As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Specifications at a glance
| Product | Type | Material / Source | Diameter | Accuracy | Max temp | Output speed | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prusament rPLA Algae Pigment | Filament spool | Recycled PLA production waste, biobased pigments | 1.75 mm | Not stated | Not stated | N/A | 1 kg | Check price on Amazon |
| QITUJOUR PET Filament Maker | Desktop extruder | PET bottles + used print material | Not stated | ±0.05 mm | 300 °C / 572 °F | 500–1000 g/h | Not stated | Check price on Amazon |
| ZSFHJZC Desktop Filament Extruder | Desktop extruder | PET bottles | Not stated | ±0.05 mm | 300 °C | Adjustable, not stated | 2.4 kg | Check price on Amazon |
| ELEGOO PLA Black | Filament spool | Standard PLA | 1.75 mm | ±0.02 mm | Not stated | N/A | 1 kg | Check price on Amazon |
| Creality Rainbow PLA+ | Filament spool | Standard PLA+ ("environmentally friendly materials") | 1.75 mm | ±0.02 mm | Not stated | N/A | 1 kg | Check price on Amazon |
- [SUSTAINABLE PLA FILAMENT FOR ECO-CONSCIOUS 3D PRINTING] Prusament rPLA is ideal for prototypes, models, home decor, and everyday prints with reduced environmental impact. Made
- [CONSISTENT PRINTING PERFORMANCE FROM RECYCLED MATERIAL] Each spool is manufactured under strict quality control to ensure smooth extrusion and stable printing. Despite being made
- 【3D PRINTER EXTRUDERS: WASTE-TO-FILAMENT CONVERSION】: This 3D recycled PET filament maker bottle effortlessly turns waste plastic bottles and used printing materials into
- 【SMART ONE-CLICK AUTOMATIC PRODUCTION】: The desktop filament maker machine integrates heating, temperature control, traction and winding into one intelligent system, realizing
- 【Efficient Desktop Filament Production】Converts discarded plastic bottles directly into 3D printing filament with minimal pre-processing. A single bottle produces approximately
- 【Smart One Click Operation】This 3D recycled PET filament extruder integrates heating, temperature control, traction, and winding for automatic filament production. The LCD screen
- HIGH QUALITY PLA FILAMENT: Made of high-quality PLA, a commonly used thermoplastic material features lower melting temperature and ease of use, low warp and shrinkage, odorless
- DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY & CONSISTENCY: Strict tolerances guarantee these PLA filaments of 1.75 mm diameter much smoother and more stable printing with the dimensional accuracy of +/
- 【Strong Toughness without Breakage】Compare with other PLA filament, the Creality Ender PLA+ filament enhances the toughness of the filament. It can be repeated bending with less
- 【High-quality & Easy to Print】No clogging, no bubbling, no knotting, smooth printing! Designed and Manufactured with Clog-Free patent to guarantee a smooth and stable printing
3D Printer Filament Made From Recycled Plastic
Quick answer: If you want recycled filament today with no fuss, a factory-made recycled spool like Prusament Premium rPLA Algae Pigment is the straightforward route — it's made from recycled PLA production waste and spooled under normal quality control. If you want to make your own filament from PET bottles, that's a different purchase entirely: a desktop extruder such as the QITUJOUR Recycled PET Filament Maker or the ZSFHJZC Desktop Filament Extruder, which costs roughly 15–20× a spool of PLA up front.
The phrase "recycled filament" covers two genuinely different things, and conflating them is the single biggest reason people end up disappointed. One is a spool someone else made from reclaimed material. The other is a machine that turns your soda bottles into filament on your desk. Both are legitimate. They solve different problems.
The buy-a-spool route
Prusament's rPLA is made from recycled PLA production waste — offcuts and scrap from the manufacturing process, not post-consumer bottles. The listing says each spool is manufactured under strict quality control for smooth extrusion, and describes low shrinkage plus good printability on both large objects and fine details. The pigments come from organic sources such as algae or food industry byproducts, which produces subtle, natural tones and, per the listing, a unique appearance for every spool.
The best 3d printer filament made from recycled plastic for your situation depends on how you plan to use it and where.
That last point is the honest catch. "Unique appearance for every spool" is a feature if you like organic, slightly variable colors. It is a problem if you're printing a multi-spool project and need color-matched parts.
Note also that the listing does not state a dimensional tolerance figure for the rPLA, whereas both the ELEGOO and Creality spools state ±0.02 mm. That doesn't mean rPLA is worse — it means you can't compare that number, so don't pretend you can.
The make-it-yourself route
The QITUJOUR and ZSFHJZC machines are close cousins in what they claim. Both integrate heating, temperature control, traction and winding into an automatic system with an LCD showing real-time temperature and speed. Both claim ±0.05 mm filament accuracy, both handle up to 300 °C, both say one standard bottle produces roughly 10 meters of filament, and both say a beginner can be running in five minutes with no secondary calibration needed.
Where they differ on paper: QITUJOUR states a 500–1000 g/h output rate and under-45 dB operation, and claims material costs cut by more than 90%. ZSFHJZC states a 2.4 kg weight and a footprint about the size of an A4 sheet, with adjustable speed rather than a stated throughput figure. QITUJOUR also explicitly mentions accepting used printing materials alongside bottles; ZSFHJZC's listing focuses on bottles and "various high-temperature plastics."
Do the math before you get romantic about it. At roughly 10 meters per bottle, and with 1.75 mm PLA running around 330 meters per kilogram, you are looking at something in the neighborhood of 30-plus bottles per kilogram-equivalent of filament — and PET is not PLA, so it won't print the same way. The listings don't state a filament diameter output, so confirm that with the seller if your printer is strictly 1.75 mm.
Who this is for
Buy the recycled spool if: you want lower-impact printing without changing your workflow, you print prototypes, models and home décor rather than load-bearing parts, and you're fine with muted natural colors. Prusament rPLA is aimed squarely at exactly that use case per its listing.
Buy the extruder if: you're a maker who finds the process itself interesting, you have a steady supply of clean PET bottles, you run a classroom or makerspace where the demonstration value matters as much as the filament, and you have the patience to dial in a new material. Both machines are pitched at home, dormitory, studio and classroom settings.
Who should skip it
Skip the recycled spool if you need a guaranteed color match across multiple spools, or if $41.64 per kilogram is hard to justify next to $13.99 for the ELEGOO PLA. Sustainability has a price here, and it's roughly triple.
Skip the extruder entirely if you're buying it to save money on filament in the short term. At $206.99 to $315.00, you'd need to displace 15 to 22 kilos of budget PLA before you break even — and that's ignoring your time, bottle prep, and any spool you fail to print with. Also skip it if you need production-grade consistency: ±0.05 mm is a looser stated tolerance than the ±0.02 mm claimed by the ELEGOO and Creality spools.
Honest trade-offs
- Recycled ≠ identical. Prusament's listing is upfront that rPLA gives "consistent results" despite being made from recycled material — that framing is doing real work. Expect it to behave like good PLA, not like a magically improved PLA.
- PET is not PLA. A bottle extruder produces PET filament. PET typically wants higher temperatures and more careful bed adhesion than PLA. Neither listing claims otherwise; neither claims your printer profile will just work.
- Bottle throughput is slow in practice. ~10 m per bottle means real collection and prep effort for a meaningful spool, even with "no complicated pretreatment required."
- Colors are constrained. rPLA's algae-derived pigments give natural, subtle tones. If you want punchy saturated color, that's a different aisle.
What to check on the listing before you buy
Listings change, so verify these yourself at the moment you order:
- Current price. All figures here were captured at one point in time and both extruders sit in a range where a swing of $30–50 changes the calculus.
- Variant. The QITUJOUR listing carries a "(C)" designation and ZSFHJZC an "A" — confirm which variant you're adding to cart, and for the spools confirm you're getting 1.75 mm and the color you actually want.
- Output filament diameter on the extruders, which neither listing states.
- Warranty and return terms, which neither listing states — worth asking on a $200–300 machine with a heated nozzle.
- Reviews. Go read them yourself, especially recent ones, and especially for the extruders. Look for comments about diameter consistency and long-run reliability.
Consider instead if…
- You just want cheap, dependable filament and sustainability isn't the driver: the ELEGOO PLA 1.75 mm Black at $13.99 states ±0.02 mm accuracy, vacuum-sealed packaging, and mechanical winding to reduce tangles.
- You want tougher parts and fun color for not much more: the Creality Rainbow PLA+ at $18.96 claims enhanced toughness with less breakage on repeated bending, ±0.02 mm tolerance, and compatibility with most 1.75 mm FDM printers.
- You want the extruder but the smallest possible footprint: the ZSFHJZC states 2.4 kg and roughly an A4-sheet footprint.
- You want the extruder and care most about throughput and noise: the QITUJOUR states 500–1000 g/h and under 45 dB.
FAQ
Is recycled filament weaker than virgin filament? The Prusament listing claims dependable performance and consistent results across a wide range of projects, plus low shrinkage — but it does not publish mechanical strength figures, so treat it as suitable for the prototypes, models and décor it's marketed for rather than assuming parity for structural parts.
Can a bottle extruder pay for itself? Only over a long horizon. At $206.99–$315.00 against $13.99 spools, you need to replace a lot of filament. Buy one because the process appeals to you, not because a spreadsheet said so.
Will PET filament from bottles work in my normal printer? Both machines produce ready-to-use filament per their listings, with ±0.05 mm accuracy and no secondary calibration claimed. But you'll still need to find working print settings for PET on your specific machine, and neither listing states the output diameter — confirm that before ordering.
Is "environmentally friendly materials" the same as recycled? No. The Creality PLA+ listing uses that phrase and states no odor, pollution or toxicity during printing — it does not claim recycled content. Only the Prusament rPLA explicitly states recycled source material among the spools here.
Related guides
- Complete Buyer's Guide to 3D Printer Filament: What to Look For in 2026
- How to Change Filament on a 3D Printer Mid-Print: Complete Guide
- How LayerCure Researches Products
Key Takeaways
- Choosing the right 3d printer filament made from recycled plastic means matching the key features to your specific needs and budget
- Read real customer reviews and check the return policy before you commit
- Compare value across models — the priciest option is not always the best fit