Eolas Prints Recycled PET (rPET) pellets are a 100% post-consumer recycled feedstock for pellet-fed and large-format 3D printing — a lower-cost, lower-carbon alternative to virgin PETG granulate. Made from recycled plastic bottles and European-made, these bottle-grade rPET pellets close the material loop on one of the most widely produced and least-recovered plastics in the waste stream. Sometimes sold as recycled PETG or rPETG pellets, they deliver mechanical properties closely comparable to virgin PETG: good toughness, moderate heat resistance, and a natural light-blue translucency — making them a credible circular-economy choice for Large-Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) and Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF).

Key Properties

Material	Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET / recycled PETG)
Source	100% post-consumer recycled bottles
Recycled content	100% — circular, lower-carbon feedstock
Food-contact-safe raw material	Yes — bottle-grade rPET resin (see note below)
Density	1.38 g/cm³
Hardness	Shore D87
Pellet size	2–3.5 mm (spherical)
Colour	Light blue, translucent (slight batch variation — inherent to recycled material)
Compliance	REACH statement on file (downloadable)
Moisture sensitivity	High — dry before use
Available sizes	500 g / 1 kg — bulk big bags available on request

A Note on Food Contact

These are genuine bottle-grade rPET pellets — the same recycled PET resin used to manufacture new drinks bottles — so the raw material is food-contact safe. That certification applies to the raw pellet feedstock, not to finished printed parts. 3D-printed surfaces contain microscopic gaps between layers that can harbour bacteria, and most printers use brass nozzles that may introduce trace metals into the print. For this reason, no 3D-printed object can be guaranteed food-safe by the material alone. If you intend a part for food contact, print it with a stainless-steel nozzle and apply a food-safe sealant — and assess suitability for your specific use. This remains the responsibility of the maker.

Recommended Print Settings

Nozzle temperature	230–250°C (printer-dependent)
Bed temperature	70–85°C
Drying	65–70°C for 4–6 hours before printing
System	Pellet-fed FGF extruders and large-format (LFAM) printers
Enclosure	Helpful for large parts; not mandatory

Dialling In Your Settings

rPET shares PETG's printing behaviour, so the same tuning applies. New to recycled PET or fine-tuning a fresh batch? These guides walk you through it: our complete rPET pellets buyer's guide, our PETG, TPU & ASA settings guide, how to fix stringing and oozing (PET's most common issue when printed wet), and first-layer & bed-adhesion troubleshooting. For everything in one place, see our complete troubleshooting & calibration guide.

Recommended Applications

Large-format (LFAM) and high-volume pellet printing where material cost per kilo is decisive
Sustainable functional parts with a recycled-content or circular-economy requirement (procurement, public sector, ESG)
Functional prototypes, enclosures, brackets and structural components for moderate-temperature environments (up to ~70°C under light load)
Projects that need a European-sourced, ship-from-stock recycled material rather than imported feedstock

rPET vs Virgin PETG

rPET and virgin PETG are chemically closely related — both are polyethylene terephthalate. rPET costs less per kilo, carries a significantly lower carbon footprint (producing rPET uses roughly 60% less energy than virgin PET from petroleum feedstock), and prints almost identically. The trade-off is colour consistency: rPET shows slight batch-to-batch variation inherent to any 100% recycled material — rarely an issue for functional parts. For guaranteed virgin-grade colour and tolerance, choose our virgin PETG pellets instead.

European-Made · Shipped from Stock

These rPET pellets are European-made from 100% post-consumer feedstock by a specialist manufacturer certified to ISO standards, and shipped from Eolas Prints' stock in Cantabria, Spain. A REACH statement is available to download. Available from 500 g and 1 kg up to bulk big bags for production-scale and continuous large-format printing. Contact us for bulk pricing and volumes.

Recycled & Sustainable Filament

Recycled PET Pellets