The Key Sustainability Challenge 3D Printing Needs to Solve

As the adoption of 3D printing continues to increase, one question that often emerges is: How can we make 3D printing more sustainable?

The 2022 Sculpteo State of 3D Printing Report?exemplified this, with 59% of respondents stating they want more sustainable materials.

To gain insight into what 3D printing professionals believe is the most pressing environmental challenge with regard to material sustainability, I recently conducted a poll on LinkedIn.

Poll Results

Increase Recycled Material Use: 23%

Recycling/Waste Management: 35%

Truly Biodegradable Materials: 42%

Increase Recycled Material Use?for 3D Printing

3D printing with recycled materials offers several environmental advantages. The process of collecting, sorting, and recycling used plastics to create new filaments can drastically reduce virgin material use This not only conserves resources but also lowers energy demands versus producing new plastics.?

Increasing recycled material use is even more pertinent when you consider the fact that, reportedly, 99% of the market is non-recycled filament.

Recycled materials are already used for 3D printing filament, though the vast majority of recycled material used are pre-consumer recycled content - material diverted from the waste stream during a manufacturing process. Whilst post-consumer recycled material provided the greatest environmental impact reduction, it is not as widely used as pre-consumer recycled material due to the inherent challenges of mixed polymer stream, high reprocessing costs and variability in performance and quality.

Recycling and Waste Management for 3D Printing

3D printing, by its very nature, can lead to waste - failed prints, support structures, and leftover materials can accumulate over time. Proper waste management becomes crucial to limit the negative impacts of discarded plastic waste arising from 3D printing. Recent research found that the estimated, annual waste generated by filament-based 3D printing in the UK is approx. 379,000 kg.

However, there is no established end of life (EoL) processing system for 3D printed polymer parts. Because of this, plastic waste generated from 3D printing is rarely recycled and therefore, will typically end up in landfill.

On a more positive note, sustainable solutions to address the environmental challenge are coming to fruition - such as PLA recycling service, 3D Printing Waste.?

That said, financial considerations and doubts over effectiveness are just two of the challenges 3D printing operators identified as barriers to accessing such recycling solutions.?

Biodegradable Materials for 3D Printing

42% respondents identified truly biodegradable materials as the most crucial environmental challenge to solve in 3D printing.

Traditional plastics can take hundreds to thousands of years to decompose. Biodegradable materials, on the other hand, break down naturally over time, reducing environmental impact of plastic pollution.

However, the term "biodegradable" can be misleading. Not all biodegradable materials break down entirely or within a reasonable timeframe. PLA, the most popular 3D printing material, is often marketed as biodegradable, however, its breakdown requires specific conditions found in industrial composting and anaerobic digestion.?

There's no evidence of PLA degrading in soil, home compost, or landfill. Truly biodegradable materials for 3D printing would decompose without leaving any trace, ideally within a few years, in more accessible environments - such as soil or landfill - that would enable 3D printing operators to have a practical route to biodegradation, theoretically eliminating the problem of 3D printing waste.

While biodegradable 3D printer filaments are available, their actual level of biodegradability can differ so it’s always worth checking the manufacturer / brand specifically to ensure this is feasible for your circumstances. Additionally, these materials are considerably more expensive than standard PLA, making them less financially accessible for many 3D printing operators.

Towards Sustainable 3D Printing

"Sustainability is about improvement, not perfection"

The LinkedIn poll results highlight the multifaceted challenges in making 3D printing sustainable. While biodegradable materials were the top concern, it's essential to note that all challenges are interconnected.

Addressing one can have a ripple effect on the others. For instance, increasing the use of recycled materials and having an established EoL processing system for 3D printing waste could potentially reduce the demand for biodegradable ones, especially if economies of scale cannot be achieved to reduce purchasing price for the average consumer.

As industries and professionals, our focus should be on holistic solutions; collaborative efforts, investments in research, and a shared vision for a sustainable future can help us harness the full potential of 3D printing while caring for our planet.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll. We must work together to drive the conversation forward and help make sustainable 3D printing a reality!