Is PLA for 3D printing really biodegradable? I've buried and drowned Benchy for 2 years to find out!

2 years ago, I've burried and drowned a few 3D printed Benchies to see just how biodegradable PLA really is. It's actually much more complicated than you might think.
Special thank you to Stefan from CNC Kitchen for guest appearance! He'll also perform all the tests next year, which I'm very excited for.
* Project PLA update *
Sadly, it appears that ProjectPLA has since shut down, so I've removed the link. If you're looking for an alternative, please check TerraCycle:
www.terracycle.com
* Get in touch *
hobbyhoarder.net
/ hobbyhoarder
/ hobbyhoarder
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* Attributions *
"Biodegradable PLA cups" image by Cmglee.
"PLA tea bags" image by Elke Wetzig.
"Recycling bins" image by Terence Ong.
Some footage by Pressmaster, shakeel akbar and KML (www.pexels.com).
Some sound effects by Cheeseheadburger, InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) and CGEffex.

[@SirYenner]

I printed a "temporary" PLA thing to hold a small solar panel. So far it's survived 6 years of the Australian sun and still going well.

[@ncot_tech]

SirYenner I have a friend who printed some PLA light fittings for his garden, and they’re still fine having survived the British weather for a number of years.

[@butterparty]

What colour did you print it out of interest? I imagine white would probably avoid a lot of the temperature fluctuations of darker colours.

[@SirYenner]

@@butterparty it is a gold colour. Perhaps the gold pigment is proving some UV protection. There is some slight warping, it's seen some 45°C days.

[@Athiril]

Apparently heating and cooling over a number of cycles might actually make it stronger

[@funkysod]

Have parts for my caravan made in PLA. They've been outside, in all weather from freezing to hot, for almost four years. Both black and white parts. Not brittle, the black parts is a tiny bot sun bleached. Hardly able to notice.

[@killdeer]

"Don't print useless things" 1 second later "So I printed 24 hooks"

[@HobbyHoarder]

That's a very valid point. My hope is that the hooks will make up for it if this video convinced someone to print less stuff in the long term. I also didn't throw any of the hooks away, I have a large bin for all of my wasted prints that I'm hoping to be able to recycle or turn into new filament someday.

[@jblacktube]

It's a good thing that he's testing common assertions and revalidating his results in a rigorous way. I've been printing pla with impunity with the apparently wrong belief that it was going to fall apart in a decade or two.

[@NoraIconiq]

@@HobbyHoarder there is a way you can recycle your old or wasted prints and turn them into new filament spools its kinda spendy but certainly worth it. Theres a video on youtube I saw on it. I dont remember who did the video but its pretty easy to find.

[@Paratyphi]

There's no way i send my failed prints to a recycling facility. I prefer having a full bag of them waiting patiently for the day i'll be able to recycle them myself.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Me too, I have a huge bag filled with wasted prints. I'm looking at filament making machines and the only one that's relatively "cheap" seems to be Felfil Evo. Judging from the reviews, it seems to need a lot of tinkering before you get it to work though.

[@Paratyphi]

@@HobbyHoarder Yep. There's not a "perfect" product yet. Maybe one day we will have one that take every pieces you throw a it, grind them, melt them and extrude consistently a usable filament, without having to spend hours tinkering and monitoring it. Or we will keep our huge bags a few decades before finally sending them to a recycling facility.

[@The_oli4]

Just waiting for filabot to become cheaper or my uni finaly buying one i even showed how much it would save them as they print a lot of failed prints and prints that are used for short projects that can be ground up afterwards. no success yet tho.

[@pulsefel9210]

funny i came to this just after watching a video about recycling waste into filaments

[@amelliamendel2227]

Same

[@ColdFuse96]

The part with the plane at the beginning 😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@alunosouza8931]

Cool!!

[@macelius]

XD Great intro to the Stefan (Stephan?) colab.

[@umbratherios5614]

been using plain PLA in my aquarium for more than 2 years. specifically, I printed a filter... and its still working perfectly.

[@SEELE-ONE]

You printed... A WHAT!?

[@Ian-ff2hz]

How?

[@SEELE-ONE]

Dude! Don’t leave us hanging here! We need answers!!!

[@HeavyhandedDame]

I'm glad you mentioned you use it in an aquarium. I was trying to figure out if I could use it in mine!

[@GiovanniMorenoMusic]

How did u manage to pull that off?

[@captainboing]

Wow! Good work. "Don't print useless stuff you don't need" I wear it as a badge of honour that I have never printed a "benchy" in 4 years of printing and thousands of properly useful, small-run production items and tools

[@NightMind0]

I can't boast the same but I keep all my failed prints (all PLA) in storage and planning to get them either shipped to someone with re-filament machine or assemble one myself eventually.

[@LimabeanStudios]

I have no issue printing useless things but I also am saving my plastic to be reformed later on once I have more.

[@ActualCharky]

I do have one (1) benchy, but he sits on top of my printer like a hood ornament and won't be going anywhere anytime soon :)

[@ajlbeer]

Thanks for doing this. It's really something I feared was the case. There should be stricter guidelines on marketing claims like "ECO friendly".

[@ThantiK]

PLA is not _compostable_ it's biodegradable. Under very specific conditions, which require a lot of heat. In fact, in many instances ABS is actually better for the environment because many cities don't have the ability to recycle PLA, but they do have facilities to recycle ABS.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yeah, that's a very interesting point. On the one hand, PLA is better at the start, as it's usually made out of corn starch, while ABS uses petroleum. But at the end, PLA rarely gets recycled.

[@MisterMakerNL]

Not if you print ABS, because the recyclers check the products with the ABS mark. We could start printing the marks on our printed parts, but since most part that I throw away aren't in one piece anymore it would be mostly useless. Also they don't know where to look for the mark on a 3D printed part. So they probably wouldn't bother with it. PLA is still better in my opinion because at least the production is more environmental friendly. Also we know from fumes test of printing abs vs PLA. That PLA has way less toxic fumes. So I think, (but I don't know for sure) that PLA burns way more cleaner in a furnace than ABS.

[@NullHyp]

You mixed up the words “compostable” and “biodegradable”.

[@wookie8975]

@@MisterMakerNL Aren´t reclycling facilitys just scanning the Infrared Transmission/Reflection for sorting plastic? At least that´s what I learned(Including the problem with different coloured coatings)

[@dibblethwaite]

It's degradable under certain conditions but not biodegradable. The enzyme required for the degradation process does not occur in nature so it can't be considered to be biodegradable imo. I suspect that you are right that the degradation products are not suitable for use as compost but I've not been able to find reliable source of this information.

[@dr_j0nes]

Thank you! This opened my eyes. I will now start to collect my failed prints in a separate bin and contact an PLA recycling service when it is full.

[@tistione]

Now that's priority mail! Great special effects with the plane, really improved since the previous video.

[@khatunamna]

I'm doing a PhD on biodegradable microplastic and the reference you used are the ones I have read. The surface area to volume ratio is small if using whole piece to test, maybe grind it to smaller pieces you will see some changes

[@HobbyHoarder]

Good luck with your PhD! I'm sure that's true to an extent, but I doubt most people would be willing to grind down parts before throwing them away.

[@reinux]

@@HobbyHoarder I wonder what would happen if we used the sink waste disposal to grind it up? It'll then go into municipal sewage management... not sure if that's good or bad.

[@lynn6799]

@@reinux I'd suggest using a blender or food processor that you don't care about and won't use for food again.

[@reinux]

@@lynn6799 Before returning it to soil or something?

[@lynn6799]

@@reinux smaller pieces of anything break down faster than larger pieces. I wouldn't use the kitchen disposal to grind plastic. If you do any resin crafts, or even painting of any kind, or make models, you can use the ground up bits to add texture, or create unique color effects in resin. Basically, use it the same way in resin you would glitter or metal flakes.

[@justin_time]

Thank you for presenting the facts, especially in an unbiased manner!

[@marutiroma6295]

A thousand thanks !!!! I was afraid that this would be the case and you had great courage in making this video. I will follow the Project Plan. Thanks again.

[@fsix3451]

Thank you! That is important to know. I always thought it is biodegradable. The video quality is excellent too🙂

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thank you, trying my best :)

[@jolio81]

I'm using 3D printed PLA parts in a product I'm selling. The "biodegradable" aspect of PLA had always worried me until I watched your video. Great information! Thanks!

[@essentials1016]

What product are you selling

[@tzisorey]

I'd be curious to see if mycoremediation could make a difference - bury one in one of those Grow-Mushrooms-At-Home kits, and see how it goes. Maybe try that with different types of plastics - I know that certain mushrooms (oyster mushrooms in particular) are good enough at breaking down hydrocarbon bonds, that they're sometimes used to treat soil that's been contaminated with diesel.

[@jarrenvanman2570]

Thanks for the description update. So many creators don't bother to go back and update their videos. You are awesome!

[@HobbyHoarder]

No problem at all, it's the least I can do :)

[@nicholasweiss4662]

Even though PLA is pretty much not bio degradable it is still better than other plastics like ABS because it is made from renewable resources and apart from processing almost co2 neutral. Even if you burn PLA you only add the co2 that corn plants took from the atmosphere before. If you burn ABS on the other hand, you add co2 that was sealed in the form of oil for millions of years.

[@PotentPrintables]

Great video and very eye opening. Thanks for sharing this information! It will also be interesting to see what the tests in a year show.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thanks! I'm 99% sure the hooks will stay exactly the same, although I'm expecting at least a small amount of warping.

[@asalottin]

Excellent work there and very relevant to put things in perspective -- thank you for sharing. Just subscribed!

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thank you, I really appreciate that!

[@pooson]

Great work! Can't wait for hooks test result.

[@jun9098]

good video. After I made a part for my saltwater aquarium, I searched it because I didnt think pla is going to biodegrade under normal condition. Some People are spreading false info about pla. Pla is plastic, so it is chemically inert, which means it is hard to get biodegrade. Glad I found this video to check the facts.

[@DoctorNemmo]

I made a filter holder for my thermos flask and discovered that the PLA filter became brittle after a few days. Hot water made it very easy to break and decompose. So, if you want to get rid of your PLA... boil it.

[@thezen9]

like most plastic.

[@engineer3d]

Great informative video! More people in 3D printing should be aware of this and work towards more recyclable solutions!

[@brandielee7971]

Agreed. Ive been doing a lot of looking into wood filiment

[@themecatronicaproject1670]

A great video! A sad conclusion though. PLA's degradability was one my proudest reasons for using it on my prints.

[@HobbyHoarder]

I keep all of my failed prints in a large bag. I'm hoping that someone will start taking it and turning it into new fillaments. Or if nothing else, that the filament making machines will become cheap enough that I could buy one and re-use all the old waste.

[@Lew0t]

I would love to see a video on the second test with the hooks! Sad to see that you haven't uploaded anything in a while, but hoping that it'll show up soon. Currently considering getting a 3D printer for plant production purposes so this test and analysis is really valuable.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thank you for getting in touch. Yeah, it's been a while, but I'm hoping to get the channel moving again. We've relocated and I'm still busy with renovations. If your only concern is printed items lasting in soil, then I wouldn't worry. I have a feeling you could do it for decades, as long as it's not too hot.

[@c.j.1089]

You should print a single layer and bury that. That will get you a much more accelerated idea of what is happening. Even heavily biodegradable products would show little degradation over such a short period of time.

[@lynn6799]

Thanks. You just saved me a lot of time, money and work because I was looking at spending money on aquarium safe resin to coat my pla in so I could make unique plant support structures. Now I know that I definitely don't need it.

[@luisfmoralesjr5221]

Great idea. Very informative. I can see you put in a out of time researching this. I’m very new to 3D printing and was excited to know that PLA was eco friendly/biodegradable. Now I’m disappointed that the manufacturers are misleading us. Sure it is biodegradable but only under expensive and unique conditions. Very sad. I guess the source (starch) of the material still provides some validity in being eco friendly. Thanks for the info and your other great videos. I am learning a lot from them. You have a new subscriber.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thank you Luis, I appreciate your kind words and I'm very happy to hear you're liking my videos. Yeah, PLA seems better than ABS (petrolium based) in that regard, but we're not there yet. I've seen PLA used more and more in eco-aware restaurants, so I'm hoping this will also increase pressure for actually recycling it.

[@Lola-qw1ih]

This is great stuff, thank you for this experiment!

[@AudreyRobinel]

I printed multiple aquarium filters in PLA. The held perfectly for years (i replaced the ones i don't use anymore with something better, not because it failed : a few years after designing stuff i progressed in CAD :)) I also have PLA meshes to support aquarium plants, no change after years (up to 4-5 years now). Aquariums are heavily filled with bacteria and microfauna, so it's a really active ecosystem, that should alleviate the "you used tap water" comments. Plus the filters are the part with most biological activity on it in a well established aquarium... I even have some PLA parts buried in the substrate of my planted aquariums, so they see aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In all cases, no change after multiple years (more than 2 years in that case).

[@gladiatormechs5574]

are they still holding up in your AQUARIUM now again 2 years later

[@AudreyRobinel]

@@gladiatormechs5574 The did hold for quite some time, until i decomissioned the aquariums. I still have some bits of it, but i don't have time to maintain aquariums as of now.

[@gladiatormechs5574]

@@AudreyRobinel would you say that they held up until you took down your tank , or did they fall apart and then you took down your AQUARIUM ?..THANK YOU.

[@AudreyRobinel]

@@gladiatormechs5574 They definitely held up fine in the tank! No degradation notable after removal. I have a friend that also print stuffs for his aquarium, no issues either. I did also print PLA parts that served as soil holder for an aquascape, so they were burried in the soil. No damage after 3-4 years at least. My friend had the air driven filters with some parts made of PLA; we tried loads of stuff, nothing to see as much as an issue. We printed twinstar like structures, the metal degraded, not the plastic.

[@gladiatormechs5574]

@@AudreyRobinel thank you for your time.

[@Jackson_Zheng]

The fact that pla was biodegradable was the reason why I avoided using it for my prints! If I spend money printing a part, I want that part to last. It's such a shame I didn't find this video earlier. I would've wasted a lot less time with other materials like PETG (too sticky) and ABS (too warpy), and just printed all my parts out of pla

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yeah, PLA is really easy to print with. PETG still has its use when you need a strong part, but for something that will sit on your desk, PLA is good enough. A variant of the ABS that's also very useful is ASA; it's strong like ABS, but has high UV resistance so it's perfect for things that will be left outside in the sun.

[@hammersbald7612]

This reminds me of the people who claimed to be able to compost all sorts of materials. Yeah by blasting the crap out of it with a military grade UV light, grinding it down and calling it done.

[@MyMiniCraft]

the pla its eco friendly because its a plant base material, not because its biodegradable. but love this test very curious to see what happen, thank you for the video.

[@Giraldtec]

Wow! This really is eye opening! Great research!

[@tomekhekin914]

Very good video. A was wondering what to do with my failed prints. Thank you for explaining.

[@aleximichaud5889]

Cant wait to see the results. Very well put together experiment.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thank you, doing my best :)

[@KimOyhus]

Decomposing of about 50% was what I got when I had a PLA print in my aquarium for 3.4 years. The oxygen in the water might help a lot. Anaerobic rotting is slower.

[@revimfadli4666]

Maybe your aquarium somehow has the microbes that produce the specific enzymes that could degrade PLA?

[@pointyflyer155]

Did the aquarium have any animals in it?

[@KimOyhus]

@@pointyflyer155 The aquarium had fish in it. The fish did not touch the PLA.

[@pointyflyer155]

@@KimOyhus I wonder why. If it gave off some sort of aura that the fish didn't like?

[@KimOyhus]

@@pointyflyer155 No. The fish treated it like any irrelevant stone.

[@tombert512]

I wonder if part of the reason the results were underwhelming was because the filament is densely packed, with a very low relative surface area for degradation to kick in. I would be interested in seeing how the material degrades if you shredded it into a powder first.

[@ButlerOfTheC]

Wow, super well made video. More people need to see this.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thank you Quinn! Here's hoping your words come true :)

[@brawndo8726]

Thank you for making this. I was already aware of the disingenuous claim, but it's fairly obvious it hasn't become common knowledge.

[@scienteer3562]

You have a new subscriber here. Great video. It might also be worth checking what plastic your filament spools are made of.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thank you! I think most spools are made from ABS. I've seen a few attempts at using cardboard spools instead, but that's quite rare.

[@RCtime]

Very interesting. Well done!

[@20EsOfficial]

loved the 'air mail' scene!

[@KarlLew]

PLA is great. I use it for garden fittings with full sun exposure. Earthen colored PLA lasts longer than natural, even longer than white HDPE. Broken PLA goes in the garbage can. I therefore use it sparingly. I dont have the space for wood CNC.

[@shemp308]

Good job! this is a question I have wondered about for a few years! So much for biodegradable.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thanks! It's technically still degradable, but more efforts should be put into actually doing it.

[@Shep01]

i figured this was the deal early on and have diligently collected every fine hair and piece of pla that had come out of that printer... there is a box of shame all the fails and outlines go in... i figured i will melt it in to a hammer head some day.. all types pla/ pla +/nylon/ PETG/abs all sorted. I recommend the same to anyone getting in to this hobby.

[@88Timur88Bahmudov88]

Great video quality! Got something to think about, thanks for your video, subscribed :)

[@evanbarnes9984]

First video of yours I've seen, and you won a new subscriber in me the instant I saw the stack of Discworld novels!

[@HobbyHoarder]

Hehe, always happy to see a fellow Discworld fan :) I'm close to finishing my collection and then I'll build the blue wooden shelf that's showcased in the Corgi editions.

[@morganfreeman5171]

This was really interesting, thanks !

[@danielguy1891]

I appreciate this real-life test.

[@madkvideo]

Whoa, what an eye opener! We have to be more careful with our prints then

[@independentthought3390]

Yes definitely, however, there is still a big difference between PLA and other plastics, PLA is not as toxic as most other plastics.

[@yetbog]

Great video man! this 11 minute video felt like a 3 minute video: well timed, nice editing, clear and straight to the point. You have a new suscriber! I do 3D animation and I was really tempted to buy a 3D printer because of the "biodegradable" PLA plastic, but now I'm hesitating... do you know if there is an affordable compostable or eco-friendly filament? Or, in your opinion, what is the less pollutant filament? Thanks for sharing your knowledge :)

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thank you Juan, I'm very happy to hear that and I really appreciate every subscriber. I haven't come across any filament that would be easily compostable at home. I'm actually thinking of trying that in my further tests, but I doubt I'll have any luck. As mentioned in the video, you need a constant heat of around 60'C for months, something that I can't imagine being feasible in a garden or house. However, that shouldn't keep you from buying a 3D printer. While the plastic itself might not be as eco-friendly as you hope for, it's still better if you print something yourself vs. ordering it online and having it shipped to you across the world. There's also the option of grinding down printed objects and creating new filament from them. It's not cheap, but you wouldn't have to throw anything away. Here's a great video on this topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKK6qIiubdGSf9E

[@yetbog]

@@HobbyHoarder Thank you for the response, that was really useful! Keep doing great videos, cheers from Colombia!

[@HobbyHoarder]

@@yetbog Thank you, and also for being the first (as far as I know) subscriber from Colombia, I'm very excited about that!

[@jolio81]

I don't believe a better alternative exists. There are bench-scale machines available that allow you to convert scrap PLA (or other thermoplastics) back into filament. If you bought one, you could be your local PLA recycler! ;)

[@garrickstokes]

Fascinating! Thanks very much for this. I usually print in PLA and now I know I can use it for a much wider range of applications than I believed previously. (Sub and like!)

[@HobbyHoarder]

Happy to hear that, thank you :) Yep, PLA can be used outside just fine, as long as it's not in a car or somewhere that can get really hot during the summer.

[@agepbiz]

Great video! I was kind surprised that the PLA did not show any sign of deterioration

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thanks! Yeah, same here, I was 100% certain I would see at least something, even a few marks from worms or something. But nope, apart from being a little dirty, nothing at all.

[@gladiatormechs5574]

@@HobbyHoarder can you now do a 3 year update on what is happening.. is it still holding together like new ?

[@HobbyHoarder]

@@gladiatormechs5574 Yes, the original Benchies are still the same. My wife put one on a Christmas tree and another one in the garden. I think it you use a good quality PLA, it will outlast all of us.

[@tylertinkey3840]

Excellent work!

[@test-zz4gm]

Very informative, thank you!

[@TheFloatingSheep]

I mean, its durability in itself is a good argument for switching from petroleum based polymers to agricultural feedstock based polymers. Ultimately the world will always need durable polymers. But we could definitely do with new alternatives for single use packaging. Though I suppose, ultimately, the majority of plastic packaging is expected to deal with high levels of moisture for relatively long times, and as such, it implies they must be waterproof, otherwise paper would be used, and waterproof materials are typically much harder to compost to any extent. Perhaps we should design polymers which are much more sensitive to UV light.

[@alexanderthomas2660]

I have stuck a PLA print in the soil next to a potted plant that has been sitting outside (during the months when there is no frost), in rain and sun, for more than 3 years. The part still looks the same… I have collected almost all my 3D printed waste so far, with the plan to either try to extrude it into usable filament, or at least deliver it somewhere it can be processed.

[@whatsername101010]

I've been collecting all of mine also. Let me know if you find a place to recycle it! I have nothing locally.

[@jeffl6394]

I'm 19 months into a two year experiment myself. I knew PLA wouldn't break down in water, since I've had PLA in several aquariums for more than two years and they show no signs of degradation or changes in water parameters. There isn't enough heat or bacteria in my yard to promote degradation either. However, I put a full Benchy and multiple pieces of support scrap into my 120 gallon composter, where the temperature often reaches 150F or higher. I've checked it every six months. After six months, the PLA scrap was brittle but otherwise intact. The Benchy was pitted, but otherwise whole. After a year, the scrap showed noticeable degradation and the Benchy was falling apart at the layer lines. At 18 months, I couldn't find most of the scrap and the Benchy was in multiple pieces. I expect the Benchy will be mostly gone by the two year mark.

[@HobbyHoarder]

That's actually great news! People have been commenting that I should have used a composter as well, so it's great to hear it actually works if the conditions are right. How about you upload a video about it, we'd love to see the results!

[@GabrielAlejandroZorrilla]

Jeff, really interested in your experiement. Would like to see a video or paper!

[@gladiatormechs5574]

are your AQUARIUM PLA parts still holding up now 2 years again in the fish tank water ?

[@jeffl6394]

@@HobbyHoarder I actually forgot all about my experiment. The composter has been sitting in the back field since I checked at the 18 month mark. I will try to find the time to open it up and take pictures once the weather calms down.

[@jeffl6394]

@@gladiatormechs5574 I have a lot of PLA prints in my aquariums. I've found that they last for years if undisturbed, but after a couple of years underwater, they become very brittle. A few months ago, I tore down an aquarium I scaped with printed pieces in 2019. The prints all looked as sound as when I added them to the tank, but when I moved the largest piece it broke in multiple places. The only issue I've run into is a piece I printed with PLA+ last year. I put it into an established tank and the following day it was covered in a weird slime and my TDS was extremely high. Whatever Inland adds to PLA to make it PLA+ was not suitable for my aquarium.

[@alunosouza8931]

This test is very interesting!!

[@Beehive66]

Thanks for this. Well done.

[@jamiedubs8582]

Ey thank you all for the nice Comments, it really helped me. And thank you so much for the Video.

[@NoraIconiq]

This is good information as I wanted to make some pla prints that would be exposed to bioactive enviroments and was worried they would break down rendering them unusable over time but seems that might not be the case.

[@3dprinterchatcom]

Love your video! The plane idea was really cool! /Daniel

[@St0RM33]

This video needs more views!!

[@mauriciobailey4725]

The biggest issue is that PLA is “biodegradable” but not “compostable” (I believe someone mentioned this before in another comment). The difference I image is that compostable means you can throw it in a compost pile and let natural plants and organisms (bugs and bacteria) break the material down, either consuming it or turning it into simpler macro-molecules. biodegradable is still safer for the environment when produced, and when it falls apart, unlike traditional plastics. But it probably still requires assistance to decompose (it needs to be placed in a specialized environment, manually sheared, and/or exposed to specific types of bacteria). If anyone knows of any natural materials that will degrade and are compostables please let me know, I want to start a list. I'm thinking certain types of glues combined with some cellulose might make interesting materials.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yeah, you pretty much summed it up nicely. The bigger problem is I think that most people don't know there's a difference. If someone hears "biodegradable", I'll bet anything they don't think of large recycling plants. I don't think there's any compostable filament for 3D printing, at least I haven't been able to find it. There are more and more manufactures that recycle old plastic bottles into new spools though, so I think that's the best option right now. From what I'm seeing, PETG can be made 100% from old bottles, while PLA is a mix of 80% bottles and 20% new PLA.

[@qdmc12]

This makes sense, about two years ago I printed a hair trap for my shower drain. I recently had to replace it after had become very brittle and cracked (and been repaired) several times. It was in the perfect condition for biodegrading - heat, moisture and microbes.

[@wolf2965]

Soap + water acts as a weak alkaline (basic) solution - PLA is weak to it, and it embrittles them. Unlikely to be caused by just heat (unless showers you take are 55+ Celsius...) or moisture, let alone the microbes.

[@qdmc12]

@@wolf2965 Hmm, I'll have to test this further.

[@92weru]

Thank you for this video and proving the fact! Have you tryied similar test with hemp based filament?

[@HobbyHoarder]

No, I can't say I've ever heard of that type of filaments.

[@modellking]

I live in an area in Germany where PLA was collected separately until the beginning of the year... (I worked holidays at the collection thing: They have sold it separately, too) Yes they switched to one bag recycling for convenience...

[@HobbyHoarder]

Interesting, where was that? (I also live in Germany).

[@andresouza2314]

Some parts in my bathroom loosened strength in about 3 years. I also lose a roll after the same time(stored). I live in amazon jungle. Here is very hot and humid.

[@CoreMaster111]

Even my PETG parts in heat and humidity lose strength and start deforming.

[@timderks5960]

I've actually experienced PLA degrading myself, but it was very minimal under pretty extreme circumstances. It was a shield for an impact sprinkler, printed in the cheapest possible black PLA. As such, it got wet pretty much every single day during the summer, and got pounded by the sun. With it being a very thin part (just a couple of mm), it started deforming and splitting between layers pretty quickly. Probably for a large part, this was down to the PLA getting soft from the heat of the sun. It was also more brittle, probably due to UV radiation. The water didn't really seem to have an effect, except for putting a rusty coating on the plastic (rusty groundwater). In reality, I suspect that the most damaging thing to PLA would be the sun, mostly UV radiation, and the absorption of that heat and radiation is heavily dependent on the color of the material.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yep, that's a very good point. It probably got "sanded" away by the water force as well. I saw someone make a filter for fish tank and it got ruined pretty quickly. They thought PLA degraded, but in reality, it was simply sanded away by the small particles in the water.

[@ThanosSustainable]

You should also throw a bunch of hooks into a compost bin.

[@TheSunriseAnimation]

nice video, if you have a compost pile, or know someone with one, you could burry a few of the hooks in there too, see if it makes a difference to just the dirt underneath your lawn.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yeah, I've received several suggestions like that, it's a shame I didn't think of it earlier. I'm hoping someone else does a similar experiment and includes that as well.

[@catpaintypo8869]

I built a bracket for a drainpipe. The PLA one lasted 6 months in all weathers whereas the PETG one has lasted 4 years so far.

[@ballsrgrossnugly]

I just looked up a site that had the specifics of composting this stuff, you need a big, hot compost pile, usually industrial but a home compost can get that hot if it's big enough and looked after apparently. The microbes that break it down live between something like 100 and 140F I think the site said? Might have been C, now I can't actually remember that part. It did still take about twice as long as the normal compost to break down as well, the guy testing it had to put the remnants back into another compost cycle to get it all broken down. EDIT: apparently that was in F, I hadn't watched the whole video. hahaha.

[@robonator2945]

from what I've heard and researched these hot conditions also occur in landfills and such as well. ("landfill" makes people think "oh they just dump tons of trash in a big pile" but they're actually pretty bloody in-depth and carefully engineered)

[@cosmo9882]

Thank you for this information, the things I haven't done because I thought that PLA would degrade in the environment it would've been intended for, you have reopened some old projects. 👍

[@HobbyHoarder]

Happy to hear that. And please come back and let us know if you have different experience, it's hard to be certain about anything with just one small test.

[@cosmo9882]

@@HobbyHoarder I will do thank you again 👍😎👍

[@vhslostandfound]

Before getting into 3D printing, I was concerned about the environmental impact and was reassured by the ubiquitous 'biodegradable' claims for PLA-as someone who now LOVES the hobby, I'm bummed to discover it's pretty much a lie ☹️. I was relieved to hear about ProjectPLA.com but it sadly appears to be unavailable. Hopefully something similar becomes available soon. Thanks for the great information 👍

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yeah, same here, I now always think more about whether I really have to print something or not. As for ProjectPLA, I was sad to hear it's gone under. I guess too few people were willing to pay for the box. I did find another similar service, so you might have more luck there: www.terracycle.com I also began using more and more stuff from Filamentive (based in UK, but I think they sell worldwide). A lot of their filaments are made completely from recycled plastic and there's no loss in quality whatsoever.

[@Krytern]

John, it isn't a lie. What he did here does not test if it is biodegradable, he is testing if it is compostable. To biodegrade PLA you have to heat it up, very hot, as well as have it very wet. You don't just bury it and it magically happens no one claims this.

[@michaelbronnenberg5626]

My experience with running a pool, lots of things sitting outside in the sun, is that plastics that are colored break down much slower in the sun than plastics that are white. I assume the darker pigments protect the plastic somehow. I'm curious to see if you get the same result with the white hooks stored outside.

[@flytrapjohn]

Excellent content. Thank you.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@NefariousElasticity]

Well, now I want to build a compost bin for PLA that would provide the proper environment for it to biodegrade. Six months in a bin in my garage isn't nearly as bad as several life times in a landfill.

[@VoltisArt]

60 C / 140 F or higher is fairly energy intensive to maintain for six solid months, even in the hottest deserts on Earth. That's not including the special bacteria or high-oxygen environment. ( 7:20 ) This is likely to be much more expensive than any recycling method, and both composting and recycling may be much more harmful to the environment than the _mostly_ toxin-neutral bulk added to a landfill. This isn't an easy problem and unfortunately an easy solution hasn't been introduced. Only time will tell if that changes; hopefully this and other environmental issues are brought into better balance before we hit a point where we can't thrive on this planet anymore.

[@snakosaurus]

I printed some hose fittings and other bits for my fresh-water aquarium from PLA about a year ago. All submerged parts got discolored and started literally crumpling to bits recently. I actually had to re-print most of the parts from ABS. I wonder if there are brand differences. My spool of PLA would become brittle and would break inside the feed tube even before entering the extuder if left unused for too long. Or maybe aquariums do have the right mix of bacteria.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Few brands seem to be much worse in this regard, I'm thinking they're using some other type of (cheap) filler that gets brittle very quickly.

[@privatinstitutmunchen870]

Thank you for this information. I have since 2 days a 3D printer and now I will just print, what I really need. Maybe someone will start to make new fillament out of the failed prints.

[@HobbyHoarder]

I really hope so! Fillamentive is already making stuff from recycled PLA, so that's a good place to start.

[@Siamect]

Many of my PLA parts I printed a few years ago and that has been in my living room the whole time has turned into fragments, simply falling apart by themselves... I think some manufacturers are using additives to prevent this from happening because some of the parts I printed has survived fine...

[@HobbyHoarder]

I've found cheaper brands to be flimsier to work with. Maybe they're mixing some cheaper, lower quality plastic with their PLA, which is what causes the degradation.

[@victorlin4645]

Thank you for doing this. Unfortunately, Project PLA doesn’t exist anymore :(

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yeah, I'm afraid they soon went out of business. Check out TerraCycle, it's the closest thing I could find.

[@OWLyMULLET]

5:23 beautiful '8" last digit to the right

[@HobbyHoarder]

Hehe, yeah, like most engineers, my handwriting is terrible :D

[@norm401]

Excellent!

[@DerEineDaniel]

I am wondering if it's enough to put it in your own compost. The conditions are very similar and I can imagine that micro organisms adapt while they're at it. It would surely take more than 6 months but I think you could see a difference at least at very thin parts. Will test that.

[@dl5244]

Any results?

[@3dpprofessor]

Excellent video. The argument that I've heard (from Adrian Bowyer, actually) is that PLA can be made from renewable resources, and not petrolium products, and is therefore a win for the environment in it's production. But that's *if* they create it from natural sources, like the alge created PLA you showed. Is it still a win overall? That's difficult to say. That said, I know people with a composing pile in their backyard that could probably break it down. It's just a question of getting a living composing pile and turning it regularly. I live in a rural area, so those folks have chickens doing the turning for them.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yes, production is definitely in favor of PLA in terms of raw ingredients. Hehe, how about you throw something on that pile and then make a video about it? I'd love to see your experience with it.

[@3dpprofessor]

@@HobbyHoarder The problem with a proper composting pile is finding it later. Those piles are in constant motion and, like you said, it takes 6 months. Still, I'll ask and see.

[@pugnate666]

Project PLA was news for me Thank you for pointing me towards it! Sadly the website is just saying "coming soon" and all other links are broken. Is it dead already?

[@HobbyHoarder]

You're right, there's definitely something going on. I haven't heard anything about them going out of business, although I've just checked and the Twitter account is gone as well. So I'm sad to say it does seem like it's over for them. There's also another service doing something similar if you're interested - www.terracycle.com

[@TheHDreality]

Can I suggest keeping one of the hooks wet and one dry in an achievable version of an artificially hot environment? For example near ceiling of a tall greenhouse can become >50C even as far north as my hometown. Basically if I could theoretically achieve any biodegradation at home with just the heat and moisture needed but not the enzymes, it seems like something worth finding out.

[@HobbyHoarder]

I've had several similar suggestions, so I'm definitely thinking of trying it out.

[@JoakimGulbrandsen]

Seeing this made me ass, that I can't watch part 2 yet....then happy that the video is already 10 months old 😅

[@HobbyHoarder]

I'm afraid part 2 will be delayed a bit, as we're in the process of moving. I think spring/summer is more realistic. Sorry to keep you waiting!

[@JoakimGulbrandsen]

@@HobbyHoarder I'll add it in my calendar 🤭

[@ivans3806]

One way to tackle the waste might be including filament recycling device with every 3d-printer sold. There's this Russian guy on KZbin called Brother. He prints with different wacky/crazy stuff: strips cut off of PET bottles, filament extruded from disposable plastic cutlery etc. If someone would improve on his designs and more people would recycle their failed/old prints in place - it would be better for the world.

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yeah, I really wish there were more local options that would take waste prints/filament and recycle it into new spools.

[@maurofoti526]

Anything that is biodegradable in a couple of years underground would also be on a shelf. Imagine if every plastic object you have around the house had to be replaced every 3 years. One of the best (and worst) aspects of plastic is that, whilr being cheap, it is incredibly resistant to the environment, it does not rot like wood nor it rusts like metals. Of course such an important and dangerous resource should be handled more responsibly, but it would be impossible to get both benefits

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yeah, plastic is really both a blessing and a curse. I'm switching all of my filaments to ones made from recycled plastic or bottles. The color selection is getting better and better as well.

[@michal_king478]

the plane part was amazing dude xD

[@HobbyHoarder]

Thank you, I like it the most as well :)

[@matoumakes]

Nice video! Thank you for calling attention to this! Unfortunately it looks like the ProjectPLA doesn't exist any more. The website doesn't work and a google search doesn't really give useful results on it. Is there any alternative?

[@HobbyHoarder]

Yeah, it seems to have gone under a few months after I've made the video. The only alternative that I could find is this: www.terracycle.com

[@rohun7867]

haha, love the plane clip!

[@williambelr]

I suggest you let some hooks soak in dilute NaOH so that it undergoes hydrolysis

[@K.E.L-117]

Informative thank you

[@DrazCreates]

Was this test even necessary considering the chemical composition is know and also the conditions needed to make it biodegradable: "Industrial composting conditions, i.e. controlled temperature and humidity in the presence of micro-organisms, are necessary for PLA to be truly degradable"

[@HobbyHoarder]

Nothing is necessary as such, but how many people will actually go look online for journal papers dealing with the subject? I wanted to present that in a more approachable way.

[@DrazCreates]

@@HobbyHoarder true, i thought it was common knowledge ... The place where I buy PLA have that message as a warning sign do you don't just discard it thinking it will degrade anyway.