Shortly after I started the whole 3D printing project, the idea that I was going to be contributing to the plastic problem on the planet came home to roost. Since then, I've been working on the problem, and this beauty is the beginning of the answer.
PLA, or polylactic acid, is a resin made from corn starch. It is marketed as biodegradable, but for that to happen in a decent amount of time (less than years) it needs to be composted under factory conditions. The PLA I've been using to print is in that category. The filament in the picture is a compostable variety that contains a bio compound that makes it degrade much faster than regular PLA. It is made by PolyMaker and is called PolyTerra. PolyMaker plants one tree for each spool of filament sold, and the spool and box are compostable as well. The only flaw is the plastic bag the filament comes in, which is necessary because PLA is hydroscopic, meaning that it absorbs water from the air. I hope PolyMaker can eventually find a compostable solution for that storage issue as well some day.
I'm currently shopping for a composter that will get warm enough (140F) for decomposition to take place. I'm also making friends with Food Services at Ferris. Scott, their manager, also has an interest in a composting program, so we are combining forces to get this project off the ground. He will provide food waste and cardboard, we are planning to contact the grounds department for yard waste, and in the mix will go the extra plastic that is created by mistakes and support material generated during printing. If this filament prints nicely, I'll try to get the Makerspace, the 3D printing lab at Ferris, to start using it, too. In the end, the compost will result in good soil, which we hope to turn into an herb garden for Food Services.
This, plus dumping the two classroom system and taking my vitamins has cheered me right up.
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