PLA (Polylactic Acid) is a thermoplastic derived from renewable sources such as cornstarch or sugarcane. Biodegradable under the right conditions, PLA is one of the most popular bioplastics and is perfect for a variety of applications ranging from plastic cups to medical implants.

PLA is stable in general atmospheric conditions, though it will biodegrade within 50 days in industrial composters and 48 months in water.

Even though PLA is regarded as a recyclable plastic, and even biodegradable as well, it cannot be recycled with other types of plastic because of its lower melting temperature, since this will create problems at recycling centers.

The main two ways of recycling PLA are to hand it to a recycling plant that can handle it, or to grind it up and extrude it into new filament.