Real Kickstarters: 3D Printlife Launches Campaign for BioPETG Eco-Friendly, Premium Quality Filament.
As a pioneer in eco-friendly filament production, 3D Printlife is committed to reducing the environmental impact of 3D Printing. From its first groundbreaking Enviro ABS, to eco-Friendly spooling and environmental contributions, the Los Angeles based company strives to deliver premium quality filaments, while protecting the world we share. Now using the same bio-additive technology used in Enviro ABS, 3D Printlife is launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund production of BioPETG, the first PETG filament that will degrade once it enters a commercial compost or landfill to energy facility.
3D Printlife tested BioPETG under ASTM D5338-15, which provides a means for determining the degree and rate of aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials when exposed to a controlled environment under laboratory conditions. With BioPETG, bacterial consumption remained steady throughout the 45 day test.
The Kickstarter campaign will fund production of the BioPETG bio-additive (at least 200lbs at a time need to be made in order to be cost-effective). The process is not difficult but it is still expensive. The spool graphics are already designed but silk screens used to print onto the cardboard spools need to be ordered, along with a new print plate for the product boxes. Funding is also sought to purchase the virgin PETG resin and colorants, and then pay for the extrusion run of a full color BioPETG line. The goal is to produce 12 to 18 colors of BioPETG in both 1.75mm and 2.85mm.
PETG (also called copolyester) is a modified version of PET. The added glycol prevents the material from crystallizing adding flexibility and making it an excellent material for 3d printing. PETG is also the most commonly used plastic in the world and it is one of the easiest to recycle, but it isn’t biodegradable. We have long wanted to produce a premium line of PETG filament, but only if we could upgrade it by making it more eco-friendly.
PETG combines many of the benefits of ABS with the ease of printing associated with PLA in one material. Benefits include high impact resistance, strength and durability, along with excellent layer adhesion, pliability, low shrinkage (therefore little to no warping, making it ideal for large prints). The heated bed is helpful but not required. The materials is also virtually odorless, resistant to high temperatures and chemicals. It can be sterilized and it is FDA compliant. BioPETG will be the world’s first eco-friendly PETG filament, made in the USA to the strictest standards and available on our eco-friendly spooling and packaging.
Every spool of 3D Printlife filament comes in a durable, re-sealable bag with a desiccant, a thank you card indicating our donation to environmental charity to plant a tree, as well as a seed paper card to plant and grow your own wildflowers. 3D Printlife’s filament spool is made of heavy 100% recycled cardboard that is biodegradable and bound together with a recyclable tin cap.
Coming Soon:
In addition to our Enviro ABS, PLAyPHAb PLA/PHA, and BioPETG Kickstarter offering, here are some of the materials we have planned for launch through 2018:
- Biodegradable semi-flexible filament
- Biodegradable full flex filament
- Biodegradable high strength engineering grade polyeste
XYZPrinting
XYZPrinting released the da Vinci 1.0 Pro in late 2015, the first XYZ printer to accept third-party filaments. After 400 hours of testing at Florida Institute of Technology’s DSL Lab, XYZPrinting named 3D Printlife’s Enviro ABS as the first 3rd party filament approved for use in their printers.
Fab Lab Hub & The Fab FoundationIn July of 2016 Fab Lab Hub, a non-profit associated with the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms’ Fab Lab Network, tested and approved 3D Printlife filaments for use by members of the network and the Fab Foundation.
Life Support
Life Support is 3D Printlife’s global 3d printing online support network and marketplace. Launched at CES 2017 in January, Life Support connects end users with 3d printing experts in their area and around the world for online, phone, and even on-site technical support.
