Plastic:
PCR: Post Consumer Recycled Materials
It’s that day we sometimes dread, you know the day…the day of the week you need to make sure you separate the plastic, glass, metal and paper products you’ve tossed. You go out and do your part, but what happens after that? Well, that’s when things get interesting and where taking time to sort helps us make a difference. What used to be landfill and Ocean bound plastics are now being rescued, recycled and made into plastic used to manufacture new packaging. We call this material, PCR (Post Consumer Recycled).
Where Does Plastic PCR Come From?
PCR can be made of PET (polyethylene Terephthalate: Water or Soda bottles), HDPE (High Density Polyethylene: Milk jugs), and PP (Polypropylene: Bottles, Caps and Jars). As you can see, most primary packaging is manufactured in either PET or HDPE with some requiring PP. Most packaging is traditionally manufactured in 100% virgin materials (derived from Fossil Fuel Material) and now can be manufactured in with as much as 100% PCR which uses much less energy to process into a new packaging component.
An Ever Evolving Industry…
The great news is that the industry is evolving quickly and what was true yesterday, may not be true today. A good example of that is product clarity. Today, through innovation and new processes, we can obtain a better color and clarity in many cases as you can see in the new 100% PCR Life Water. Change your packaging strategy and market your sustainability story to show consumers you care about the planet as much as they do!
PRE-CONSUMER RECYCLED MATERIAL
Pre-Consumer Recycled material also known as Post Industrial Recycled materials are materials used in the manufacturing process that are either recycled back into the next production run or are otherwise used in the manufacturing process. A good example of this is excess plastic usually discarded during the manufacturing process. This material is now being re-pelletized and re-introduced in the process. Re introducing this material uses less energy and helps reduce the carbon footprint because new or “virgin” material uses more non-renewable resources than re-pellizing the otherwise scrapped material. We’re paying close attention to ways we can create less waste in the manufacturing process and as a result lower our carbon footprint. We all have to do our part and so we continue to make strides with PCR material and finding new ways to create less waste in our molded parts and the overall process.
BIOPOLYMER
BioPolymer or BioMass Plastics are plastics that are produced with plant based ethanol (a part of the process need in the manufacture of plastic) eliminating fossil fuels used in the making of traditional polyethylene or PET. BioPolymers can be produced from many vegetable based products. Sugarcane is the raw materials used in the “I’m Green” BiopolymerPE . The advantage of this material is that is uses a renewable resource, sugarcane. This material is not biodegradable, but it is recyclable in the regular recycling stream. The interesting thing about this material is that, except for the super important fact that it uses renewable resources you wouldn’t be able to
Tell it apartt from it’s traditional (fossil fuel derived cousin). Because it has the same Color, Appearance, and Texture, the only way to tell it apart is to carbon date it once the product is produced. BioPolymers are a perfect way to maintain your brands look without negatively impacting the environment.
Compostable Materials
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