• Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    How do printers create microplastics? I’d think they wouldn’t be significantly different than other ways of manufacturing plastic parts. Genuinely curious.

    • TurtlePower@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      After printing you have to not only trim the extra bits, but you have to sand it down, whereas manufacturers use molds and only have to trim the seams.

      • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Ah so the finishing work. Makes sense.

        E: Reading about PLA specifically, it appears to be compostable. Also burning it doesn’t produce nasty byproducts. So perhaps 3D printing with PLA isn’t that bad, of one takes care of the excess.