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PLA, or polylactic acid, is one of the most popular 3D printing materials available, prized for the fact that it is made from renewable plant-based materials. Though a thermoplastic (it melts and is flexible like plastic), PLA can also be described as being biodegradable and recyclable when conditions are right.
In this article we’ll explain exactly what PLA plastic is, how to recycle PLA filament and scraps – ranging from simple at-home methods to industrial composting – so you can responsibly get rid of your PLA waste in 2025 and beyond.
What Is PLA Plastic?
Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a bioplastic made from sustainable, non-fossil material like corn starch, sugarcane, or cassava. Unlike traditional plastics made from fossil material, PLA is well known for minimizing its impact on the environment, and it is therefore a favorite in 3D printing, food packaging, and even medical applications like sutures.
Is PLA plastic or biodegradable?
PLA (polylactic acid) is a bioplastic. It's "plastic" in the sense that it's a thermoplastic polymer – it can be melted when heated and extruded or molded. But it's derived from plant sugars (most commonly corn starch or sugarcane) rather than oil.
Unlike traditional petroleum-based plastics (ABS, PET, etc.), PLA can be biodegraded when it is under industrial composting conditions. Simply stated, PLA possesses plastic-like formability but a bio-based origin. It will break down into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass when in the state of hot, active composting conditions.
How Is It Made?
PLA starts with everyday renewable crops. In general, the process is:
(1) Preparing starch from plants (corn, sugarcane, cassava, etc.) and converting the starch into fermentable sugar.
(2) Fermenting the sugar with bacteria (most commonly Lactobacillus) to produce lactic acid.
(3) Refining the lactic acid into a cyclic dimer called lactide.
(4) Polymerizing (building) the lactide molecules into chains of long lengths, forming PLA polymer. The polymer chains are cooled and cut into small pellets or filament.
The production is renewable, using 65% less energy and creating 63% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than oil-based plastics, as confirmed by independent tests. This renewable source makes PLA a green-maker favorite.
How Is PLA Different from Traditional Plastics?
PLA stands out from the other regular plastic in the following perspectives:
Source material: PET, ABS, or polystyrene are all petroleum-based, whereas PLA (Polylactic Acid) is made from renewable plant material like corn starch or sugarcane.
Biodegradability: Most plastics made from petroleum are not biodegradable and will not degrade by natural processes. PLA, however, is compostable under industrial conditions and therefore less damaging to the environment.
Energy & emissions: Production of PLA tends to use less energy and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the production of conventional plastic.
Toxicity: When burned or heated, PLA is not toxic. It merely degrades to harmless lactic acid. Some conventional plastics, on the other hand, emit deadly toxins when incinerated.
Physical properties: PLA behaves like traditional plastics — it's water-resistant, moldable, and quite strong. But it has a lower melting point (around 150–160°C) and is more prone to cracking, so it's less suitable for high-heat or high-stress applications.
Primary advantage: PLA offers the benefits of plastic from a renewable plant-based source — and is thus particularly attractive to green users.
Is PLA Recyclable?
Yes, PLA is recyclable, but just toss it in your curbside can? No. In the landfill conditions (low heat, anaerobic) PLA biodegrades very slowly – much more slowly than in a compost bin. So putting PLA in regular garbage isn't all bad for the planet. Instead, best practice is to reuse or compost PLA.
How to Recycle PLA Filament in 2025
In 2025, recycling PLA filament at home or through services is far more likely as a result of developments in technology and projects. These are the main options:
Home options
If you have a 3D printer and generate waste PLA, you can set up your own mini-recycling process. Commercial and DIY filament recyclers are widespread and affordable now. The general process is: collect, shred, and re-extrude.
Collect PLA scraps: Keep failed prints, support material, and end-of-spool trimmings. Make sure they consist only of pure PLA (no other plastic materials mixed in).
Grind or shred: Grind the PLA pieces using a filament shredder or even a household blender (for non-printed pieces) to yield fine flakes or pellets. A good fine grind allows for easy melting.
Dry out the shards: PLA is sensitive to moisture; briefly baking the shredded part in an oven (at around 50–60°C for 1–2 hours) gives a drier melt.
Extrude new filament: Use a desktop filament extruder (such as Felfil, Filastruder, or Filabot) to melt the shredded PLA and push it through a calibrated nozzle to form new filament. You’ll feed the shredded PLA into the extruder’s hopper, set the hot-end temperature (~180–200°C), and spin a motor-driven pulley to pull the forming filament onto a spool.
Calibrate and test: Use a caliper to measure the diameter of the extruding filament, adjusting the machine speed or cooling fan to keep the thickness of the filament as constant as possible (±0.05 mm). Then, print a calibration object and check that it prints properly.
Industrial composting and specialized services
If home recycling is out of the question, industrial composting is the greenest option for PLA. Industrial composters and most cities will accept certified compostable plastics like PLA packaging, cups, or failed prints, provided they are free of contaminants. Search for facilities on sites like findacomposter.com.
Otherwise, special depolymerizing chemical recycling converts PLA into lactic acid or lactide monomers to be repolymerized into virgin-grade PLA. NatureWorks and a few filament manufacturers (e.g., Filamentive) have take-back schemes, recycling around 90% of PLA waste into new filament. When unavailable locally, compost PLA in organic waste bins by shredding prints into pieces to accelerate composting. Composting or recycling is always better than throwing PLA away.
Can PLA be melted down and reused?
Yes – another of the benefits of PLA as a thermoplastic is that it can be melted and re-molded. In practice, this means you can recycle used PLA prints to create molds, or simply use a filament extruder (above) to melt it into fresh filament.
But unlike some plastics, PLA polymers degrade with heat (thermal degradation) and age, so you can recycle it but the quality decreases if you do it numerous times.
What to Do with PLA Scraps and Failed Prints
Failed prints and PLA scraps are inevitable when 3D printing, but they do not have to end up in the trash. These are eco-friendly options:
Recycle to new filament: Use recycling apparatus at home or send scraps to specialty services and create new filament, saving money and reducing waste.
Industrial composting: Where possible, send PLA scraps to industrial composting facilities for sustainable disposal.
Repurpose creatively: Melt PLA scraps in an oven (180–200°C) and shape into objects like coasters, keychains, or artwork. Otherwise, utilize scraps for non-critical 3D print projects.
Support recycling efforts: Some organizations will accept PLA waste for upcycling or for educational purposes, keeping it from landfills.
Do not put PLA in the trash bin as it will not decompose in landfills and creates plastic pollution.
FAQs
Can I throw PLA in the rubbish bin?
Technically yes, since PLA is not hazardous, but it’s a last resort. PLA in a landfill will degrade very slowly (much slower than in a hot compost). If no recycling or composting option is available, throwing it out is fine. Just try to reduce that by recycling scraps or using a compostable waste stream if possible.
Is PETG recyclable?
Yes, PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) is recyclable, but like PLA, it's Type 7 plastic and not usually accepted by municipal recycling programs because it can get contaminated with PET (Type 1).
How can I reclycle PLA into new filament?
To recycle PLA to new filament:
1. Collect clean PLA garbage (failed prints, supports, etc.).
2. Remove contaminants with a plastic-safe solvent like isopropyl alcohol.
3. Shred the scrap into fine particle using a plastic shredder.
4. Extrude the shredded PLA into fresh filament using an extruder of 180–200°C temperature for consistent diameter.
5. Spool the filament for 3D printing.
Can I mix different PLA colors when recycling?
Yes, you can blend different PLA colors when recycling, but the filament will then have a blended or mottled appearance (for example, red and blue PLA would make purple-colored filament). For clean colors, recycle scraps by color group first.
Conclusion
PLA is a unique plastic: plant-based and hence technically biodegradable and recyclable, but still a strong thermoplastic for 3D printing. It's not 100% biodegradable under normal conditions. So, treat PLA differently from your box of food or soda bottle. Recycling PLA typically involves re-extruding or composting, and not the regular recycling bin.