Post Consumer Waste is Worth Considering

Incorporating up to 20% post consumer waste (PCW) in plastic packaging can provide significant environmental benefits and cost savings – and has helped launch a stunning reusable shopping bag.

A recent price analysis carried out by Convex Plastics for one of their larger customers revealed that incorporating just 20% PCW into their standard plastic packaging would save 10,000kg of raw materials over a 12 month period – and lower the cost of the packaging. 

Convex Plastics Technical Manager, Andrew Sheerin, is encouraging all companies using three-layer plastic packaging to consider using a percentage of PCW in their film. He says, “Up to 20% PCW can be incorporated into most plastic packaging without compromising the structural integrity of the film. The finished film will still offer the same strength qualities as normal polyethylene, and the same print quality if it is laminated, but it will be a lot cheaper because PCW costs less than virgin materials.”

PCW is also an ideal option for companies wanting to produce environmentally friendly packaging. A good example is the grandtotel reusable shopping bags launched last July by Wellington company Totel Ltd. Specifically designed to be durable, visually appealing, easy to use, and 100% recyclable - grandtotel incorporates 10% PCW, which Totel is hoping to bump up over time to 20%.

The grandtotel is light, can be folded for easy storage and reuse and will hold up to 10kgs of produce, or the contents of 2-3 lightweight checkout bags. Each bag comes packaged with a large recyclable cardboard tag that gets inserted into the bottom of the bag. This forms a square and stable base, facilitating easy packing for checkout staff and groceries that won’t roll around in the boot of the car.

As part of Totel’s commitment to their sustainable life cycle, they are offering to collect any bags that have past their reusable life, and return them to the manufacturer for recycling into rubbish bags and maybe one day, more totel bags.

“When I was looking at the product design it was really important to me that they wouldn’t just finish up at the dump,” says Totel director, Ali Middleton. The initial hurdle of finding easily available recycling for the Plastic 4 grandtotel was overcome when Convex Plastics agreed to make their factory recycling facilities available for all returned bags.

“No one has returned any yet,” reveals Ali. “Even the ones I have been using from the very beginning are still going strong. People who use them think they are fantastic. They look great, are very sturdy, and hold up well for multiple uses.”

When it comes to marketing eco-friendly packaging Ali says education and labelling are the keys. She says, “All packaging should be easily identifiable in terms of its composition and how best to dispose of it so people can make informed purchasing decisions. That’s the main reason behind the design of my bags. I wanted people to clearly see that it is made of plastic, what type of plastic it is, that they are recyclable, and where to send them to get recycled.“

You can find out more about grandtotel by visiting the Totel website at: www.totel.co.nz. 

If you want to find out if your packaging can incorporate PCW please contact Andrew Sheerin at: andrew.s@convex.co.nz