The Environmental Benefits of 3D Printing
Think Green and Go for Sustainability
As hobbyists, we love our printers. But let’s be honest: when you’re standing over a vat of toxic resin, a bag full of plastic supports, and a murky container of dirty Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), it’s fair to ask, “Is this hobby bad for the environment?”
The answer is nuanced. It’s not all good, but it’s far from all bad.
The internet is full of “feel-good” articles about 3D printing, but most of them are talking about FDM (plastic filament). As resin printing experts, we believe in being honest about the real challenges of our hobby.
Let’s walk through the actual pros, the cons, and most importantly, the expert steps you can take to be a responsible, sustainable hobbyist.
The “Good”: The REAL Environmental Benefits
The End of the Global Supply Chain: This is our strongest argument. When you print a miniature on demand at home, you eliminate the entire carbon footprint of a global supply chain. That model doesn’t need to be shipped from a factory overseas, put on a container ship, trucked to a warehouse, stored in a climate-controlled building, and then trucked again to your local store or home. You’ve just cut out thousands of miles of carbon emissions.
The End of Overproduction Waste: Traditional manufacturing is inherently wasteful. To sell 5,000 miniatures, a factory might have to mass-produce 10,000, not knowing which ones will be popular. The unsold 5,000 are a waste. You, on the other hand, print exactly one of the models you need when you need it. This on-demand model is a massive win for resource efficiency.
The “Bad”: The Real Challenges of Resin (The Honesty Part)
Hazardous Materials: Uncured liquid resin and the used IPA you clean it with are hazardous waste. They are toxic to aquatic life and cannot be poured down the drain.
Non-Recyclable Plastic Waste: Cured supports, rafts, and failed prints are “thermoset” plastics. Unlike FDM filament (PLA), they cannot be melted down, recycled, or composted. They are, at this time, destined for the landfill.
Consumables: The post-processing workflow uses nitrile gloves, paper towels, and FEP films. These items also become contaminated and end up as landfill waste.
The “How-To”: Your Expert Guide to Responsible Printing
So, what does a responsible hobbyist do? You acknowledge the challenges and handle them like a professional. It’s easy, and it’s the right thing to do.
Solution 1: Cure ALL Your Waste (The #1 Rule) This is the most important rule. Before you throw anything away, you must neutralize it. This includes gloves, paper towels, empty resin bottles, failed prints, and your bag of supports. Place them in the sun or in your UV curing station until they are completely solid and inert. This process turns them from a hazardous chemical into a stable, non-toxic solid plastic that is safe for your standard household landfill.
Solution 2: Recycle and Reuse Your IPA Never, ever pour dirty IPA down the drain. Instead, leave the sealed, contaminated container in the sun for a day. The resin particles suspended in the alcohol will cure and settle to the bottom as a solid “gunk.” You can then carefully filter the (mostly) clean IPA from the top and reuse it 3-4 times. This saves money and dramatically reduces your hazardous waste.
Solution 3: Print Efficiently (The Loot Way) As experts, we optimize our pre-supported files to use the absolute minimum support structure possible, reducing your plastic waste from the start. You can help, too: “nest” your prints. Filling your entire build plate to print many models at once is far more energy-efficient than running your printer for five separate, short prints.
Responsibility is Expertise
Being an eco-conscious hobbyist isn’t about pretending our hobby has no impact. It’s about acknowledging the real challenges and handling them with expertise.
By following these simple steps, you are responsibly managing your waste, neutralizing the environmental risks, and can feel good knowing you’re part of a modern, on-demand solution that’s cutting out global shipping and overproduction. That’s true, sustainable expertise.
Loot Studios can help you paint highly detailed minis, statues, and props. Choose your favorite bundle from our previous releases or sign up for Fantasy or Sci-Fi to receive a new bundle every month. You can also check out some tips on our YouTube Channel.
