Call me a hippy but I've always loved recycling.  I've been saving glass jars and bottles for a decade.  I also throw old food into the compost pile instead of the trash.  But what about the plastic?  How could you save all those old jugs that take up so much space and what could you do with them?

Here is my first attempt at shredding plastic with an LEM meat grinder released here on Steemit first!  You can watch every step of the process while I become a plastic recycling kingpin.

http://i.imgsafe.org/9f1b46a5a7.jpg

**EXCLUSIVE VIDEO FOR STEEMIT  (check out how satisfying it is to grind plastic into oblivion!)**
https://youtu.be/IofI6roRfdY

There are many varieties of plastic used for different purposes but for now I focus simply on how to efficiently crush bottles.  This will be the fuel for my new manufacturing business.

http://i.imgsafe.org/96de12f918.jpg

This is what the professional facilities use to crush their plastic.  You can find it for $2700 dollars on Ebay.  I have found old used ones for as low as $850 dollars (plus shipping but they were not as powerful and I would prefer a new sanitary machine for my plastic which will end up as toys and tools.

http://i.imgsafe.org/9dabddcace.jpg

I am considering trying a wood chipper for shredding the bottles.  Or I might just use a bandsaw and do them all by hand, though that is much more dangerous!  I had already tried a small paper slicer and that is not heavy duty enough to cut through the thick bottoms of a milk jug.

http://i.imgsafe.org/9dbc9b0a75.jpg

 The Duromax Ecoshredder can be found for $220 dollars at Walmart.  But I'm not sure if this will work yet, still an untested method.

Of course if that doesn't work I could try a lawnmower engine.  Using gas for shredding plastic?  Is that profitable?   Yes, it is.  Plastic filament can cost up to 35 dollars per kilogram depending on the variety.  Filament and end products being the goal of my recycling.

Here a man used a lawnmower to shred!  This would be my last choice for attempting to shred plastic however.  Very inefficient.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1S5P_MWEgA

I tried this paper cutter and it worked okay but I could see myself eventually cutting off my fingers.  No amount of plastic is worth losing these precious little appendages. :)

http://i.imgsafe.org/9e279e48da.jpg

Here a team of students in Bandung built their own shredder with machine tools!  I however do not have access to these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0GughC8_r0

And here is my end goal, granulated plastic for making 3d printer filament!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEkksADFjP8

Here is a pen that could help streamline the process, of course there are still numerous plastic recyclables that cannot be ran through the cutter of this 3d pen.

http://i.imgsafe.org/9f31e61f25.png

And here is my friend @papa-pepper holding a pumpkin that I destroyed with one of my plastic printed throwing stars!

http://i.imgsafe.org/9f70c278fa.jpg

http://i.imgsafe.org/9f7fd68f8c.jpg

So I bought my plastic printer a few months ago with my Steem payouts.  It has changed my life and the way I think about "garbage" forever!  Thank you Steemit for helping to shape my future and help make the world a more efficient, productive and clean place!  I have many more articles about plastic recycling and production coming so if you love it then follow me. @noganoo