Saving the Planet: How to Make Your Own 3D Printer Filament for cheap.

Are you tired of buying overpriced 3D printer filaments from the market, only to contribute to the massive amounts of plastic waste that end up in landfills or oceans? Well, it's time to take matters into your own hands and make your own 3D printer filament at home!

Making your own 3D printer filament is a great way to reduce plastic waste and make a positive impact on the environment.

Climate change is a pressing issue facing our planet today, and as individuals, it’s important that we take steps to mitigate its effects. One way to do this is by using sustainable materials in our 3D printing projects. By making your own 3D printer filament, you can help reduce the number of plastic water bottles and Polyamide caps that end up in landfills or the ocean.

3D printing is an innovative way to do this. You can use your own 3D printer to make your own filament from recycled materials, such as PET water bottles and Polyamide caps.



To start, you will need to collect clean and dry PET water bottles and polyamide caps. These materials can be used to create high-quality 3D printer filament with the help of a hot extruder and a level winder and spooler.

The real challenge is to keep the filament neat and tidy from production moment, and this is where a level winder comes in handy.

A level winder helps spool the filament into a neat, usable coil, but buying an industrial-made one can cost a few thousand dollars.

The good news is that you can make your own for a fraction of the cost. The .STL files to print your own level winder and spooler can be purchased at 3Dmential.com.

All you need is a 3D printer, salvaged laundry wash machine motors, some controllers bought on Amazon/ebay/aliexpress/etc, an arduino board and a bit of hands-on learning.



The first step is to shred the PET bottles and Polyamide caps into small pieces. This can be done using a simple hand-crank shredder or a more sophisticated electric shredder, depending on your resources and budget.

Once the material is shredded, it must be dried for a week in a dessicator for food or a cheap heated clothes drying pod cabinet. This helps remove any residual moisture that might affect the quality of the filament. Once the shredded material is dry, it's time to use your 3D printed level winder spooler to create your own filament. Your level winder spooler will help evenly distribute the material into a spool, making it ready for use in your 3D printer. The .STL files to print your own level winder and spooler can be purchased at 3Dmential.com, making it easier for you to get started. They have a great collection of projects that you can buy and enjoy for far cheaper than buying ready-made products from the industry, probably shipped from China.



By using recycled materials to create your own 3D printer filament, you're not only helping to reduce waste but also reducing the carbon emissions associated with the production and transportation of commercially-made filament. Additionally, by using your own 3D printed level winder spooler, you're also reducing the energy consumption and emissions associated with the manufacture and transportation of commercially-made spoolers.



Not only will making your own 3D printer filament help reduce plastic waste and prevent it from ending up in landfills or oceans, but it will also save you money in the long run. Making your own 3D printer filament is a simple and effective way to reduce your carbon footprint and help save the planet. By reusing materials that would otherwise end up in landfills or the ocean, you can create sustainable 3D printing projects and help mitigate the effects of climate change



It is ironic that while humans have made great technological advancements, they are still relying on public services to do the recycling for them. It is a sad fact that these public services often just landfill everything and tell us they recycled (they want to be re-elected, don't they). It is time for individuals to take responsibility and recycle on their own.

We cannot rely on public services to save the planet. It is up to each and every one of us to do our part in reducing our carbon footprint and making the world a better place. With the use of personally recycled materials, we can reduce waste and reuse what would otherwise end up in landfill.



So, let’s start 3D printing and saving the planet!