Most 3D printer filament cannot go in your curbside recycling bin, but you have several real options: mail-in recycling programs, local maker spaces that collect print waste, and desktop machines that let you turn scraps back into usable filament yourself. The right choice depends on how much waste you produce and what you’re willing to spend.
Why Curbside Recycling Won’t Work
The U.S. recycling system uses seven resin identification codes to sort plastics. PLA, the most common 3D printing material, doesn’t have a code in that system. ABS technically falls under code 7 (“other”), but municipal recycling facilities are set up to handle bottles, containers, and packaging, not small, oddly shaped printed parts. There are simply no recycling codes for the majority of 3D printing polymers in the U.S. system, which means sorters at your local facility will pull them out and send them to landfill even if you toss them in the bin.
The physical form of 3D printed scraps creates problems too. Support structures, failed prints, and filament purge blobs are small, irregular pieces that jam sorting equipment. Even if your material is technically recyclable plastic, facilities reject items that don’t match the shapes their machines expect.
TerraCycle’s Mail-In Program
TerraCycle sells a dedicated 3D Printing Materials Zero Waste Box that accepts filament scraps, failed prints, support material, and empty spools. You fill the box, ship it back with the included label, and TerraCycle processes the material. The small box costs $195, with medium and large options at $226 and $352 respectively. If you’re buying 15 or more boxes (for a school, company, or maker space), the price drops to $189 per box.
This is the most straightforward option if you just want your waste handled responsibly, but the cost makes it impractical for hobbyists who only generate a few kilograms of scrap per year. It’s better suited to makerspaces, university labs, and print farms that accumulate waste quickly. Penn State’s Maker Commons, for example, keeps a TerraCycle collection box in their 3D printing lab and ships it back once full.
University and Maker Space Collection Points
Some university libraries and community maker spaces run their own filament recycling programs. Penn State’s Maker Commons collects failed prints and scraps in a dedicated bin, then routes the material to TerraCycle. They also offer to hand over collected print waste to anyone with a different reuse plan. Check with maker spaces, public libraries with 3D printers, and university fabrication labs in your area. Many that operate 3D printers already deal with significant waste and may have a collection system you can contribute to, even if they don’t advertise it publicly.
Recycling Filament at Home
If you generate enough waste to justify the investment, desktop filament extruders can grind your scraps and re-extrude them into printable filament. These machines range from DIY kits to semi-professional units.
- Felfil DIY Project Pack: Budget option, produces roughly 1 kg of filament every 7 to 10 hours.
- 3devo Filament Maker Two: Up to 1 kg per hour with better diameter consistency.
- Noztek Pro: About 1 kg per 2 hours. Noztek’s higher-end Xcalibur model handles larger loads at 2 kg per hour but costs around $10,600.
- Filabot EX6: Industrial-grade at roughly 4.5 kg per hour, designed for continuous production.
- RepRap Recyclebot: Open-source design, about 1 kg per 2.5 hours.
A cheaper alternative is pultrusion, where machines like the Polyformer or Pullstruder pull strips cut from plastic bottles through a heated die to create filament. The catch: each bottle only yields about 20 grams of filament, so you’ll need to splice many short lengths together for any real print job.
Preparing Scraps for Home Recycling
Sorting is critical. A single PETG or ABS part mixed into a PLA batch can ruin the entire spool. Color sorting matters too: if you grind everything together, you’ll end up with a muddy brownish filament. Separate by color first, pulling out any prints that look different or contain additives like carbon fiber or metal fill.
One practical way to verify PLA: heat your sorted parts to around 60°C (140°F) and squeeze them. PLA becomes noticeably soft at that temperature, while PETG, ABS, and polycarbonate stay rigid. Reject anything that doesn’t soften. Before shredding, blow off dust and debris with compressed air. Any particle that makes it into your recycled filament can clog a 0.4 mm nozzle during printing.
What About Composting PLA?
PLA is marketed as biodegradable, but it won’t break down in a backyard compost pile. Industrial composting facilities maintain temperatures of 55 to 60°C with around 60% moisture content, and real-world facilities often run even hotter, averaging above 62°C. Under those conditions, PLA breaks down within months. Home composting operates between 20 and 30°C, which is far too cool to decompose PLA in any reasonable timeframe. Your failed PLA prints will sit in a home compost bin essentially unchanged for years.
If you have access to a municipal industrial composting facility that accepts bioplastics, PLA can go there. But many facilities don’t accept it because it looks identical to conventional plastic and complicates their sorting process. Call your local facility before dropping off a bag of Benchys.
Don’t Forget the Spools
Empty filament spools are their own waste stream. Cardboard spools go straight into your regular recycling bin. Plastic spools are trickier: they’re usually polypropylene or polystyrene, which are technically recyclable but not always accepted locally. Some filament brands have shifted to cardboard specifically to simplify disposal. If spool waste bothers you, look for brands that offer cardboard spool options or sell filament on refillable master spools.
For the spools you already have, common reuses include cable organizers, storage for small hardware, or holiday wreath frames. Maker communities frequently post creative repurposing ideas, and many local maker spaces accept donated spools for reuse.