Benjamin Davis, a 16-year-old student from Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, Massachusetts, developed a recycling system that converts discarded 3D-printing plastic into reusable filament. His invention was recognized at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio, where he won $75,000. The machine uses waste plastics from failed prints and employs pultrusion and extrusion methods to create higher-quality recycled filament at a cost that is about 90% less than commercial recycling machines. Davis invested over 800 hours into the project, going through more than 50 iterations before finalizing his design.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
A failed 3D print typically goes straight to the trash with a tangle of plastic filament, a misshapen object or a handful of scraps that no longer feel useful.
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that → fail → scraps
For Davis, they were raw material, waiting for another chance.
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they → wait → chance
The Massachusetts high school student spent hundreds of hours developing a small recycling system to convert discarded 3D-printing plastic into usable filament.
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student → spend → filament
His invention addressed a growing waste problem and won him $75,000 at one of the world’s largest science competitions, states an online report by the Society for Science.
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report → address → Science
Recycling plastic scraps into filament
Davis, a student at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, Massachusetts, built the machine as part of his science research project.
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Davis → recycle → project
The system uses waste plastic, including waste generated during 3D printing and converts it into filament that can again be fed into a 3D printer.
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that → use → printer
The process could let users recycle material from failed prints and other plastic waste instead of buying new filament over and over again.
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users → let → filament
The invention uses two methods of processing plastic: pultrusion and extrusion.
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invention → use → plastic
The Society for Science reported that Davis developed a system that was roughly 45 percent more efficient than using the existing approaches separately.
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The machine was also meant to be used practically.
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machine → mean → ?
It is designed to produce higher quality recycled filament and is relatively easy to operate, adds the report.
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report → design → filament
Davis’s design costs about 90% less than recycling machines on the market, potentially making small-scale plastic recycling more accessible to schools, hobbyists and individual 3D-printer users.
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recycling → cost → schools
The secret waste of 3D printing
The project deals with a problem that is easily overlooked.
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that → deal → problem
3D printing is now a common technology in classrooms, homes, labs and workplaces but the creation of an object often involves more plastic than the finished product suggests.
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product → involve → plastic
Failed prints and supports and leftover filament can build up quick.
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prints → fail → ?
The Society for Science cites information that states that up to 67% of the filament in a regular 3D-printing project becomes waste.
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% → cite → project
Instead of treating them as disposable, Davis’s machine is designed to put those scraps back into the cycle of production.
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machine → treat → production
That idea is part of a larger push toward more sustainable manufacturing, in which materials are collected and reused rather than constantly replaced by new ones.
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materials → collect → ones
Over 800 hours of experimentation
Getting the machine to work was not straightforward.
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machine → get → experimentation
Davis put in over 800 hours on the project, went through over 50 iterations of the components, and did several large redesigns.
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Davis → put → redesigns
Each version gave him another opportunity to fine-tune the system and work out problems with the recycling process.
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version → give → process
Eventually, the project was taken to the 2025 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Columbus, Ohio, where Davis competed against other young researchers from around the world.
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Davis → take → world
Acknowledgment of $75,000
Davis snagged a $75,000 Regeneron Young Scientist Award and was runner-up in the competition’s top award category at the 75th annual ISEF.
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Davis → snag → ISEF
Not only was his project notable for recycling plastic, but it also
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It's also desktop-sized, hinting at a future where recycling could happen closer to where plastic waste is created, instead of requiring users to mail material to a large industrial facility.
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waste → size → facility
The next step for Davis
The award was another prod for Davis to continue exploring in the field.
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Davis → continue → field
His work in plastic recycling and extrusion has made him more interested in advanced manufacturing and mechanical and materials engineering.
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him → make → manufacturing
Those interests could affect his studies when he goes off to college.
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For now, his invention presents a simple but potentially powerful idea: the plastic waste from a 3D printer doesn’t have to be the end of the story.
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waste → present → story
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