PLA
Does PLA biodegrade, or does it just break down over time?
By SSS
Published . Updated .
- Nozzle190–230 °C(374–446 °F)
- Bed25–60 °C(77–140 °F)
- Speed40–60 mm/s
- Dry55 °C · 6 h(131 °F)
- Density1.17 g/cm³
Heat resistance: HDT 60 °C (140 °F) (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) · Vicat 63 °C (145 °F) (ISO 306) · Tg 61 °C (142 °F) · source →
Heat resistance: HDT 58 °C (136 °F) (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa) · Vicat 63 °C (145 °F) (ISO 306) · Tg 61 °C (142 °F) · source →
Bed, Speed, Drying, Density. Source: Polymaker product page · Last checked 14 October 2026
Ranked filaments
| Rank | Filament | Nozzle | Bed | Datasheet | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polymaker · Polylite PLA | 190–230 °C374–446 °F | 25–60 °C77–140 °F | Datasheet | |
Catalog nozzle 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) and bed 25–60 °C (77–140 °F). Heat dataset checked 21 October 2026 lists heat deflection 60 °C (140 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 58 °C (136 °F) at 1.8 MPa, ISO 75, Vicat 63 °C (145 °F) under ISO 306, and glass transition 61 °C (142 °F). Drying on the technical data sheet is 55 °C (131 °F) for 6 h, checked 18 October 2026. No compost certification is stored on the row. | |||||
| 2 | Bambu Lab · PLA Basic | 190–230 °C374–446 °F | 35–45 °C95–113 °F | Datasheet | |
Technical data sheet nozzle 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) and bed 35–45 °C (95–113 °F). Drying stored from that sheet is 50 °C (122 °F) for 8 h. The row does not store a compost standard. Print temperatures are not a biodegradation claim. | |||||
| 3 | Anycubic · PLA Basic | 190–230 °C374–446 °F | 55–65 °C131–149 °F | Datasheet | |
Catalog nozzle 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) and bed 55–65 °C (131–149 °F), Open Filament Database, verified 13 October 2026. Drying maximum stored on the row is 50 °C (122 °F). No compost certification is stored. NatureWorks' resin list is not a certificate for this spool. | |||||
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PLA can be composted as a resin in an industrial or municipal compost facility, on the terms NatureWorks publishes. That is not the same as a print rotting on a shelf, in a landfill, or in a backyard bin. Old filament, PLA outdoors, recycling, and creep cover brittleness, weather, scrap, and slow bending.
What NatureWorks certifies
The NatureWorks regulatory affairs page, read 27 October 2026, says Ingeo is compostable in municipal and industrial facilities where available, and that it is suitable for industrial composting systems which regulate temperature, moisture, and aeration. In the United States, NatureWorks says compost testing was carried out to ASTM D6400 and that listed grades carry BPI certification as supplied from the factory. The grades named there for that certificate are 2003D, 2500HP, 3001D, 3052D, 3251D, 4032D, 4043D, and 4060D. In Europe, the same grade list is what NatureWorks places under its DIN CERTCO certificate to EN 13432.
The page says any later addition of additives or colorants has to pass the required tests. It also says a customer cannot use the BPI or Seedling logo on a product without certifying the end product. A spool of colored PLA is not automatically that resin grade. PolyLite PLA, Bambu PLA Basic, and Anycubic PLA do not store a compost logo in this catalog.
The page does not give a number of years, months, or days for a printed part indoors, in a landfill, or in a home pile. No lifespan is added here.
Heat softening is a different measurement
PolyLite PLA's technical data sheet, checked 21 October 2026, lists a heat-deflection temperature of 60 °C (140 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 58 °C (136 °F) at 1.8 MPa, ISO 75. The lighter load is 0.45 MPa. The heavier load is 1.8 MPa. Vicat softening is 63 °C (145 °F), ISO 306. Glass transition is 61 °C (142 °F). Those temperatures say when a test bar bends or softens. They do not say when a part biodegrades.
What the community says
a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting says PLA is only compostable in an industrial setting, at a specific pressure and temperature, and that marking a print as compostable would lead people to put it in a home composter or in household food waste.
a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting says there are effectively no filaments available that are recyclable or biodegradable.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The compost claim is quoted from NatureWorks, with the two standards that page names.
- Heat deflection stays labeled as a bending test, so it is not mistaken for a compost temperature.
Cons
- No year count for a printed part indoors, outdoors, or in a landfill is on the NatureWorks page read for this answer.
- The three PLA rows are print settings. None of them is listed on NatureWorks' resin certificate.
Printer considerations
- Industrial compost is a managed pile that holds heat, moisture, and air on purpose. A backyard bin, a landfill, and a shelf are different places. NatureWorks describes the managed facility, not those three.
- NatureWorks says the BPI and Seedling logos apply to listed Ingeo grades as supplied from the factory. Colorants or additives added later have to pass the tests again. A customer cannot put the logo on a finished product without certifying that product.
- Softening in a hot car is [PLA outdoors](/answers/pla_outdoor) and [creep](/answers/pla_creep). Wet filament that snaps is [old filament](/answers/old_filament). Scrap handling is [recycling](/answers/recycling).
Sources & notes
Published . Updated .
- NatureWorks regulatory affairs, industrial composting manufacturer
- PolyLite PLA technical data sheet V5.4 datasheet
- Bambu PLA Basic technical data sheet datasheet
- Anycubic PLA technical data sheet V3.0 datasheet
- a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting reddit
Related questions
- Can PLA be used outdoors?Outdoor
- Does PLA creep or deform under a sustained load?Heat resistance
- How long does filament last / does it go bad?Drying
- Can I recycle failed prints and filament scraps?Troubleshooting
Related data
- Cheapest filament per kg
- Cheapest PLA per kg
- Will my dryer cover this filament?
- Drying dataset
- How long to dry PETG
- PLA drying temperature and time
Questions
Will a PLA print compost in the garden?
NatureWorks describes municipal and industrial facilities that regulate temperature, moisture, and aeration, and it names ASTM D6400 and EN 13432 for the listed Ingeo resin grades as supplied. A garden pile is not that facility. Outdoors, creep, old filament, and recycling are the other ways PLA changes or gets discarded.
Does the heat-deflection number mean the part falls apart at that temperature?
It means a test bar bends under a stated load. For PolyLite PLA that is 60 °C (140 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 58 °C (136 °F) at 1.8 MPa, ISO 75, checked 21 October 2026. Glass transition on that sheet is 61 °C (142 °F). Those are heat figures. They are not a compost clock.