Czech company Prusa Research has published an interactive world map of 3D printing waste recycling stations. According to Prusa, workshops and households around the world accumulate a lot of 3D printing plastic that needs to be disposed of. A meaningful solution needs to happen at the local level.
With the “Prusa World Map,” the company aims to inform, connect and identify regional recycling opportunities in collaboration with the open-source Precious Plastic initiative. The map includes small recycling companies from several sources. Some even make their own filament raw material from waste.
Prusa encourages users and recycling station operators to mark their locations on the map. That way, any user can find opportunities near them. According to Prusa, 3D printing waste is a valuable resource for recyclers because of its purity compared to ordinary plastic waste.
Even though the most commonly used material, PLA, is considered biodegradable, Prusa strongly recommends recycling it. But the best solution, he says, is to avoid waste in the first place by printing sparingly. With the interactive map, Prusa wants to establish a decentralized recycling infrastructure.
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