3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

rPETG vs rPLA

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

Recycled PETG (rPETG) guideRecycled PLA (rPLA) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore rPETG comparisonsMore rPLA comparisons
rPETG vs rPLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyRecycled PETG (rPETG)PETGRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$28.99/kg median; $17.24–$39.98/kg across 4 dated product listings$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPETG regranulated from recycled polyester waste; Polymaker's Fiberon PETG-rCF08 adds 8 wt% recycled carbon fibre[1][2][3]PLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[4][5][6]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (Prusament) and 1.30 (Fiberon PETG-rCF08), ISO 1183[1][3]1.24 (ISO 1183)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 29[7][8][9][10]1 kg spools run 20–22[11][12][13]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg17–40 across brands; Filament PM RePETG 17, 3DXTech ECOMAX 26, GreenGate3D 32, Fiberon rCF08 40[7][8][9][10]16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[14][15]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7][8][9]Available from several mainstream brands[5][6][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 1 and 3 kg spools[9][8]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[16][14][5]
Typical applicationsNot documentedGeneral-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[5][6]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.05 (Prusament PETG Recycled), against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PETG[1][17]±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[5][4][18]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250 ± 10 (Prusament); 230–255 (Spectrum)[1][2]210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[4][6]
Bed temperature°C80 ± 10 (Prusament); 60–80 (Spectrum)[1][2]40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[4][6]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine — Spectrum states a closed chamber is not necessary[2]Open frame is fine[4][19]
Part cooling fan50 % (Prusament); up to 100 % (Spectrum)[1][2]100 %[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[17][20]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone — brim not generally needed[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[17][20]Sticks to anything[21]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[20]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; Spectrum describes printing as similar to standard PETG[2]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[4][19]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Not documentedNon-abrasive[22][19]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — recycled PETG prints on the same hardware as virgin PETG: no special hot-end, no drybox and no hardened nozzle[23][19]Very low[19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[23]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[24]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[23]No special hot-end required[21]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — recycled PETG shares the virgin matrix, which reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[17]Moderate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[4][18]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.07 after 24 h and 0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[25]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[25]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[25]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[25]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[25][20]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[26][21]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa43 ± 1.8 printed horizontal at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament), against 47 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 52 at yield on moulded specimens[1][17][2]49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[4][18]
Young's modulusMPa1500 printed horizontal, 1600 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 527-1) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[1][17]2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[4][18]
Elongation at break%4.5 at yield printed (Prusament); Spectrum quotes 400 at break on moulded specimens[1][2]3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[4][18]
Flexural strengthMPa63 ± 1 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament), against 66 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG[1][17]82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[4][18]
Flexural modulusMPa1800 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[1]3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[4][18]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 15 ± 3 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Charpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[4][18]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa15 ± 5 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test), against 18 ± 4 for virgin Prusament PETG[1][17]21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[4][18]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[24][22]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[1][17]80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[4][18]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below average — no recycled-grade creep test; virgin PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27][28][29][30]Poor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[31][32]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no recycled-grade S-N curve; virgin printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[33]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[33][24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rigid[22]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C68 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 70[1][17][2]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[4][18]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C68 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[4][18]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[6]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[34]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[35]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[26][36]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[24][37]
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[20]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[36][24]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[26]
Food contactNot certified for food contact as filament[20]Filamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[6][24]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[20]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[6]
RecyclabilityThe feedstock itself — Spectrum describes collecting, shredding and re-homogenising PETG waste[2]The feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[6][15]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[38]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[38]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedPrusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[5]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[38]None needed in a normal room[38]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[23]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[37][24]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[23]Superglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[5]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[23]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[24]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[23]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[39][40]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[41]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[39]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[41][40]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[40]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[42][40]

Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. Prusament PETG Recycled Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Spectrum r-PETG Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Fiberon PETG-rCF08 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Prusament PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  5. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. GreenGate3D Recycled PET-G — product data GreenGate3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Filament PM RePETG technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  11. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  18. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  27. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  34. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  35. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  36. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  37. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  38. Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
  39. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  40. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  42. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper