Nachhaltigkeit, erneuerbare Materialien und umweltfreundliches Handeln sind mittlerweile grundlegende Aspekte, die sowohl für Unternehmen als auch für Verbraucher wichtig sind.
Auch in der Welt des 3D Drucks wird Nachhaltigkeit und Recycling immer wichtiger. Ist umweltfreundliches 3D Drucken möglich, wie funktioniert Filament Recycling und worauf kann man beim 3D Druck achten, um nachhaltig zu handeln?
Use renewable and sustainable printing materials
There are Geeetech filaments that are renewable and sustainable. There are also some 3D filaments that are very difficult to recycle.
Here is a table clearly showing the renewability and sustainability of common 3D printing filament materials:
| Material | Renewability | Sustainability |
| PLA | High (from corn or sugar cane) | High (biodegradable) |
| PETG | Medium (can be recycled, but is made from fossil fuels) | Medium (recyclable but less environmentally friendly than PLA) |
| ABS | Low (made from fossil fuels) | Low (is recyclable but not biodegradable) |
| TPU | Low (mainly from petroleum, but there are also some bio-based variants) | Low to medium (recyclable, but not biodegradable) |
| Wood composite (wood PLA, wood fillers) | High (PLA is renewable, wood fillers vary) | Medium (PLA base is biodegradable, but wood fillers) |
| Metal composite (bronze, copper, etc.) | Very low (metals are mined from ores) | Low (metal composites are recyclable, but energy-intensive to produce) |
Summary:
- PLA filament is generally the most sustainable material, as it is renewable and biodegradable (under industrial composting conditions).
- PETG is recyclable, but still based on fossil fuels.
- ABS filament and TPU filament are less sustainable due to their dependence on fossil fuels. In addition, recycling is a very complex and difficult process.
- Wood filament offers a mix of renewable PLA and wood fibers, but its sustainability depends on the exact proportion and treatment of the wood material.
- Metal composite has the lowest sustainability due to the high energy consumption in the extraction and processing of metals, but is recyclable.
So there are some 3D filaments that are very sustainable and recyclable and thus offer a good option for FDM printers.
Choose a sustainable alternative today and set an example for sustainable 3D printing.
Participate in recycling programs
If you use a material for 3D printers that is recyclable, you should participate in recycling programs and initiatives. There are some providers that offer 3D printer filament recycling. If you have leftover material or objects that need to be discarded, you can send the 3D printer filament by mail to the provider, so that the filament recycling can take place there. You can also bring the 3D printer filament directly to some shops, so that it is recycled there.
Companies that offer filament recycling are therefore an important part of sustainable 3D printing and a good option for customers to recycle old filaments and printing material.
Reduce waste
One way to achieve sustainability is to use renewable 3D printer material or Geeetech filament, whose plastic can be recycled. But you can also optimize the 3D printing process. This means not wasting material and trying to minimize waste during printing.
Reduce filament consumption
Sounds impossible at first, because how exactly are you supposed to influence filament consumption during printing?
There is special software that you can use to optimize the 3D printing model and thus save filament. This includes omitting or reducing details, keeping support structures simple or not printing them.
The software helps you to optimize the printing process, the object and the printing time, so that you can save material and time.
Reduce waste products from aids
Some aids are needed for 3D printing. Whether it's the spool, storage or packaging material, try to reduce waste products.
Geeetech plans to launch a filament without a spool, which can reduce waste. Would you like to know more? Subscribe to our newsletter now to always stay up to date on current developments.
What are the advantages of spools-free filaments?
Filaments without spools or 3D filament on a roll are advantageous in several respects.
- Save space
If you use filament without a spool, you can store the 3D filament compactly and don't have bulky spools that take up a lot of space.
- Save money
Since no spools have to be manufactured and packaged, costs are reduced and the filament is ultimately cheaper for you!
- Environmentally friendly
Spools are additional waste. So if you use filament on a roll, you can reduce waste products. If spools are important to you, you can use reusable spools and wind the filament onto them.
- Flexibility
Certain amounts of filament are wound onto spools, which are then sold as standard. Spool-free filament allows for an individual amount of filament. The provider can send you exactly the amount you need.
- No problems with the spool
Sometimes tangles or snags can occur when a spool is used. Also, in some cases, the spool gets in the way during 3D printing.
These problems can be avoided with spool-free filament.
Conclusion
The importance of sustainability is also growing in the world of 3D printing. There are sustainable and renewable materials for 3D printers. These include, for example, PLA and wood composites. If these are used, 3D printing filament can be recycled by sending it to appropriate providers who take care of recycling the material.
In addition, the printing process can also be designed sustainably. By reducing waste products and using spool-free filaments, you can print 3D in an environmentally friendly way.
Modern software that optimizes the use of 3D printing filament and sustainably adapts the model is a game changer for saving material, time and resources.