tbf, you wouldn't do this because it's cheaper, you'd do it because it's more ecologically friendly and it helps make your 3d printer a bit more sustainable.
But at 20 bucks for a spool of thread, you won't be coming out ahead economically by recycling, I agree.
It's also not more ecologically friendly -- you've gotta use near 80% virgin material with 20% regrind for a good quality product. All you're doing is bringing its production into your house on a smaller, more inefficient scale. And then you're paying this dipshit here $20k so you can save $5 on your 1kg of PLA.
To be fair, however, it is good if you're testing small batches of filament formulations because you're running an actual production line though.
ngl, I've never tried it and I doubt I'm about to start, so prints go into the recycle bin so they can get dumped in the landfill with the rest of the recycling.
But at the very least, it's a better practice to use PLA as your main choice.
"That’s only economical if your time is worth nothing." Well, we should all be able to live lives where we can pursue things that do not have monetary rewards. Obviously not everyone is in that position but perhaps for David Florian exploring and learning and trying things is what makes him happy. Of course for him it probably makes money as well, even if indirectly. The fact that his video got shared means more people will see it, and more views means more money, so there's the value for David Florian. It's also worth considering that in science, it's all about trying things and gathering information that will hopefully lead to new (and hopefully lower cost) capabilities.
Someone at McGill university figured out how to recycle wind turbine blades into 3d printer filament. However, a single blade made enough filament that it's length could go to the moon and back. From one blade!