After printing you have to not only trim the extra bits, but you have to sand it down, whereas manufacturers use molds and only have to trim the seams.
E: Reading about PLA specifically, it appears to be compostable. Also burning it doesn’t produce nasty byproducts. So perhaps 3D printing with PLA isn’t that bad, of one takes care of the excess.
After printing you have to not only trim the extra bits, but you have to sand it down, whereas manufacturers use molds and only have to trim the seams.
Ah so the finishing work. Makes sense.
E: Reading about PLA specifically, it appears to be compostable. Also burning it doesn’t produce nasty byproducts. So perhaps 3D printing with PLA isn’t that bad, of one takes care of the excess.
It’s compostable in the same way that taco bell is mexican food; you have to add a lot of qualifiers before anyone will agree with you.
As far as regular people are concerned, pla isn’t being composted.