does anyone know if there are printers on here using it?

seems the best pla availabe atm, made from corn starch

can anyone recommend (home) compostable filaments?

looking for optimum biodegradability.

thanks

Willowflex got certificate and since EU standards are a bit more strict, sure, it is composable. It is possibly the only filament at the moment.

I don’t think Willowflex is PLA though or at most only some of it is PLA. Quite possibly a TPS-PLA blend!? A polymer is just consist the same chemical unit(s) stitched together in a chain, sort of like Lego. How they are arranged make all the differences.

There are quite a few differences between buzzwords so I would like to simplify a few first:

  • Bioplastics: Meaning they are made from organics materials. As opposed to oil-based or synthesized. It does not mean that they are all biodegradable. You can modify bio-based units until you get oil-based unit. Oil was once organics after all.

  • Biodegradable: Microorganism can “eat” or “break” it over time in (at least) some conditions. As opposed to ABS, PET for example would “break down” instead (due to environment: heat, wind, UV, etc…).

  • Composable: You can throw it in compost bin and expect it to break quite fast.

PLA is a bioplastics and biodegradable. However, in ideal environment (60°C, Oxygen rich, selected compost, and a bunch of microorganisms) it still take months. In nature, PLA still last 400-800 year to biodegrade so please follow local recycle requirements.
It is a heck load faster than ABS (1000-3000 years) and PS (more than 5000 years, nobody know for sure yet) but nowhere near compost level.

Other common biodegradable filaments available now are: PVA, PBS, PES, PHA (usually used to reinforce PLA). Actual data on biodegrade time, if it exist, is difficult to find.

Please also remember that filament don’t just contain thermoplastic(s), manufacturers usually use additive to boost production, make filament stick to glass, better extrusion, reduce temperature, increase/reduce crystallization, filler/structure modifier, colouring, bleaching, fire resistance, etc… Even if you are sure that biodegrade time is short, additives can still not environmental friendly.

thanks for your help! that’s really informative.

so if I was going for optimum biodegradability (ideally home compostable) what filament should I go with?

thanks!

@tournament Willowflex is the only certified filament as far as I can tell. So it´s your best option.
Is there a specific reason for using biodegradable plastics? Practical usage cases seem too limited.

trying to minimise environmental impact and behave responsibly as a manufacturer.

I’m afraid biodegradable is not the biword for environmental friendly! There are many bio thingy that still can have devastate impact on environment.

May I suggest a much more eco friendly option? Recycle. If your business rely on lots of filament plastic then buy an filament extrusion/recycle machine to turn old plastic part to new rolls. Currently a DIY machine cost ~300-500€, you can choose more automated option better suited for businesses.
Also, once you have the machine, buy plastic pellets instead of rolls. Not only it remove the need for spools, business wise you can engineer your own plastic composition as well.

Going with the current political, one example is: Paper cup have larger carbon footprint than plastic cup. Be real though, paper is not known for water and heat resistance, is it? If you want to go into scientific about it, a research paper from Netherland compared their pollution impacts (not just carbon footprint). Paper cup win in 5 category and plastic in the other 5.
The current witch-hunt to replace plastic cups is actually would impact negatively. Human have littering problem not plastic problem.