ArtCenter College of Design has created a 3D printed machine that recycles plastic water bottles into 3D printing filaments.

Polyformer aims to change the scope of water bottle recycling by providing an easy-to-use and easy-to-build open-source machine.

It is designed to be built with mostly 3D printed parts and easily obtainable components commonly found on 3D printers, with modular architecture that allows users to easily swap out parts and modify the machine to their liking. The unique vertical L shape allows users to easily interact with the machine and also minimises the amount of space that the machine takes up.

By using a slicing tool built with stacked bearings to cut the water bottle into a long and consistent ribbon, the user can then feed the ribbon into the repurposed 3D printer which thermoforms the ribbon into a 1.75mm filament as it goes through the brass nozzle with corresponding hole size. The user can then mount one end of the filament on the red motorised spool to automise the process.

This project has been longlisted in the sustainable design category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

Designer: ArtCenter College of Design

Project: Polyformer