In accordance with the College of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), the Faculty of Engineering and Utilized Science is taking a step towards advancing campus sustainability, because of the Built-in Educating and Studying Program’s (ITLP) new 3D printing recycling program. The initiative transforms plastic waste from 3D printing into reusable supplies, lowering landfill impression and supporting modern scholar tasks.
The thought originated in an engineering classroom at CU Boulder, the place a scholar staff led by built-in design engineering main Ian Mcleod first explored methods to repurpose failed prints and extra help constructions generated from PLA filament.
With the help of ITLP engineer Kathryn Penzkover, the idea was developed right into a working system and later refined by Eli Put up, an ITLP summer time intern who’s majoring in mechanical engineering. At this time, this recycling course of has been integrated into the ITLP ecosystem, and sheets of this materials are free for college kids to make use of.
The recycling program includes accumulating failed or extra PLA prints, grinding them into small fragments, and utilizing a T-shirt press to flatten the fragments into sturdy flat sheets. These sheets function uncooked materials for laser chopping tasks, providing college students a sustainable different whereas conserving assets.
The undertaking has already earned recognition on campus. The coed staff behind the recycling innovation gained each first place and the Individuals’s Alternative Award within the Pupil Concept Showcase on the 2025 Campus Sustainability Summit. As well as, Put up revealed a step-by-step Instructible, permitting others to copy the method and lengthen its impression past the college.
Additional help for the undertaking got here from the Engineering Excellence Fund, which awarded a grant to assist buy the polymer shredder. The funding offered the staff with a dependable approach to course of PLA waste into uniform fragments, making the recycling workflow extra environment friendly and scalable.
“What excites me most about this undertaking is that this began with college students who noticed an issue and determined to resolve it. By backing their creativity with mentorship and assets, we’re not solely chopping down on waste, we’re exhibiting future engineers that they’ve the ability to drive actual change,” mentioned Kai Amey, director of engineering training and operations for the ITLP. “Incorporating recycled plastic into hands-on engineering training turns what would have been waste right into a shared useful resource for college kids. By making these supplies freely accessible, we’re lowering our environmental impression whereas giving college students new alternatives to innovate and create.”
