Barion Pixel

FILATICUM FILAMENTS IN CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Filaticum filaments meet specific industrial needs, they are easy-to-print while being sustainable 3D printing raw materials.

In a circular economy, end-of-life products are not treated as waste but as valuable raw materials. When we have chosen to develop and manufacture PLA composite filaments, it was an important decision factor, that these materials would fit well into the bio-based economy: they are made from natural resources and can be recycled. The feedstock of Filaticum filaments is PLA, a biopolymer produced from plant starch.

In 3D printing, there are three basic methods for recycling unused PLA filaments and objects printed from them:

Mechanical recycling

After shredding the sorted plastic waste, the remelted PLA material can be reused. Only carefully selected shreds without other raw materials can be used as filament feedstock. Mechanical recycling may result in a reduction in the quality of the PLA shreds compared to the original, in which case the shredded PLA pieces are processed as other non-filament feedstock.

Chemical recycling

An advanced solution is chemical recycling, where the PLA polymer chain is hydrolysed to its constituent parts, the resulting lactic acid can be them reused as PLA feedstock and the quality of the PLA can be maintained.

Organic recycling

PLA degrades under industrial composting conditions, further reducing the carbon footprint of additive manufacturing. Excess materials generated during the printing process, as well as unused prototypes and objects printed from PLA, can end up in compost instead of landfill.

3D printing and sustainability

Additive manufacturing supports companies’ sustainability goals, as:

  • it uses only the amount of material needed, there is no or less material waste;
  • thanks to local production, the often long and polluting transportation can be eliminated, and
  • it provides faster reaction times, less downtime and more efficient organization of tasks;
  • rapid replacement with 3D printed parts prevents the replacement or throwing away entire assemblies.

Sustainable production at the Filaticum factory

  • PLA is our key feedstock
  • We use environmentally friendly additives
  • PLA waste is recycled, wherever it is possible
  • Part of our filaments are sold on recycled paper spools
  • Empty plastic spools can be returned in exchange for free filament
  • The spools are delivered in a box made of recycled paper
  • We use only the minimum amount of packaging material necessary
  • Materials are purchased as close as possible
  • We reduce the number of by-products and minimise energy use