Whilst some of the materials used in our own manufacturing process are oil based, in reality, these same materials require less energy in their own production than some alternatives, used in the packaging industry. This on its own reduces greenhouse gas emissions in the manufacturing process and enables a more sustainable products to be produced. One other more obvious benefit is in the lighter weight of our (EPS) expanded foam products. For example, our polystyrene is up to 98% air, meaning less material is used in production.
The BBC environmental programme “Costing the Earth” documented the benefits of certain plastic manufactured products, as compared to the alternatives available.
If you have the time, give it a listen, it’s very interesting.
A little recorgnised benefit of our lightweight packaging is in that description – it’s lightweight. In general the lighter the weight of your packaged product, the lower will be the environemntal impact of getting your product to your customer. This also has cost benefit, particularly when using carriers who’s tariff are weight based.
As far as our own production is concerned, almost all our manufacturing waste is recovered and either recycled or reused. As waste processing becomes more sophisticated, it also becomes possible to recover the energy used in the production of our materials. Our polystyrene and polyurethane foams can be used in waste heat plants and carton board can be recycled almost indefinitely.