‘Desk-top extruder’ for every-day plastics

United States – US start-up venture Filabot has launched itself on to the recycling scene with a gadget that taps into the 3D printing trend as well as the rise of sustainability. The Filabot Reclaimer constitutes a ‘desk-top extruding system’ that can grind and recycle various types of plastics into special ink for 3D printers.

Complete with carbon filters and a laser-cut control panel, the Filabot can process PET bottles, water pipes, trays, Lego, packaging and biodegradable materials, ultimately yielding spools of ink or plastic filament. ‘That means the machine can turn most plastic waste you might have around your house into a building material,’ says the device’s inventor Tyler McNaney, a senior student at Vermont Technical College. Plastic filament may occupy a niche market, he acknowledges, but the material still represents quite a problem as it is expensive and not reusable.

Following substantial, positive feedback in the USA where the Filabot Reclaimer is being hailed as a ‘game-changer’, an initial run of the green gadgets has been produced.

For more information, visit: www.filabot.com