RecyclingSymbols

Create Recycling Symbols for pretty much every plastic on Wikipedia. These symbols (.stl) can then be imported to any slicer like PrusaSlicer, Cura and so on.

The original file Recycling_Symbols.scad is based on the file from appropedia.org¹.

Usage in PrusaSlicer

1. Add part
2. add "negative volume" modifier and choose your symbol
3. mirror if necessery, place and/or scale symbol

Feel free to PR more symbols.

RUN Script to Create Symbols

You'll need Python, SolidPython and OpenSCAD. See notes in Recycling_Symbols.py. Then you just run Recycling_Symbols.py and wait for the symbols to be created.

It will create a STL file for each line in codelist.txt. It will create 140 STL files, at time of writing this.

Arguments

To get a list of all possible arguments, type Recycling_Symbols.py -h.

• --path-openscad lets you define your own path to the OpenSCAD.com file.
• --codelist lets you define your own file with symbols to be created.
• --symbol lets you define just one single symbol (list won't be used). Example: --symbol 92 PLA 1 will create the symbol for PLA, number 99 within the recycling arrows.
• -m if argument is passed, the symbols will be mirrored (so you won't have to do that manually in your slicer software).
• --font-quality sets the resolution of the font. Rounded fonts need around 35 wheras a square font only needs 5.

--path-openscad PATH_OPENSCAD
                      Path to OpenSCAD.com (Default: h:\apps\PortableApps\OpenSCAD\openscad.com)
--codelist CODELIST   File with all the codes listed. (Default: codelist.txt)
--symbol code description symbol
                      Outputs single symbol, if defined. Mirrored if -m is passed. 
                      Code: plastic code (92 for PLA).
                      Description: PLA. 
                      Symbol: 1
-m                    Outputs the symbols mirrored if argument is passed. (Default: False)
--font-quality FONT_QUALITY
                        Quality (or poly count) for the font. Only rounded fonts need high poly count. (Default: 35)

Font

I've tested the script with "Helvetica Rounded", since this font prints really well. If you want to use your font, just copy the font file to c:\users\<user>\.fonts (create folder if necessary). Download Font: https://www.maisfontes.com/helvetica-rounded-lt-std-bold.font

Any other installed font can be used. In Windows, copy your font files to c:\Users\<user>\.fonts\ (create folder if necessary) and restart OpenSCAD. To get a list of installed fonts in OpenSCAD, go to Help -> Font list.

Todo

• Symbol 2 does not properly work. I don't even know what it should look like. Any ideas are appreciated.
• Command argument for font quality. Rounded font needs a higher resolution.

Footnotes

1. Original OpenSCAD file from: https://www.appropedia.org/Polymer_recycling_codes_for_distributed_manufacturing_with_3-D_printers ↩