Recycling Initiative

FTC is a great opportunity for many people, but we also have to be conscious of our impact on the environment. To promote sustainability and Core Values, our team started a plastic recycling program for Minnesota FTC teams. After some research, we found that there are no places close to us to recycle our plastics, so we found a company that recycles PLA, PLA+ and PETG. For more on plastic recycling, see below.

We're also partnering with RoboCyclers, an organization that is collecting FTC team e-waste for recycling. For more on that, see below.

To recycle 3D printed plastic:

Our research led us to a company called Printerior in Missouri that recycles PLA, PLA+ and PETG. If you bring us your plastic, we will send it to them for you.

You MUST separate your plastic types or else Printerior has to throw away the whole batch when types get mixed. We can't separate them for you, as we can't tell which type is which. Unfortunately, at this time we can only take PLA, PLA+, and PETG. We will keep looking for ways to recycle the rest!

Parts still attached to your robot? No problem! We'll continue to collect plastics, so save them and bring them to our next recycling event.

To recycle e-waste:

RoboCyclers are collecting electronics and electronic components legal for FTC, obsolete electronics from past seasons, and laptop computers, including:

All control system components, including andriod phones, REV Expansion and Control Hubs, and REV Driver Hubs
All power system components, including FTC battery packs and REV power modules
All FTC wiring, cables, and connectors, including adapter cables and USB hubs
All sensors, encoders, and other PCBs, such as logic level converters and cable converters
Webcams, game controllers, motors, and servos
LED lighting and LED drivers

Obsolete e-waste items will be given to Free Geek, which will responsibly disassemble them so that hazardous substances can be dealt with and precious metals and valuable components are recovered and reused. FTC components that are not obsolete will be donated to teams in need.

Thank you for bringing in your plastics and e-waste to make our planet a better place!

Please contact us with any questions!