Hi Hinloopen, a great question! I represent Fila-cycle.co.uk too and we have been active in this area for a good few years. It would be very interesting to find out. We currently use the existing waste streams, e.g. not from households but from the industries themselves. However we have experimented with a retail collection facility. Let’s see if you get any answers…
I’m following the principles of Business Model Generation, in order to fill all of the aspects of setting up a new business with many possibilities, and I’m trying to determine the most viable combinations. However, the input from potential future customers is vital to the recycling model succeeding, so this is where I’m trying to gather that.
It’s 100% recycled. not 95 not 99… 100%. We pride ourselves on this and won the best recycled plastic product of the year here in the UK because of it.
Listening to your ideas, and the ideas in this post, we must be very aware that a business model would require cash at some point. I would recommend a discount off your next purchase for sending in your waste plastics.
One of the main issues is separating the plastic types and colours otherwise you run the risk of mixed plastics (which would fail in print) or mixed colours, which often then turn out murky brown or gray etc.
Additionally, if you sent back plastic that had already been recycled once or twice already, then you are effectively sending poor quality plastics back into the loop and expecting better quality plastics out, thus where does the plastic that has been recycled more than once go? and could you tell it apart at the processing end by just eye balling it, of would you need a sophisticated system to be able to chemically test it… it all gets complicated and costly at that stage.
Answers? there really isn’t an easy solution, at least not one that doesn’t involve some cash being put in at some stage.
More thought and discussion and I am sure there can be solutions and business models that work.
I would be willing to work with people and there ideas to see if we could get something operational.
I made a quick 10-question survey to ask you, as possible user of this recycling system, for your preferences. If you fill it out, you’ll be directly influencing the direction in which the system is heading! And it’ll only cost you about two minutes All help is welcomed with open arms!
I would like to receive prepaid boxes that I can fill up and send to a facility in return for credits to purchase new filament from a web store or participating suppliers.
Yeah, It seems more cost effective on both ends to ship to one location for recycling instead of installing hundreds of physical drop off bins. You could even team up with Staples and UPS in the US as they both offer 3D printing and shipping inside their stores. You could use them as a location for people without an address to drop off prints and have them shipped in the same prepaid boxes…
