We’ve heard of plastic bottles being turned into beanies, jeans and even a house. Now, with this new 3D printer, you can make just about anything you want from the environmental menace.
The Ekocycle Cube 3D printer from 3D Systems uses filament made in part from recycled PET bottles. From it, the printer can make items such as bracelets, cellphone cases, shoes, and whatever these awesome-looking things are. So far, the filament comes in red, black, white and natural (with reports saying more colors will be coming in the future).
Musician and producer will.i.am, the chief creative officer at 3D Systems, teamed up with Coca-Cola to launch the printer, which will retail for $1,199 later this year.
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While price tag may be a bit much, the Black Eyed Peas band member says this is just the beginning of eco-friendly printing technology.
“We will make it cool to recycle, and we will make it cool to make products using recycled materials,” he said. “This is the beginning of a more sustainable 3D-printed lifestyle. Waste is only waste if we waste it.”
He clearly has a point. The plastic bottle is so ubiquitous that the average American home probably has a few lying around the house right now. According to CleanAir.org, 2.4 million tons of PET plastic is discarded a year, with 75 percent going to the landfills.
So whether you’re turning your bottles into bracelets or tossing them in a bin to be reused in some other fashion, please find a way to recycle every single one.
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