Is PLA filament actually biodegradable?

There is a reason why the most popular and widely used 3D printing material for FDM printers is PLA. It’s a very easy to print plastic compared to other materials, which makes it the ideal filament for amateurs. Also, there is a common belief that PLA filament is more sustainable and safer than other materials, giving it that advantage too. Where does this assumption come from? And how sustainable is PLA really? To find an answer to our questions, we spoke with experts and sought their opinions on this subject.

Our experts include Florent Port, the president of Francofil. The company develops and produces a large number of 3D printing filaments in Normandy, France. Nicolas Roux is the CEO of Zimple 3D, he founded the company two years ago now. The solutions offered by Zimple 3D seek to simplify the use of 3D printers with air filter devices for example. Last but not least, we spoke to Jan-Peter Willie, the co-founder of 3D4Makers, a Dutch filament manufacturer with many years of experience in plastic production.

Naturally, our first question was to ask our experts what are the biggest misunderstandings about PLA filament. Our three experts agreed on the biggest misconception, Florent Port explains in simple terms, “It is biodegradable, which implies that it doesn’t matter if you throw it in nature or not.” Nicolas Roux added, “PLA does not emit toxic emissions.” So is PLA truly sustainable? In order to learn more about this material, we focus on its biodegradability, emissions, production and other issues such as recyclability.