Muse: The magazine of science, culture, and smart laughs for kids and children

Environmentally Friendly?

Most 3D printers use filament to make objects. Filament is like thick plastic thread. It’s even wrapped around a spool, like cotton thread.

The head of a 3D printer pulls in a strand of filament and heats it until it melts. Then melted filament comes out a nozzle. The nozzle moves and stacks the melted filament in layers. Each layer builds on top of the last one until the object is done. The heated filament binds together. At the same time, it cools so quickly that it holds its shape. This process is called additive manufacturing. It’s the most common type of consumer 3D printing.

But 3D printing isn’t as simple as hitting print and getting a finished object. Often the process creates plastic waste. Prints can fail in

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