If you worry about the environment, a new 3D pen on Kickstarter may be just for you. It recycles old plastic bottles and cuts out the need for costly filament.

The new 3D pen, called Renegade, has been specifically designed to extrude melted plastic, just like any other 3D pens. However, the twist is that instead of using expensive new filaments, the Renegade uses old plastic bottles, shopping bags, and even files as its filament.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQLtwWiX-_8

The inventor of the pen, Daniel Edwards, is using this design to solve two problems at once. He said on his Kickstarter campaign page:

“We often use 3D printing for our projects and one day we finally got fed up with highly overpriced filaments. The plastic pellets used by manufacturers reach a maximum price of $0.6 per kg while the filaments they sell on to us can reach $200-250 per kg. After paying $100 for a 3D pen and being obliged to buy its filaments for $10 per 50 gram pack i.e. $200 per kg, we couldn’t help but think this is crazy!”

How Does Renegade Work?

Renegade was not only created because of the cost of filament, but also because of the need to save the environment. The result was to fill the pen with recycled plastic. To do this Edwards needed to create a way to cut the material.

Therefore, Edwards if offering a device called a ChupaCut which cuts plastic into single ribbons of either 3mm, 6mm, 9mm or 12mm.

It’s also possible to buy and use regular filaments too. Edwards claims that Renegade uses a powerful extruder which includes a screw-feeder mechanism and heating system. These combine to transport and melt the filament while the rotating screw forces the heated plastic to move forward so the nozzle extrudes evenly.

With 31 days still left to go on the Kickstarter campaign, it has already raised £12,638 of its total of £25,000 thanks to 130 backers. If you’re interested, early birds to the campaign can show support and receive both the Renegade pen and the ChupaCut for £75. However, both can also be purchased individually (£15 for the “Early Bird ChupaCut”, £60 for the “Early Bird Renegade 3D Pen”).

However, both can also be purchased individually (£15 for the “Early Bird ChupaCut”, £60 for the “Early Bird Renegade 3D Pen”).

https://vimeo.com/173054049

Edwards said: “With your support, we can bring Renegade’s green 3D printing solution to the world. While we’re close to entering production, your contribution will help fund critical stages in our immediate future such as production tooling, large component manufacturing, and obtaining FCC and CE certification.”

You can find more 3D printing projects on Kickstarter right here.

(Source: Kickstarter)