# 3D Printing > 3D Printer Parts, Filament & Materials >  Save Crazy Money Turning Milk Containers to Filament for 3D Printers

## Brian_Krassenstein

Recent research indicates that by using an ordinary office paper schredder and then a filament extruder, those wishing to, can create 3D printer filament from empty milk bottles for just 10 cents per Kilogram.  Compared to prices of $30-$40 per kilogram of filament, charged by various companies, this is a discount in excess of 99.7%.  Sure, the quality of the prints will not be as detailed, and some shrinkage may take place while cooling, but overall the prints do come out fairly accurate.  More details on this research can be found here: http://3dprint.com/7069/3d-printer-filament-milk/ 

What do you guys think?  Would you consider making your own 3D printer filament with milk containers? What implications does this have for 3rd world countires and those in poorer areas of the world?

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## Mjolinor

I think it would be a breakthrough indeed to make filament from my milk containers. My milk comes in glass bottles.  :Smile: 

Seriously though I would do this, definitely. I have been intending to make an extruder for a month or two and will get round to it eventually.

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## kennycoulter

I love this idea..... this is the best possible situation, and would only have the small 'footprint' of the plastic fumes from turning into filament (plus electric for the shredder).

regarding quality, aren't milk jugs made from PET+ (?)  as long as you are able to optimize your filament extruder, you should be able to have quality prints, equal to your experience on any other material (learning curve).

sorry for any inaccuracies, I may be too hopeful.

(I RE-READ.  HDPE MADE)

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## Nomadd_UK

Hi all,

This is something I have been looking at with great interest of late.  However, no-one has (as yet) published the exact method required to make the device for recycling bottles into filament.  I would LOVE to do this as part of the projects I am currently working on.  If anyone knows where I can get detailed methods including parts list then please let me know.

I have already purchased a cross cut shredder and have a reasonable cache of milk cartons... just need the method.

Thanks!

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## LambdaFF

What does your shredder look lie ? What is the size of the shredded output ?

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## Wolfie

> Hi all,
> 
> This is something I have been looking at with great interest of late.  However, no-one has (as yet) published the exact method required to make the device for recycling bottles into filament.  I would LOVE to do this as part of the projects I am currently working on.  If anyone knows where I can get detailed methods including parts list then please let me know.
> 
> I have already purchased a cross cut shredder and have a reasonable cache of milk cartons... just need the method.
> 
> Thanks!


I am a little confused why you are confused.  Its not really rocket science.

1. Grind up your source plastic
2. Extrude it into filament.
3. Print something with it.

1: You need a grinder/shredder (Paper shredder will handle thin stuff, otherwise you need something bigger)
2: You need an extruder (build one or buy one)
3: You need a 3D printer  :Smile: 

Where are you confused in the process?

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## Mjolinor

> Where are you confused in the process?


What does one do with the milk?

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## Wolfie

Mix it with rennet and make cheese.

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## Davo



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## Nomadd_UK

Hi LambdaFF,

It is a Texet A4 desktop shredder that can also shred credit cards.  As the milk bottles are quite thin plastic it does a fair job of shredding them.  It creates small strips about 4mm x 25mm.  Although they are fairly rough cut at the edges due to the nature of the plastic.  It saves a lot of time doing it with scissors.  You still need to cut the bottle into small chunks though.

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## Nomadd_UK

Hi Wolfie,

I never said I was confused.  I just stated that there are no complete methods that I have found describing how to make one.  Have you made one?

Thanks for the "Build one" link.  It seems to be better than some I have found.  The buy one link seems very expensive.

So, yeah, thanks for the links and your 'polite' tone.  :Wink:

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## bkochis

> Hi LambdaFF,
> 
> It is a Texet A4 desktop shredder that can also shred credit cards.  As the milk bottles are quite thin plastic it does a fair job of shredding them.  It creates small strips about 4mm x 25mm.  Although they are fairly rough cut at the edges due to the nature of the plastic.  It saves a lot of time doing it with scissors.  You still need to cut the bottle into small chunks though.


Here is the US, I am getting my packages with silly little bags filled with air as stuffing/padding.  They are also HDPE.  Also, the silly plastic bags from the grocery store I believe are HDPE.  

Do you think this type of shredder would accommodate these items?  I realize this is not referred to as a cross-cut shredder because it comes out in strips not in little squares.
Thank you

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## awerby

I think the bags at the grocery store are made from LDPE (Low Density PolyEthylene). Upon looking for anything about HDPE filament for 3D printing, what's mostly there are articles saying how great it would be if we could recycle milk jugs or whatever and make 3D filament. But hardly anyone seems to offer HDPE filament, although there are people who have tried to make it. Here's someone's thesis about how it might work: https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/han...pdf?sequence=1 He seems to have gotten it to work to some degree, but with difficulty.

This source talks about how it can work, but enumerates the problems: http://www.hotcopier.com/hdpe

Apparently, people have had better luck printing with PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate), another polyethylene variant which is also used to make plastic bottles. It has the #1 code, whereas HDPE has the #2 code and LDPE is #4. Here's the chart: http://plastics.americanchemistry.co...esin-Codes-PDF

If you're determined to try this, it seems that collecting, shredding, washing, drying, extruding and using PET would be more effective than with HDPE. 

Andrew Werby
Juxtamorph.com

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## bkochis

> I think the bags at the grocery store are made from LDPE (Low Density PolyEthylene). Upon looking for anything about HDPE filament for 3D printing, what's mostly there are articles saying how great it would be if we could recycle milk jugs or whatever and make 3D filament. But hardly anyone seems to offer HDPE filament, although there are people who have tried to make it. Here's someone's thesis about how it might work: https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/han...pdf?sequence=1 He seems to have gotten it to work to some degree, but with difficulty.
> 
> This source talks about how it can work, but enumerates the problems: http://www.hotcopier.com/hdpe
> 
> Apparently, people have had better luck printing with PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate), another polyethylene variant which is also used to make plastic bottles. It has the #1 code, whereas HDPE has the #2 code and LDPE is #4. Here's the chart: http://plastics.americanchemistry.co...esin-Codes-PDF
> 
> If you're determined to try this, it seems that collecting, shredding, washing, drying, extruding and using PET would be more effective than with HDPE. 
> 
> Andrew Werby
> Juxtamorph.com


Andrew, 
I had thought of PET but was unsure if anyone had tried them.  I checked the grocery bags that I reuse for garbage in the car and the really smelly stuff, like fish, at the house.  The majority of them are HDPE.  
Thank you for the info.  
Bob

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## awerby

I was thinking of the bags that come in a roll, which you put your produce in before taking it to the checkstand. Those are LDPE. The bigger bags, which they put all your groceries in once you've paid, are often HDPE. (They've demonized them in my state, and made them hard to get; now everything gets packed in paper bags that disintegrate half-way to the car, and you have to pay a dime each for them.)

Andrew Werby
Juxtamorph.com

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## LambdaFF

The Strooder team has announced that their machine can make filament out of PET. However it's still unclear if/when they'll start deliveries.

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## djprinter

In order to save "crazy money" filiament would have to cost "crazy money," it doesn't.

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## awerby

It would certainly cost "crazy money" to go through all the processes required to turn scrap HDPE into a usable filament, though...

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