Although PLA is a bioplastic it is still a plastic that does not deteriorate overnight. There is a strong movement against plastics in general at the moment and we welcome a critical view on plastics. One can say that 3D printing is adding to the plastic waste. We say however that 3D printing, when used right, can reduce plastic waste. How?
- Customization: instead of having millions of parts printed to be stocked as spares everywhere in the world 3D printing allows for printing on demand when people need it. This reduces waste overall of mass produced items.
- Print the right thing: print functional parts that you can actually use or, at least, which you do not intend to throw away immediately.
- Print the right material: Want something that lasts for a long time and needs to handle some stress? PLA may then not be the most ideal material and could potentially do a good job for a short while. For the longer term, look into more functional material and make a print that lasts for years. A bit of research goes a long way.
- Print with the right settings: Talking about research we recommend to check out our tutorials and follow our (or other manufacturer's) settings. No one just dumps a material on the market anymore and colorFabb and other manufacturers extensively test materials before releasing them. Check the blogs first. And when in doubt: email or call us. We have an active support helping you through the first steps and preferably before you waste a lot of filament.