Category Archives: PET Plastic

PET Plastic

Transforming Plastic Bags Into Roads

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In India, the Center for Plastics in the Environment has begun advocating for the use of plastic materials waste to be utilized in the construction of asphalt roads. A pilot study has been successfully completed on a few roads which were paved using a combination of waste plastic with bitumen. The true test of the quality and durability of the new hybrid material was how it upheld during the country’s monsoon season which brings substantial rains and flooding. All test roads performed above expectations and the decision was reached that all municipal roads would be built and repaired using the new formulation.

It is expected that this new, waste plastic paving material will be added in the States Public Works Department approved materials list, so that all businesses looking to be considered for paving and repair work will be aware of it.

It is anticipated that the new paving material will save money as well as approximately fifteen percent of the bitumen normally needed for the asphalt will be replaced by the waste materials collected from thin polyethylene and polypropylene food carryout bags that are infrequently recycled and have low reuse abilities.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Are you in the business of paving roads, driveways, or office parking lots? When was the last time you took at look at the materials used in your asphalt? You might be able to save some green by using waste recycled plastics!

 

NextLife Expands Material Waste Recycling Footprint

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NextLife Enterprise, a resin manufacturer and plastics recycler is contributing to jobs growth and green-friendly economic development by opening a new recycling facility in Rogers, Arkansas that will expand the company’s reach beyond the recycling of plastic material waste. The new plant currently has three sorting, shredding and baling lines and employs seventy people.

The facility will also process metal, aluminum, corrugated cardboard, and glass. Only twenty-five percent of the waste material recycled will be plastics, but that total amount is expected to be close to sixty millions pounds annually. Right now, the new plant is handling roughly one million pounds of waste material per week, but full production levels are expected for next year.

The new facility and increased reach of the materials recycled and recovered was something NextLife clients and consumers had been asking for. To meet customer needs, partnerships have been formed to handle special recycling concerns such as child safety seats and household appliances. The company goal for the new plant is to be a full-service material waste to recovery solution that handles each step of the recycling and reuse process for their customers.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: As more business and consumers embrace material waste recycling, more economic growth and job opportunities are created. What can your business do to expand in this in-demand field?

New Innovations for Material Waste Recycling of Plastics

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Faerch Plast, a specialized packaging company, is in the process of developing a new cPET plastic that can be identified and separated in a waste stream of mixed plastics by the use of infrared technology. Currently, infrared cameras can identify the types of plastics but only when the container is not black. Dark, opaque plastic doesn’t allow light to shine through and thus cannot be detected.

This new formulation of cPET contains a different pigment composition which allows some infrared light to be detected by the camera regardless of the color of the container. The company is currently testing the material in the United Kingdom in the manufacturing of meal trays used in cafeterias and for supermarket prepared foods. Stakeholders in the food service and restaurant industries utilizing the trays are excited about the possibility of reducing garbage disposal costs due to the re-use of the cPET material for up to three to four times before the quality degrades.

Faerch Plast believes it can manufacture the materials and still maintain pricing that is neutral to other meal tray options that require waste disposal instead of being eligible for waste recycling.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Research and development is always happening in the world of plastics. When was the last time your business priced options for switching to a green-friendly, recyclable version of a routinely ordered supply? If you found it too expensive before, you may want to check back regularly!

Businesses Go Green With Packaging Improvements

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Major brands such as Pepperidge Farm and Starbucks are implementing packaging reductions and recycling programs and as way to illustrate to consumers that they are taking environmental sustainability seriously and incorporating the importance of “going green” in their corporate missions and employee communications.

Campbell Soup Corporation of Camden, New Jersey is the parent company of Pepperidge Farms and it has set a goals of cutting one hundred million pounds of packaging from its product line by the year 2020.

In working toward this goal, Pepperidge Farm recently redesigned and reduced the amount of plastic used in its packages for Goldfish and Deli Flats by sixty five percent. The new design won the company the DuPont Packaging Award for Excellence in the category of Waste Reduction and Innovation. Success has also been seen in moving to lightweight bottles for the V8 juice drinks brand.

Starbucks Coffee is currently working on addressing its corporate goal of making their beverage cups recyclable by 2015 and ensuring that all locations have access to adequate recycling opportunities and providing the infrastructure to ensure success.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Whether you’re a big, international company or a small, local business, setting environmental sustainability goals and identifying areas that can be improved upon, are a great way to help you “go green” while saving green!

 

Waste Recycling On The Rise for PET

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Waste recycled PET plastics are in high demand throughout the world and despite high numbers of recycling facilities and record collection rates, there is currently a shortage of PET material for businesses and manufacturers who use the plastic to generate new products. Unless this issue is addressed, it could result in escalating prices for those industries needing the material. Recycled PET is used in food and beverage containers, fibrous materials, and many household and office products.

There are now 23 PET recycling facilities in the U.S. and their capacity for handling daily waste plastics materials greatly exceeds the amount of material arriving. More work could be done, and more people could be employed, if more recycled bottles arrived. The demand for the material is there, the issue is collecting it after it becomes post-consumer waste.

The current PET recycling rate is close to 30% a rate that has been stable for the last few years. Many PET bottle and jars are now made with less plastic, creating a thinning, lighter product so more needs to be collected to meet and exceed the needs of manufacturers.

Some of the issues in supply stem from single-stream waste recycling, a popular choice in many municipalities for its ease of use and low maintenance, but results in higher contamination rates of materials. However, if collection rates can improve nationally, that can be offset by increased volume.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: The demand for recycled PET is high but collection rates are low. Whether you’re a manufacturer needing PET, a waste collection business, or a municipality, there’s an opportunity to increase revenue by increasing collection rates!

Promoting the Business of Waste Recycling

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Representatives from businesses throughout the world may have individual interests, but at the Sustainable Packaging Forum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last month, they all agreed on one thing: recycling needs to be less politically driven and more focused on market demands and innovation.

Michael Washburn of Nestlé Waters, believes that extended producer responsibility is the best way to solve the social, environmental and economic challenges associated with waste recycling materials.

Nestlé, one of the largest beverage companies in the United States, used twenty billion PET bottles in 2011 – and the company wants them back to recycle and manufacture into new bottles. However, getting the material back isn’t solely up to them – waste disposal and recycling is part of the larger social and governmental function. Washburn believes that market-driven waste recycling would produce better results and increase the volume of returned material as more power is put directly into the hands (and wallets) of the consumer.

Nestlé, and other industry representatives aren’t advocating removing local and state governments from trash and recycling efforts, but believe industry is better equipped to develop and implement innovative recycling ideas as it directly impacts their bottom-line.

Attendees at the conference agreed that the situation isn’t all bad. Recent waste management statistics show that landfill use is down and the use of recycled packaging is increasing. However, more work must be done to maximize recovery and gain access to recycled materials to further reduce packaging waste.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Whether you own a small, mid-sized, or large business, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you are properly managing your waste disposal and waste recycling. When you do what’s right, you’ll be saving the environment, saving money, and reducing the risk of government legislation!

Grocery Chain Switches To Paper Gift Cards

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The popular grocery store chain, Whole Foods, has recently made the decision to switch from plastic to paper and wood-made gift cards.

The supermarket chain, which specializes in organic produce, is eliminating its 100% recycled plastic gift certificates and replacing them with cards made of paper and responsibly harvested wood.

The new gift cards are manufactured using 50% post-consumer waste paper material and the Forest Stewardship Council has certified the wood and paper sources. Whole Foods has decided that the paper-made cards contain a lower carbon footprint because they are recyclable, compostable, reusable, and use less energy than the plastic cards to manufacture.

The gift cards are a popular item for sale in Whole Foods stores throughout the country, and the change reflects the Austin, Texas-based organization’s commitment to offer the most environmentally-friendly products available.

The change is expected to result in keeping close to 300,000 plastic gift cards out of landfills. Individual stores will continue to accept and waste recycle the plastic cards as customers use them as the transition takes place.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Take a moment to look around your office or place of work. What products might you be able to replace with more cost-effective and environmentally friendly options? With a little research you might find some ways to save green while going green!

The Global Market For Recycled Plastics

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China’s Environmental Protection ministry is investigating policies that could change the market for recycled plastics and has recyclers in China and abroad concerned.

The biggest concern regards a potential regulation that would make the import of unwashed post-consumer plastics illegal. In best practice, plastics should be sorted, wash and ground at the same stage to preserve the highest quality. The concern with recyclers is that plastics washed before importing may have increased water-weight thus inflating the cost per ton. There are also concerns about the stage in which granulation of materials should take place and which materials should be subjected to it.

In addition, the draft policy creates enhanced criteria for import licenses and facility inspections and businesses that manufacturer ultra-thin bags, food-contact products, medical products and construction supplies may find themselves looking for export relationships elsewhere.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: China is a global player in the waste recycling marketplace and it pays to stay up-to-date on regulations and policies that might impact your business. Be sure you’re doing all you can to minimize your risk by diversifying your exports – and don’t forget to look for opportunities in your home state or community – you might be surprised by what you’ll find!

Waste Recycling of Plastic Increases Profits

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One of the concerns that businesses involved with plastic recycling have is how to consistently draw a profit.  While this is a necessity for any enterprise, with plastics recycling it isn’t always simple.  Gaining access to quality plastic waste materials can be difficult and the end-users, those businesses that manufacture goods from recycled plastic, can be ever-changing.

The most successful organizations involved with recycling plastics are those who keep a constant eye on developments both at the input and output level. Limiting a business to a single channel or stream, for example, food-grade, automotive, or construction, can result in potentially devastating results when market supply and demand changes happen in that sector.

Flexibility is also essential for success and having a production model and that can swiftly respond to the ever-changing needs of the marketplace is essential. With each passing year, the nature and use of plastics recycling changes – new products, new uses are constantly being developed – and the market show no signs of slowing down. As more large corporations adopt sustainability goals, the need for raw materials and finished goods changes. Successfully plastic recyclers are ones who keep their feet grounded in the present market, but always have their eyes and minds trained to the future.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Waste recycling of plastics is an important part of any recycling program and creating a business from the recycled bottle and containers can be environmentally and financially rewarding. Whether you’re starting a new business or have been establish for some time, it makes sense to be aware of the constant changes that are happening in the waste disposal and waste recycling world!

 

Waste Recycling At The University Of Colorado

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The University of Colorado is making a bold move and enhancing the recycling system in place for the school’s residence housing and cafeterias.

As the new school year started in early September, students, faculty, and staff at this Boulder, Colorad campus were greeted with a switch from separate recycling bins located throughout the dorms and eateries to single-stream bins.

The commingled recyclables, which included paper and bottles are being collected and processed by the non-profit group Eco-Cycle.

The switch to single-stream was done with the hope that recycling would become easier for all students and employees and therefore boost participation and the amount of materials that is waste recycled each month.

The University is staying with dual-stream recycling models for its academic and administrative building and over the year with collect data on which of the two methods was most successful for reducing waste disposal.

For this year, the school’s recycling goal is reduce the amount of landfill waste generated from one hundred and seventy pounds per person to one hundred and forty seven pounds per person pounds. The school is aiming for a waste recycling rate of ninety percent. The University began its recycling program in 1976 and its sports stadium is currently working toward a zero-waste goal.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Not sure what kind of recycling program to try in your business? Learn a lesson from the University of Colorado and conduct a trial experiment! The tools and services for waste recycling are always changing and improving so if you are willing to try something new you might just stumble upon a great new way to save your company some money!