ATTN: Makers, Tinkerers, Inventors, Sculptors, Environmentalists

[Action Robot]

Hello all,

I found a website the other day that got me really excited, and immediately made me think of all the mad scientists/makers/artists here.

http://www.preciousplastic.com is an open source project (started in the Netherlands, if I remember correctly). The man who started it was concerned about the enormous amount of plastic waste that we generate daily. Rather than seeing it as a problem, though, he looked at it as an opportunity. He asked himself how it could be turned from an environmental hazard into a benefit.

His idea was to design machines for processing and using waste plastics, using resources that almost anyone, anywhere can find. The designs are straightforward and simple enough that they are realistic to build yourself (or with help from your local handy person). They are modular, and thus easy to repair/modify/upgrade. Using the information on the site, you can gather waste plastic locally, identify its type, process it, and extrude it into filament, simple molds, etc., enabling you to do small scale production of plastic items...robots, robot parts, action figures, etc.

He also welcomes help and input from others, so if you have knowledge that could benefit the project, your help is appreciated. The biggest thing he is looking for is people to spread the word as widely as possible about the project; the end goal is to reduce the amount of plastic waste worldwide, and to channel it into useful items...like ROBOTS!

[Andyman]

Cool stuff, Dave.