01Safety
Safety and FAQ
The rules everyone follows at cleanups and when making filament, plus answers to common questions.
At cleanups
Cleanups happen mostly in parks around Hamilton. Everyone who picks up litter with ReSpool follows these three rules.
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Gloves for everyone
ReSpool provides gloves at cleanups. Keep them on while you pick up litter.
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Never touch sharps or needles
Never pick up a needle or anything sharp by hand. Flag it so it can be reported to the city.
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Use the buddy system
Pair up with a buddy and stay together.
Making filament
Bottles become filament on Polyformer machines that the team builds and runs.
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Supervised and ventilated
Filament is only made with supervision, in a ventilated space. Bottles are sorted first, and PVC #3 is never heated because it releases chlorine gas.
Not for food contact
Filament is not for food contact.
02FAQ
Questions and answers
Short answers about joining in, bottles, filament and food safety.
Joining in
Do I need experience?
No. You do not need any experience to join a cleanup.
How do I sign up?
Use the sign-up form on the Get involved page.
Can I get volunteer hours?
Yes. Volunteer hours are tracked and can be confirmed.
What do you provide?
ReSpool provides gloves, bins and all the other cleanup equipment, plus refreshments.
Where do cleanups happen?
Mostly in parks around Hamilton. Meeting spots are posted on the Events page when dates are set.
When are the events?
Dates and meeting spots are on the Events page. The plan is 3 community cleanups, 1 build-and-learn workshop and 1 final showcase, where printed objects are shown next to the bottles they came from.
Bottles and filament
What bottles count?
Clear PET #1 plastic bottles, like water and pop bottles.
Other litter still gets picked up, and other recyclables are sorted for proper disposal.
Why is PVC never heated?
PVC, code #3, releases chlorine gas when it is heated. Bottles are sorted first to confirm they are clear PET #1, and PVC is never heated.
What happens to the bottles?
Each bottle is washed and dried fully. The cap and label come off, and the bottle is spiral-cut into one long ribbon. The ribbon is pulled through a heated nozzle and formed into round 1.75 mm filament, which is printed into real objects.
See all six steps on How it works.
How much filament does one bottle make?
A 2 L bottle gives about 20 m of filament. Roughly 300 m makes 1 kg.
What is a Polyformer?
An open-source machine that turns a bottle ribbon into filament. The ReSpool team builds and runs the machines.
Food safety
Is the filament safe for food?
No. The filament is not for food contact.
About the project
Who runs ReSpool?
ReSpool is a youth-led project in Hamilton, Ontario. Meet the team.
Who funds ReSpool?
Funded by Ocean Wise's Ocean Action Grant, with support from Canada Service Corps.
How can I contact ReSpool?
Email the team at respool.ca@gmail.com.