing (DRAM) | Households can recycle their own plastic waste using 3D printers, recyclebots, and fused filament and particle 3D printers |
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What You'll Learn
Build-it-yourself home recycling systems
Plastic is one of the most harmful byproducts of human consumption, and it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. The majority of the 300 million tons of plastic produced annually is not recycled, and most recycling occurs in factories on an industrial scale. However, there are now several technologies that allow people to recycle plastic at home and create new products, such as decorations, toys, and household items.
One such technology is the Precious Plastic system, founded by Dave Hakkens. The system includes four appliances: one chops up and shreds clean plastic refuse into scraps, and the other three heat and reuse the plastic. The plastic scraps can be squeezed into filament for 3D printers, injected into a mold to form small objects, or compressed into a mold to make larger items. Precious Plastic has made the plans for these machines open to the public, and they can be built inexpensively with accessible materials such as wood or metal.
Another approach to recycling plastic at home is distributed recycling and additive manufacturing (DRAM). DRAM involves using shredders, recyclebots, and 3D printers to recycle and create new products from plastic waste. DRAM has been shown to work with a wide range of plastics, including the two most popular 3D printing plastics, ABS and PLA, as well as PET water bottles. With a desktop 3D printer, consumers can create their own products at a fraction of the cost of conventional consumer products, and the return on investment is even higher when using recycled plastic.
In addition to these technological solutions, there are also many creative ways to recycle plastic at home without specialized equipment. For example, plastic bottles can be reused as watering cans, planters, or scoops, or they can be cut into narrow strips and turned into yarn for crafts or plastic-woven goods. Laundry detergent bottles can be used to build toy cars, and old coffee grounds can be mixed with flour and water to create biodegradable planters for houseplants.
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Distributed recycling and additive manufacturing (DRAM)
The majority of the 300 million tons of plastic produced annually is not recycled. Typically, recycling occurs on an industrial scale in factories using costly equipment. However, the open-source movement has played a pivotal role in fostering distributed recycling and additive manufacturing (DRAM). This movement has made designs and technologies accessible, empowering individuals to build their own recycling systems and manufacture new products from recycled materials. Precious Plastic, for instance, provides instructions for constructing full recycling workshops within shipping containers and offers a map to connect the DIY recycling community.
DRAM is a process that integrates recycling and manufacturing at a local level, harnessing advanced technologies to transform plastic waste into valuable items. This approach offers both economic and environmental advantages. By promoting local production from recycled materials, DRAM reduces waste, fosters a circular economy, and mitigates the environmental impact associated with conventional manufacturing.
Key technologies in the DRAM ecosystem include recyclebots and 3D printers, which can process a diverse range of thermopolymers and plastics. These devices facilitate the direct conversion of plastic waste into usable products. For instance, shredded PET from water bottles can be utilised to print face shields. The global additive manufacturing market is projected to expand significantly by 2027, underscoring the growing adoption of these technologies.
The DRAM approach also encourages a culture of "prosumers," who produce what they need from waste materials. This reduces the demand for virgin plastic production and minimises the carbon footprint associated with traditional manufacturing processes. The economic incentive for DRAM is substantial, with consumers saving significantly by fabricating plastic products themselves. For example, users of MyMiniFactory reported savings of over US$4 million in a single month on a few toys.
While DRAM presents a promising path towards a circular economy, scaling up is essential to address the plastics problem comprehensively. This entails increasing the production of recyclebots and direct extrusion machines, similar to the widespread adoption of filament 3D printers. Additionally, further research and development are needed to optimise the recovery and preparation stages of the DRAM chain.
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Turning plastic bags into yarn
Plastic yarn, or "plarn", is a great way to upcycle plastic bags into something beautiful and useful. You can make plastic yarn by following the below steps:
First, you need to prepare the bag. Flatten the bag so that the side gussets are folded out and the sides are straight, forming a rectangle. Trim the bag, removing the top of the bag where the handles are, and the bottom above the seam. You should be left with a tube. Fold your bag in half so that the closed sides are together, and cut up from the bottom folded edge of the bag in 1-inch strips. Make sure to stop about an inch from the top edge—if you cut all the way up, you will have a very skinny tube. Once you're done, unfold your bag and spread it out.
Now, you can cut the bag into strips. There are two methods for this: the spiral method and the "slit skirt" method. For the spiral method, turn the bag so one of the open sides is on top and the other is below. Pick a starting point at one of the side seams, and cut diagonally in a single layer of the bag to a depth of 1/2 to 1 inch (or your desired strip width). Continue cutting around the bag, moving in a spiral, taking care to keep the strip the same width. For the "slit skirt" method, follow the same instructions as you would for making t-shirt yarn. While cutting the bag in either of these manners, you may find it easier to work with the bag over your knee or with a piece of cardboard between the bag layers. This will help ensure you're only cutting through one layer at a time.
Once you've got your continuous strip cut, wind your new plastic yarn into a ball, and you'll be ready to knit, crochet, or craft with it! You can follow any pattern that calls for yarn with plarn instead. Craft a coupon pouch, braid a bracelet, crochet a bowl, or even knit a bag for holding plastic bags.
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Making toys from old laundry detergent bottles
Plastic is one of the most harmful byproducts of human consumption, and it is important to recycle it. While there are machines that can recycle plastic, they are not easily accessible to the average person. However, there are many ways to upcycle old plastic items, such as laundry detergent bottles, and turn them into toys.
One idea is to create a toolbox for children. Cut out the spout section of a large detergent bottle and paint it to match your child's tool shed. The lightweight bottle will be easy for them to carry around, and they can fill it with their tools.
You can also make a bubble refill station for kids. Simply clean out an empty laundry detergent bottle and let your children refill their smaller bubble bottles using the spout. You can even make your own bubble solution to go with the station.
Another idea is to create a birdhouse. Cut a small 2-3 inch hole in the side of the bottle, leaving the cap on. You can hang this from a tree by the handle and even decorate it to look like a little stone house.
Detergent bottles can also be used to make hanging planters. Cut off the top and then cut slightly down the front. Use the handle on the back to hang it on a wall, or run a bar through a few and hang them together.
Finally, you can make a simple boat toy by cutting off the top half of the bottle, leaving as much of the handle as possible. Decorate the boat with permanent markers, and add a crow's nest with a laundry detergent cap and a stick. Provide corks to make swimmers for the boat.
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Recycling coffee grounds into biodegradable planters
Plastic is one of the most harmful byproducts produced by humans. While recycling plastic usually happens at an industrial scale, there are ways to recycle plastic at home. One such way is through the Precious Plastic system, which includes four appliances: one that chop ups and shreds clean plastic refuse, and three others that heat and reuse the plastic by reshaping it.
Another way to help tackle the plastic waste problem is to reduce the demand for new plastic. This can be done by recycling used coffee grounds into biodegradable planters. This process is simple, fun, and ideal for kitchen herbs that can be planted in your garden.
To make your own biodegradable planter, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 cup of coffee grounds
- 1/2 cup of water
- Biodegradable flower pot
- Plastic container
First, add the flour and coffee grounds to a container and stir until the mixture is light brown and even. Next, add water in small amounts and stir until the mixture has a muddy texture. Then, coat the biodegradable pot with the mixture, making sure to leave no gaps. Flatten the top (the pot's bottom) so that the pot won't tip over.
Your planter is now ready for the oven! Bake the pot for 40 minutes at 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit). The final product should be sturdy and water-resistant. If you would like full water resistance, you can apply a biodegradable varnish layer on the inside.
Now you can use your environmentally-friendly planter to start growing seeds!
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Frequently asked questions
DIY plastic recycling is the act of using tools and machines to recycle plastic into new products at home, rather than sending plastic waste to be recycled at an industrial scale.
Plastic is one of the most harmful byproducts of humans and has a negative impact on the environment. By 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. Recycling plastic can help to reduce this impact.
There are several machines and tools available to recycle plastic at home. Precious Plastic, for example, is a set of open-source, easy-to-build tools that can be used to recycle plastic and manufacture new products. The system includes four appliances: one that chop ups and shreds plastic refuse, and three that heat and reuse the plastic by moulding it into new products.
Recycled plastic can be used to make a wide range of products, including decorations and gifts, home and garden products, accessories, shoes, toys, and sporting goods.
There are several online resources that provide instructions and tips for building your own plastic recycling system at home. Precious Plastic, for example, provides open-source plans for their machines that can be built inexpensively with accessible materials.
