Dutch initiative “Precious Plastics” have created great tools to recycle waste plastic. And the best: The tools are open source. Free 3D printing filament, anyone? 

Usually, when someone makes a video about plastic waste, there’s no peppy background music or happy messages. The project Precious Plastic, however, does have a happy story. They want everyone to recycle their own plastic to make incredible new items. And they are providing the blueprints for tools to do that. That’s important, because today, only professional companies have the tools for recycling. 

Whether you want to create something for yourself, produce new items, set up a recycling business, or just help clean up the neighborhood, Precious Plastics wants to make it happen.

Open Source and Readily Available

Precious Plastics kept their plan simple, building an affordable system using readily available parts. No matter where in the world you are located, these basic parts should be available. The machines are also modular, making repairs, upgrades and customization easy. Plus, creative makers will likely find incredible ways to adapt the technology and imagine something new. All machines are made from components, so they can be repaired, customized or replaced.

The machines are also modular, making repairs, upgrades and customization easy. Plus, creative makers will likely find incredible ways to adapt the technology and imagine something new.

Blueprints for a shredder, compressor, extruder and an injection machine are already on Github. The process includes two basic steps, beginning with the shredder. Plastics are first shredded into small flakes. Those flakes can then be used with Precious Plastics DIY extruder to create plastic filament (which you could even use in a 3D printer), or to create items using injectors and molds.

The process includes two basic steps, beginning with the shredder. Plastics are first shredded into small flakes. Those flakes can then be used with Precious Plastics DIY extruder to create plastic filament (which you could even use in a 3D printer), or to create items using injectors and molds.

Not to mention, the recycled plastic looks surprisingly good. Rather than a nauseating swirl of color, Precious Plastics shows that a little bit the mix of color can be used to create incredible designs. As they say, “it’s like being a craftsman in plastic.” Though the project is aimed at everyone around the world, the initiative comes just in time for the 3D printing community. For all the plastics used and the great desire to recycle, few easy and viable solutions exist.

Check out the project page for more on their recycling tools.