Plant Based PLA Chains for Sustainable Upcycled Patchwork Purses | PLOYS

Why We Use PLA Chains on Our Patchwork Purses ♻️

At PLOYS, we’re always looking for ways to rethink the materials we use — right down to the little details.

That’s why we’re 3D printing our own PLA chains for our patchwork purses. Made from a plant-based material, these chunky chains add a fun, colourful finishing touch while fitting with our approach of making more considered material choices wherever we can.

And there’s an extra little connection we love: the PLA we use is made from sugarcane — a crop that is very much part of life here in the Bundaberg region. 

Based in Bargara, Queensland, just outside Bundaberg, we’re surrounded by sugarcane country. So using a plant-based material with a connection to our local region feels particularly fitting for PLOYS.

But what exactly is PLA, and why have we chosen it for our upcycled patchwork purses?

What is PLA?

PLA stands for polylactic acid. It is a plant-based plastic made from renewable resources such as sugarcane, corn starch and other plant materials, rather than fossil-fuel-based petroleum.

PLA is widely used in 3D printing because it is versatile, relatively easy to print and available in a huge range of colours. That makes it perfect for creating the quirky, colourful chains we wanted for our PLOYS patchwork purses — and one of the reasons we decided to print our own.

For us, the sugarcane connection makes PLA particularly interesting. We love that a renewable plant resource can be transformed into a completely different material and, in our case, into a chunky chain designed to be part of a handmade purse.

From sugarcane fields around Bundaberg to colourful chains on a PLOYS purse — we like that journey. 🌱➡️👜

Is PLA biodegradable?

This is where things get a little more complicated.

You may see PLA described as biodegradable or compostable, but that doesn’t mean it will simply disappear if it ends up in your garden, on the beach or in landfill.

PLA is generally designed to break down under specific industrial composting conditions, where elevated temperatures, moisture and microbial activity help the process happen much more effectively.

In a typical home compost bin or landfill, those conditions aren’t usually present, so PLA can remain for much longer.

So while PLA has advantages compared with conventional petroleum-based plastics, it’s important not to think of it as a plastic that will automatically biodegrade in the natural environment.

Why We Use PLA Chains on Our Patchwork Purses

For us, choosing PLA is about looking at the bigger picture.

Our patchwork purses are already giving discarded materials a second life. We create them from rescued and upcycled materials that could otherwise have become waste.

Adding a 3D-printed PLA chain allows us to create something colourful, lightweight, functional and a little bit different — while using a material made from renewable plant-based resources.

And because every PLOYS purse is designed to be kept, loved and used again and again, we’re focused on long-term use rather than throwaway fashion

It’s another small part of our approach to sustainable design: finding creative ways to combine rescued materials with carefully considered new materials to make something worth keeping.

Sugarcane-Based PLA: A Local Connection 

Living and working in Bargara, in the Bundaberg region of Queensland, we’re surrounded by reminders of how connected our community is to the natural environment.

Sugarcane is a big part of our local landscape, while our nearby coastline and the Great Barrier Reef remind us why reducing waste and thinking carefully about the materials we use matters.

Using sugarcane-based PLA doesn’t make a product impact-free — but it is one of the many small choices we can make when designing our products.

For PLOYS, sustainability is about thinking about the whole journey of a material and looking for opportunities to make better choices wherever we can.

A Little Chain, A Bigger Idea

We believe sustainability isn’t about finding one perfect material.

It’s about continually asking:

Can we reuse something instead of buying new?

Can we choose a better material?

Can we make use of renewable resources?

Can we make something that is designed to last?

Can we turn waste into something worth keeping?

That’s the thinking behind PLOYS.

From discarded pool inflatables to rescued umbrellas and other unexpected materials, we love finding ways to transform what has been overlooked into something useful, colourful and one-of-a-kind.

And sometimes, it’s the little details — like a chunky PLA purse chain — that make a PLOYS patchwork purse even more fun.

Patchwork Purses with a PLOYS Twist 

Each PLOYS patchwork purse is handmade from rescued materials, meaning no two are exactly alike.

Add a colourful PLA chain and you’ve got a purse that isn’t just an accessory — it’s a little piece of waste redesigned for good, with a touch of our local Bundaberg story woven in.

From sugarcane country to sustainable accessories. 🌱

Float to Fashion. ♻️

Because at PLOYS, we think waste can be pretty.