3D Shoes 3D Shoes
  • News
    NewsShow More
    Digital render of Syntilay’s AI-designed space sneaker glowing in holographic display
    Cosmic Kicks: Why Reebok’s Joe Foster Is Betting on the First Shoe Designed in Space
    June 28, 2025
    Panoramic view of Koobz’s Ventura 3D‑printing farm with multiple printers running in parallel.
    Koobz Raises $7.2 Million: How an 800‑Printer “Sneaker Factory” Could Kick‑Start the 3D‑Printed Footwear Revolution
    June 25, 2025
    Array of low-temperature 3D-printed glass test shapes created at MIT Lincoln Laboratory
    Low-Temperature 3D-Printed Glass: MIT’s Inorganic-Composite Ink Revolution
    June 23, 2025
    adidas Is Dropping A Laced Version Of The Climacool
    Adidas Climacool Laced 2025 Release: What You Need to Know Before Buying
    June 20, 2025
    Close-up of Faith Kipyegon adjusting the Nike FlyWeb bra, highlighting open TPU mesh texture.
    Game-Changer or Gimmick? Can Nike’s 3D-Printed FlyWeb Bra Really Revolutionize Women’s Running?
    June 14, 2025
  • Design
    DesignShow More
    adidas Is Dropping A Laced Version Of The Climacool
    Adidas Climacool Laced 2025 Release: What You Need to Know Before Buying
    June 20, 2025
    Side profile of the red 3-D-printed Nike Air Max 1000 prototype
    Nike Air Max 1000 vs Adidas 4DFWD 3: Can Either 3‑D‑Printed Sneaker Survive 500+ Miles?
    June 16, 2025
    A pigmented O° shoe featuring a black 3D-printed structure overlaying a grey textile base layer Image: Courtesy of OXMAN
    OXMAN’s O° Platform: Pioneering 100% Biodegradable 3D-Printed Footwear
    January 29, 2025
    The First AI Shoe
    Stepping into the Future: Reebok’s Co-Founder Teams Up with Young Innovator to Revolutionize Footwear through AI and 3D Printing
    January 23, 2025
    CamperLab’s Tossu Shoe Gets an Update From Mr. Bailey’s Concept (K)
    CamperLab x Mr. Bailey’s Tossu Shoe – A Design Revolution
    December 17, 2024
  • Trends
    TrendsShow More
    High-resolution collage featuring five popular running shoes — Nike Invincible 4, HOKA Bondi 9, ASICS GEL-Nimbus 27, New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v4, and Adidas 4DFWD — recommended for an EPU 45 midsole upgrade.
    5 Running Shoes That Need Carbon’s EPU 45 Foam (But Probably Won’t Get It Yet)
    June 10, 2025
    Sean Wotherspoon's Sean Double U
    One Pair, One Purpose: The Philosophy Behind Sean Wotherspoon’s Dual Silhouettes
    June 9, 2025
    Digital collage of 10 recycled sneakers from top brands in 2025, showcasing eco-friendly materials like ocean plastic, algae foam, and knit uppers
    10 Shoe Brands Turning Trash into Trend: The Rise of Recycled Footwear in 2025
    June 4, 2025
    Close-up of Adidas 4D-printed midsole showing breathable lattice structure
    Are 3D-Printed Shoes Worth It in 2025? What Sneaker Brands Don’t Want You to Know
    June 2, 2025
    Formlabs Form 1 desktop SLA/DLP printer building a small test geometry
    Photosensitive PEEK: Build 250 °C, Space‑Grade Parts on a Desktop DLP Printer
    May 26, 2025
  • Recommended Picks
    Recommended PicksShow More
    High-resolution collage featuring five popular running shoes — Nike Invincible 4, HOKA Bondi 9, ASICS GEL-Nimbus 27, New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v4, and Adidas 4DFWD — recommended for an EPU 45 midsole upgrade.
    5 Running Shoes That Need Carbon’s EPU 45 Foam (But Probably Won’t Get It Yet)
    June 10, 2025
    Anycubic Wash & Cure 3
    Budget vs. Premium: Which Wash & Cure Station Is Right for You in 2025?
    June 5, 2025
    CAD for kids course review covers a 16-week program taking learners from CAD sketch to 3D-printed model, summarizing projects, skills and required tools.
    CAD for Kids – Build, Create & Learn — Our Full Project-Based Review
    May 8, 2025
    Best Subscription Boxes for Moms This Mother’s Day (2025 Gift Guide)
    🎀 Best Subscription Boxes for Moms This Mother’s Day (2025 Gift Guide)
    April 29, 2025
    3D Printing from Zero to Hero in Blender – FDM & MSLA - Course Review
    3D Printing from Zero to Hero in Blender – FDM & MSLA: Build, Create & Learn — Our Full Project-Based Review
    April 12, 2025
Reading: Reiten Cheng and Swaleh Owais designed the Polyformer to achieve two goals: to tackle plastic waste and figure out how to turn it into low-cost filament for 3D printing
Fuel Our Steps
Font ResizerAa
3DSHOES.COM3DSHOES.COM
  • News
  • Design
  • Recommended Picks
  • STL Files
Search
  • Home
  • News
  • Design
  • Recommended Picks

Vivobarefoot announces partnership with Circ to work on chemical recycling for circular footwear

R_Shoes R_Shoes June 26, 2024
5.9kLike
4kFollow
3.7kPin
3.7kFollow
  • Home
  • About
  • STL Files
  • Contact
© 2024 3DSHOES.com. All Rights Reserved.
3DSHOES.COM > News > News > Reiten Cheng and Swaleh Owais designed the Polyformer to achieve two goals: to tackle plastic waste and figure out how to turn it into low-cost filament for 3D printing
News

Reiten Cheng and Swaleh Owais designed the Polyformer to achieve two goals: to tackle plastic waste and figure out how to turn it into low-cost filament for 3D printing

R_Shoes
Last updated: June 27, 2024 1:59 am
By R_Shoes 4 Min Read
Share
SHARE

Machine Recycles Plastic Bottles into 3D Printer Filament–And the Design was Released, Instead of Patented.

James Dyson Sustainability Award winners

The mission of the James Dyson Award is simple: Design something that solves a problem.

No one will be surprised, then, that the Polyformer machine won a grand prize because it expertly solves two problems at once.

The young co-inventors, Reiten Cheng and Swaleh Owais, designed the Polyformer to achieve two goals: to tackle plastic waste, and figure out how to turn it into low-cost filament for 3D printing, which would be a boon for developing countries.

3D printer filament can be a costly purchase for many creators and hobbyists, but this is particularly true for those who live in developing countries—where plastic waste is plentiful.

Owais, who studied at McMaster University in Canada, said the cost of importing a standard roll of 3D printer filament into Rwanda was retailing for over $60, whereas the same 1kg / 2.2-lb roll can be purchased in Canada for a fraction of that price.

The Polyformer machine can convert a standard 500ml plastic bottle (1/2 quart size) into 3/4 ounce of print filament (20 grams).

Another fantastic part of this story is the fact that Polyformer’s design itself is an open-source project. Instead of applying for a patent, Cheng and Owais released all the CAD, code, and building instructions, offering it to the public on the team’s discord website, so anyone can put it together.

 

“We want people from around the world to be able to access Polyformer, which is why we’ve made it open to all,” said Cheng, who studied in California at the ArtCenter College of Design. “We’ve also designed it so that you can use a 3D printer to print many parts of the machine, or if desired, purchase the parts as needed.”

There are about 1,500 people inside the Polyformer community around the world, and about 30+ machines that have been built in countries like Rwanda, Argentina, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, Canada and the USA.

Using the custom bottle cutter mechanism, the user cuts a plastic bottle into a continuous strip, which is then fed into the Polyformer extruder. After the filament is extruded from the nozzle, it is cooled and wrapped around the spool, which can then be inserted into any FDM 3D printer.

Sir James Dyson, the Founder and Chief Engineer at Dyson who reinvented the vacuum decades ago, chose the award winners himself.

“By turning used plastic bottles into 3D printer filament, Polyformer helps reduce the amount of waste going to landfill,” said Dyson. “Their idea will provide new opportunities for other inventors to prototype their ideas using 3D printing.”

 

James Dyson Award

The Polyformer team will use their prize money of $40,000 to deploy several Polyformers at their partner maker-spaces in Rwanda. With these machines, local students, designers and makers will have access to low-cost 3D printer filament, all while keeping plastic bottles out of potential landfill.

“James Dyson is a personal hero to both of us,” said Cheng. “We have been actively following the James Dyson Award for our entire academic career, and are keen to follow in his footsteps of designing elegant and useful products”

WATCH their invention turn a bottle into filament…

 

 

SOURCE: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/machine-recycles-plastic-bottles-into-3d-printer-filament-and-the-design-was-released-instead-of-patented/

Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link

Stay Up To Date!

Sign up for 3DShoes.com's mailing list where you will stay up-to-date with latest trends, drops, and more.

loader

PixelCrafted banner ad bold headline ‘Websites That Sell’, tagline ‘Custom WordPress builds that convert’, button ‘Get a Free Mockup’.

Trending

Smart Self-Powered 3D Printed Scaffolds Could Revolutionize Bone Defect Repair

Based on the research article: Li, B., Ma, Y., Fatima, K., Zhou, X., Gu, X.,…

March 25, 2025

HOUSE OF ERRORS Link With ALIVEFORM For 3D-Printed Sneaker

With their newest initiative in conjunction with the sustainable Japanese company ALIVEFORM, the UK-based streetwear…

March 27, 2023

Influential Sneakers Of The Decade

The past 10 years have brought some of the most advanced and necessary footwear innovations…

January 1, 2020
5.9kLike
4kFollow
3.7kPin
3.7kFollow
Innovation & Trends

One Pair, One Purpose: The Philosophy Behind Sean Wotherspoon’s Dual Silhouettes

Sean Wotherspoon's Sean Double U

From curating vintage treasures on Melrose to reinventing sustainable sneakers, Sean Wotherspoon doesn’t just design shoes—he crafts cultural moments. His celebrated collaborations with adidas, Gap, and Porsche have consistently merged…

R_Shoes June 9, 2025

Your may also like!

Digital render of Syntilay’s AI-designed space sneaker glowing in holographic display
News

Cosmic Kicks: Why Reebok’s Joe Foster Is Betting on the First Shoe Designed in Space

R_Shoes June 28, 2025
Panoramic view of Koobz’s Ventura 3D‑printing farm with multiple printers running in parallel.
News

Koobz Raises $7.2 Million: How an 800‑Printer “Sneaker Factory” Could Kick‑Start the 3D‑Printed Footwear Revolution

R_Shoes June 25, 2025
Array of low-temperature 3D-printed glass test shapes created at MIT Lincoln Laboratory
News

Low-Temperature 3D-Printed Glass: MIT’s Inorganic-Composite Ink Revolution

R_Shoes June 23, 2025
adidas Is Dropping A Laced Version Of The Climacool
DesignNews

Adidas Climacool Laced 2025 Release: What You Need to Know Before Buying

R_Shoes June 20, 2025
loader

Our website stores cookies on your computer. They allow us to remember you and help personalize your experience with our site.

Read our privacy policy for more information.

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About
  • STL Files
  • Contact

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy (EU)
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions

Socials

Follow US
Crafted with love by PixelCrafted.Dev ❤
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Stay Up To Date!

Sign up for 3DShoes.com's mailing list where you will stay up-to-date with latest trends, drops, and more.

loader

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner
AdBlock Detected
Our site is an advertising supported site. Please whitelist to support our site.
Okay, I'll Whitelist
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?