When we started prototyping SIZUKO pieces, we tried every material our print farm had on hand — ABS, PETG, resin, polycarbonate blends. Each had a reason to like it and a reason not to.
ABS is tough, but it warps on long prints and smells like a hardware store. PETG is forgiving, but the surface finish is too plastic-shiny for what we wanted. Resin captures detail beautifully, but it cures in isocyanate-laced alcohol and we did not want our studio to smell like a dental lab.
The case for PLA
Plant-based PLA is, chemically, the simplest of the bunch: fermented plant sugars polymerised into a printable filament. It is not the toughest plastic in the world. It is not the most heat-resistant. But it is the most honest about what it is.
It prints at lower temperatures, so the studio uses less energy. It does not off-gas styrene or acetone. And when a piece reaches the end of its life, it composts in an industrial facility in under a year — instead of sitting in a landfill for a century.
What we trade away
Honesty time: PLA is not for everyone. A SIZUKO piece left on a car dashboard in May will soften. It is not dishwasher-safe. If you need a planter that lives outdoors in direct monsoon, look at our resin catalog instead.
For pieces that live on desks, shelves, and mantels — which is most of what we make — PLA is exactly right. Quiet, considered, and made from sugarcane instead of crude oil.