Recycling rates of plastic wastes show that we are failing to reach a sustainable plastic waste management. The development of alternative strategies such as community-based recycling systems could offer an additional solution while promoting a local circular economy. Several efforts have demonstrated the technical feasibility of the distributed recycling via additive manufacturing (DRAM) for several plastic wastes. Nevertheless, implementing this type of strategy requires a system thinking given the highly interrelated nature of economic, environmental and social factors for their deployment at a local scale. The purpose of this study is to propose a first system dynamics-based conceptual framework by defining and articulating a causal loop model to better understand the structure and complexities to consider in the implementation of DRAM recycling systems. The proposed framework clarifies the relevant parameters, conditions and possible feedback loops that are crucial during the implementation phase. The discussion analysis is focused on the facilities, collection, and control loops with the purpose to map recommendation in the adoption of DRAM. These results highlight the relevance of additive manufacturing as a socio-technical system. Finally, perspectives are highlighted in terms of research paths to explore.