Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
19 genuinely practical ways to make your 3D printing more sustainable â without giving up the good stuff. Brought to you by HOTO. Check out their full lineup at jle.vi/hoto and use JONATHANLEVI for 10% off.
Earth Day came and went⊠and it got me thinking ð€
We Filafam LOVE 3D printing â but let's be real: we're melting plastic and cranking out stuff that could end up in a landfill. 3D printing waste is a real thing, and ignoring it doesn't make it go away. That's why I've spent years building a rig to recycle 3d printer filament. The thing is... not everyone has the budget the buy an expensive filament maker to recycle filament at home.
So in this video, I'm breaking down 19 practical, effective, and actually accessible ways to reduce your carbon footprint and 3D print more sustainably â teaching you how to recycle 3D printer filament at home, how to find plastic recycling services you can send your 3d printer poop to, and even slicer tweaks that cut 3d printing waste in half.
Some of these are obvious. Some are wildly underrated. A few might genuinely surprise you ð
Sustainable 3D printing is possible â but only if we're intentional about how we print, what we print with, and what happens to the plastic when we're done.
Small changes add up. And as a community, we can push 3d printer filament brands and innovation in a better direction.
Let's get after it!
ð€« Get my custom filament and printer profiles, buyers guides, and much more on Patreon: patreon.com/thenextlayer
ð¬ JOIN MY DISCORD: jle.vi/tnl-discord
ð¥ IN THIS VIDEO: ð¥
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Choosing Polymers
02:41 Buy Recycled Filament
03:36 Spool Choice
04:19 Buy Filament, Plant Trees
05:22 Low-Temp Build Plates & Adhesion Promoters
06:23 Batch Printing
07:04 Carbon Capture
09:01 Composting
11:27 Fixing Things
14:15 Recycle Your Own Filament
16:23 Send In Your Filament for Recycling
17:21 Reduce Perimeters & Infill
18:19 Minimize Supports & Brims
18:35 Minimize Print Failure Waste
19:39 Minimize Reprints
20:29 Don't Reprint, Modify
21:17 Design for Repairability
21:45 Filament Storage vs. Filament Drying
ð LINKS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO: ð
ð HOTO Tools on Amazon: geni.us/HOTO-Amazon (use code JONATHANLEVI for 14% off, valid until June 30, 2026)
ð Polymaker - my favorite 3D printing filament: jle.vi/polymaker
ð Prusament: jle.vi/prusa
ð colorFabb: jle.vi/colorfabb
ð Fillamentum: jle.vi/fillamentum
ð Elegoo: jle.vi/elegoo
ð BIQU CryoGrip Pro Buildplate for Snapmaker U1: jle.vi/cryogripu1
ð Magigoo: jle.vi/magigoo
ð Obico: jle.vi/obico
ð Octoeverywhere: jle.vi/octoeverywhere
ð Composter: geni.us/compost (AMZ)
ð One Tree Planted: onetreeplanted.org
ð Climeworks Referral Link: climeworks.com/checkout/referral/pb03mdBY
ð Terrapass: terrapass.com
ð Plastic Recycling Centers Map by Prusa Research: world.prusa3d.com
ð My 3D Printer Filament Recycling Series (Parts 1-8) â everything on building your own filament recycling machine / filament extruder recycler at home: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNAIMkOXd_V_o9dkTBbgP9_CMdNdmOdwv
ð RECOMMENDED GEAR: ð
ðPLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE CHANNEL BY SHOPPING USING MY LINKS! FULL LIST CAN BE FOUND AT: jle.vi/links
ðMy favorite thing to 3D Print: jle.vi/multiboard
ðMy favorite 3D printing "accessory": jle.vi/magigoo | jle.vi/whambam
ðMy favorite 3D printing filament: jle.vi/polymaker
ðCheck out the official TNL merch: shop.thenextlayer.com
â€ïž LOVED THIS VIDEO? â€ïž
â¶ïž Subscribe to the channel
â¶ïž Watch my other videos: youtube.com/@thenextlayer
ð Turn on Notifications
ð Support me on Patreon: patreon.com/thenextlayer
ð Send a "Super Thanks" (Tip)
ð Use my affiliate links for your 3D printing or videography needs: jle.vi/links
ð¬ Join My Discord: jle.vi/tnl-discord
âïž Write a comment below!
ðð¿ Like this video
#3dprinting #3dprinted #3dprinter #sustainable3dprinting #recyclefilament #plasticrecycling
19 genuinely practical ways to make your 3D printing more sustainable â without giving up the good stuff. Brought to you by HOTO. Check out their full lineup at jle.vi/hoto and use JONATHANLEVI for 10% off.
Earth Day came and went⊠and it got me thinking ð€
We Filafam LOVE 3D printing â but let's be real: we're melting plastic and cranking out stuff that could end up in a landfill. 3D printing waste is a real thing, and ignoring it doesn't make it go away. That's why I've spent years building a rig to recycle 3d printer filament. The thing is... not everyone has the budget the buy an expensive filament maker to recycle filament at home.
So in this video, I'm breaking down 19 practical, effective, and actually accessible ways to reduce your carbon footprint and 3D print more sustainably â teaching you how to recycle 3D printer filament at home, how to find plastic recycling services you can send your 3d printer poop to, and even slicer tweaks that cut 3d printing waste in half.
Some of these are obvious. Some are wildly underrated. A few might genuinely surprise you ð
Sustainable 3D printing is possible â but only if we're intentional about how we print, what we print with, and what happens to the plastic when we're done.
Small changes add up. And as a community, we can push 3d printer filament brands and innovation in a better direction.
Let's get after it!
ð€« Get my custom filament and printer profiles, buyers guides, and much more on Patreon: patreon.com/thenextlayer
ð¬ JOIN MY DISCORD: jle.vi/tnl-discord
ð¥ IN THIS VIDEO: ð¥
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Choosing Polymers
02:41 Buy Recycled Filament
03:36 Spool Choice
04:19 Buy Filament, Plant Trees
05:22 Low-Temp Build Plates & Adhesion Promoters
06:23 Batch Printing
07:04 Carbon Capture
09:01 Composting
11:27 Fixing Things
14:15 Recycle Your Own Filament
16:23 Send In Your Filament for Recycling
17:21 Reduce Perimeters & Infill
18:19 Minimize Supports & Brims
18:35 Minimize Print Failure Waste
19:39 Minimize Reprints
20:29 Don't Reprint, Modify
21:17 Design for Repairability
21:45 Filament Storage vs. Filament Drying
ð LINKS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO: ð
ð HOTO Tools on Amazon: geni.us/HOTO-Amazon (use code JONATHANLEVI for 14% off, valid until June 30, 2026)
ð Polymaker - my favorite 3D printing filament: jle.vi/polymaker
ð Prusament: jle.vi/prusa
ð colorFabb: jle.vi/colorfabb
ð Fillamentum: jle.vi/fillamentum
ð Elegoo: jle.vi/elegoo
ð BIQU CryoGrip Pro Buildplate for Snapmaker U1: jle.vi/cryogripu1
ð Magigoo: jle.vi/magigoo
ð Obico: jle.vi/obico
ð Octoeverywhere: jle.vi/octoeverywhere
ð Composter: geni.us/compost (AMZ)
ð One Tree Planted: onetreeplanted.org
ð Climeworks Referral Link: climeworks.com/checkout/referral/pb03mdBY
ð Terrapass: terrapass.com
ð Plastic Recycling Centers Map by Prusa Research: world.prusa3d.com
ð My 3D Printer Filament Recycling Series (Parts 1-8) â everything on building your own filament recycling machine / filament extruder recycler at home: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNAIMkOXd_V_o9dkTBbgP9_CMdNdmOdwv
ð RECOMMENDED GEAR: ð
ðPLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE CHANNEL BY SHOPPING USING MY LINKS! FULL LIST CAN BE FOUND AT: jle.vi/links
ðMy favorite thing to 3D Print: jle.vi/multiboard
ðMy favorite 3D printing "accessory": jle.vi/magigoo | jle.vi/whambam
ðMy favorite 3D printing filament: jle.vi/polymaker
ðCheck out the official TNL merch: shop.thenextlayer.com
â€ïž LOVED THIS VIDEO? â€ïž
â¶ïž Subscribe to the channel
â¶ïž Watch my other videos: youtube.com/@thenextlayer
ð Turn on Notifications
ð Support me on Patreon: patreon.com/thenextlayer
ð Send a "Super Thanks" (Tip)
ð Use my affiliate links for your 3D printing or videography needs: jle.vi/links
ð¬ Join My Discord: jle.vi/tnl-discord
âïž Write a comment below!
ðð¿ Like this video
#3dprinting #3dprinted #3dprinter #sustainable3dprinting #recyclefilament #plasticrecycling
