Filament Recycler
The first Student Sustainability Fund grant (2024) went to Kade Bolen, a computer science student and MakerLab employee, for his innovative project to reduce 3D printing waste. After noticing the buildup of failed prototypes and scraps in the lab, Kade was inspired by a YouTube video to create a 3D printer filament recycler. With the grant, he purchased the necessary equipment and built the recycler in just three weeks. Once fully operational, it will help reduce waste, and Kade hopes it may even recycle plastic bottles in the future. His efforts demonstrate the potential for sustainability in technology, encouraging others to recycle electronics and conserve energy.
Pints to Prints Extruder
In 2025, Robert Wilkie built on the filament recycler concept. Robert is collaborating with ExtraMile Arena, the MakerLab, and the Engineering department to turn the beverage cups used at EMA into 3D printer filament.
ExtraMile Arena (EMA) hosts Boise State Men’s and Women’s basketball and gymnastics,
commencements, entertainment activities, student organization events, and other University and
community events. Cups made from PET and PLA are used by concessions to serve
beverages. These are not recycled or composted locally and must be sorted from the recycling
stream to prevent contamination and so it would be possible to collect them with little increase
to labor costs. PET and PLA are also common materials to use for commercial off-the-shelf 3D
printing filament. The equipment in this proposal would enable ExtraMile Arena and the
Albertsons Library MakerLab to collaborate to produce two types of recycled 3D printing
filament, while reducing single-use plastic going to landfill.
Green Chemistry to Support Glove Recycling
In 2025, Luca Manning received a grant to improve the environmental impact of the chemistry labs.
By testing eco-friendly titration alternatives, such as a traditional titration experiment using eco-friendly alternatives to acid-base titration, I am able to help provide a practical way to reduce the environmental impact of teaching labs while preserving the educational value of titration experiments. Building on this progress, I will continue the development of the 3D-printed microfluidic titration device at the beginning of the fall semester. The device is designed to reduce solvent usage by several orders of magnitude, significantly lowering the time, cost, and environmental burden of preparing and disposing of large quantities of acids and bases. The future implementation of these methods will allow academic labs to provide sustainable alternatives to traditional titrations, reducing disposal costs while also exposing students to modern, eco-friendly laboratory practices. The savings eventually generated will be reinvested into glove recycling boxes for our labs, ensuring that the project’s benefits extend beyond chemical waste reduction and contribute to broader sustainability initiatives across campus. The goal is to innovate our student lab experiences and lay the foundation for greener practices in the university’s chemistry teaching labs.
Electric Kettles
Mallory Picl, a graduate student working in the Environmental Research Building, realized that the water stations with hot and cold water on tap were wasting energy by keeping water hot all the time. She wanted to save energy by removing those stations and instead directing people to use water bottle filling stations at the drinking fountains. However, she realized that many people appreciated access to hot water. She decided to address this concern by purchasing electric kettles, which can be used as needed, thus using less energy than on-demand hot water taps.