Are gunpla runners recyclable? | And How To Use It
If you’re like me that do a lot of gunpla modeling, then you’ll end up with a lot of runners after you take the kit out. And if you also would like to keep your environment and our planet healthy, then you need an adequate way to get rid of these runners.
Fortunately for us gunpla enthusiasts, these runners are fully recyclable so they can be melted down and reused.
You can also choose to repurpose your runners and sprues, and there are some great ideas about that on Reddit’s r/gunpla community.
Bandai announces a gunpla recycling project
Four Bandai Namco companies have come together intending to recycle gunpla runners and reuse them in the cheapest and most effective method possible. It is a large-scale joint project that is set to revolutionize the use of gunpla materials.
This gunpla recycling project involves the collection of runners from the plastic kits after use by the kit owners and using high-tech chemical recycling processes to produce new plastic model products.
After the collection of the runners, they are combined with the plastic obtained from the Bandai Hobby Center for the production of Gunpla.
Some of this plastic will be used in demonstration experiments while others will be used for the thermal and material recycling processes.
Bandai’s plan is for the creation of special recycling boxes in about 190 stores of BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Co., Ltd., where gunpla enthusiasts will be able to drop off these runners.
This project is already being executed in stores and there has generally been good feedback from fans.
Is the Bandai recycling project effective?
The project seems to be going on really well, and this was on full display at a Gunda event held in the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building on November 20th and 21st as the guests were treated to a life-size model of a Gundam robot’s head, which was created using about 3000 runners.
About a hundred thousand runners, which were set to be recycled into new kits, were also used to adorn the site. After setting up the collection boxes in 190 locations across the country, Bandai reports that they got about a ton of old runners in just a month of the project’s full execution.
How can you recycle gunpla runners?
It is amazing that you’re even thinking of finding an eco-friendly way to enjoy your gunpla experience.
However, if you don’t live in Japan and can’t find a way to get your runners across, then you can simply put them with your other plastic recyclables so they can be melted and reused.
Can the plastic that gunpla runners are made of be recycled in your home/local plastic recycle bin?
Gunpla runners are usually made of a type of plastic called polystyrene, which simply needs to go through a chemical reaction that decomposes it thermally into the styrene monomer.
Your local recycle bin should be able to handle this process and ensure that the plastic of Gunpla runners is safely melted down and reused.
What to do with leftover gunpla runners?
There are several ways you can use leftover gunpla runners when you’re done building your model. This includes:
1. Using them as paint stir sticks.
2. To test new paint.
3. For diorama scaffolding or diorama rubble.
4. Using clear sprues as build-sabers.
5. For gently splitting assembled parts without scratching.
6. Melt them down and mold them into silicon molds.
7. Cut and stick them together to create weapons and other accessories.
