Closing Material Loops: Diverting Plastic from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Between 2016 and 2020, the additive manufacturing sector is predicted to consume around 250 million tonnes of virgin plastic worldwide.

Recycling 25 per cent of the plastic consumption predicted by 2020 could avoid 300 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, saving around 3.3 billion megajoules of energy. Industrial processes that divert plastic from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) into recycled plastic filaments for 3D printing could have significant climate and financial benefits.

This report illustrates how recycling plastic filaments from WEEE could contribute to the demand for plastic from the additive manufacturing sector, while also closing important material loops.

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