According to researchers at Michigan Technology University, 3D printing is greener than the alternative. 3D printing an object (from the very beginning of extracting raw materials to the very end in depositing the material layer by layer to produce a 3D result) takes “41 to 64 percent less energy than making it in a factory.”

A smaller impact on the environment also means 3D printing is a cheaper alternative to traditional manufacturing methods in the long run. It makes sense for everyday consumers to print household items especially at home or order 3D prints of them on the spot at a store, to decrease real, time, and labor costs of shipping and wasted inventory.