Earth Day 2021 is here, and considering the large amount of potential waste that comes with the STEM industry, us here at Zen Maker Lab try to reduce that footprint as much as possible!
To celebrate Earth Day, we produced a short cartoon video featuring our mascot Gary the Octopus, who gives a brief message about the basics of Earth Day - what it is, and how to participate. Take a look above to check it out.
There are a lot of things that people can do as an individual to 'go green' for Earth Day, or hopefully, every day. However, there's a different approach to staying green as a business, and one of the things we do at Zen Maker Lab is ensure our recycling methods are proper.
We do lots of 3D printing, and one of the lesser known aspects for those who don't use 3D printers is that there are a variety of printing materials available for use.
It's important to know which materials you use, and how to dispose of them properly, as sometimes certain materials should not be mixed in the recycling with other printing materials, let alone your average cans and plastics that would go into your recycling bin.
When we print, we mainly use a material called PLA, (polyactic acid), which is derived from natural and renewable materials. PLA can be safely broken down in industrial processes, and will biodegrade faster than petroleum based plastics.
3D printers are very interesting, and can be a huge hit in classrooms, but with that wow-factor comes a responsibility of proper recycling! Even a perfect print comes with some waste. If you're going to do some 3D printing, make sure you know how to properly recycle the materials you're gonna use.
This is just one of the many ways to be environmentally aware, and Earth Day is a great day to reflect and brush up on all of your green habits to see if there's room for improvement in your changing world. Remember to extend your eco-friendly activities to your daily life as well, not just Earth Day!
If you'd like to learn more about 3D printing recycling, check out the video below of one of our engineers John briefly discussing proper recycling: