Student Research Symposium Program Portal

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Submission information

Submission Number: 222

Submission ID: 9070

Submission UUID: 6fe29438-65bc-4d70-9665-d3cf72c6ff8b

Submission URI: /student-research/symposium/research-symposium-program-portal

Created: Fri, 01/30/2026 - 05:54 PM

Completed: Fri, 01/30/2026 - 06:02 PM

Changed: Fri, 04/17/2026 - 04:42 AM

Remote IP address: 146.201.10.21

Submitted by: Anonymous

Language: English

Is draft: No

Submitted to: Student Research Symposium Program Portal

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Bio of all individuals presenting this work

Jennifer Giraldo- Hello, and thank you for stopping for our presentation! I am a freshman majoring in Public Health with a concentration in Environmental Health. These disciplines focus on how everyday activities impact our bodies in the long run, and led me to the fascinating study of microplastics in the human body. I'm proud to work with Jaiden and Brent on my first research presentation, and have my sights set on Masters-level research at Oxford University.
Jaiden Smith - I am currently a senior in Electrical Engineering, and I am taking part in two research projects this symposium; One of my special interests in Electrical Engineering is how biological and environmental sciences can be integrated into overarching engineering applications, which aligns with this sustainable, environmentally conscious repurposing of plastic into 3D printable filament.
Brent Cerney- Hello, I am a senior Computer Science student with a strong background in sustainability-focused systems design and applied computational longevity. In this project I focused heavily on system design, software control, and optimization of the printing process. My goal is to raise awareness for sustainability initiatives and student-led environmental innovation, to bridge technology, leadership, and tangible impact through responsible engineering solutions.

Poster Title

Abstract

When recycling on an individual level, we tend to ask ourselves: “How much of a difference can recycling one bottle make?” The cost of plastic production, and its consequent pollution, are issues of global priority. A majority of pollutants come from single-use soda and water bottles, made from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). While this material is recyclable, the majority of its products end up in landfills. Today, small-scale recycling technology presents an opportunity to recycle PET “waste” into valuable material: 3D printer filament. This project describes the benefits of producing recycled PET (rPET) filament on a small-scale level using the inexpensive Recreator 3D MK5Kit. Compared to commercial 3D printer filament, rPET filament would reduce the need for plastic production, and reuse pre-existing materials.
Over a 3 month period, used PET bottles will be collected, cleaned, and cut into strips before being converted into filament through a pultrusion nozzle. Filament yield and consistency will be documented using calipers and measuring tape. Energy consumption will be estimated based on processing time and power usage. The total mass of plastic waste and energy used per kilogram of rPET filament will be compared to data from the manufacture of commercial filament. The resulting rPET filament will be tested for printability and consistency to determine its potential for long-term use.
The resulting data will be used to study the environmental and economic effects of small-scale plastic recycling. Our results will indicate that individual recycling, specifically through rPET production, can have powerful economic and environmental benefits.

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