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Sustainable and Recycled plastics

What are sustainable and recycled plastics?

Sustainable plastic is the name given to plastic that is either made from organic material (bio-plastic) or produced from recycled plastic waste (post consumer regrind)

Bio-plastic is produced from renewable biomass resources which are organic materials that come from plants and animals.

Some bio based plastics are obtained by processing directly from natural polymers such as starch and gluten. Others are chemically produced from sugar derivatives like lactic acids or lipids. Virgin plastics are derived from oil and gas.

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Sugarcane

The most widely available alternative is sugarcane. This is mainly cultivated and harvested in Brazil, 2,000km from the Amazon Rainforest region. This distance is part of a governmental effort to protect the rainforest, preventing agriculture from encroaching on precious, highly biodiverse land.

It is commonly planted on degraded pasture land as it can help recover the soil. Sugarcane bagasse, a waste product from the crushing process, is often used to generate electric power to supply the entire ethanol production process, improving the sustainability of the whole process.

The crop is primarily rain fed and produced using organic fertilisers. Sugarcane plastic production is carried out under a grower/supplier code of conduct. This affords new rights to workers and ensures they have a better quality of life.

Production of sugarcane for plastic has become a massive industry. It is estimated that Brazil now produces an estimated 25% of the world’s sugar and ethanol.

Post-Consumer Regrind

Often referred to as PCR, this plastic is made from items that we as consumers recycle everyday. It is typically collected through the kerb side recycling programmes of local authorities. The plastic is then sorted into bales depending on its type and sold to specialist manufacturers and melted (or ground) into small pellets which allows it to be moulded into new products.

Prevented Ocean Plastic

This plastic is defined as:

  • Plastics found within 30 miles (50km) of an ocean coastline or major waterway that feeds into the ocean
  • The country must lack a viable waste management system and collection incentives
  • The infrastructure is being overwhelmed by tourism or population growth
  • There is a significant risk to wildlife if plastic contaminates their ecosystem

The Prevented Ocean Plastic programme has been in operation since 2005 and has so far prevented 10 billion bottles from entering the ocean. It offers brand owners and customers the ability to clearly track materials in their products back to the coastal communities affected.

Read more on our blog.

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What is Sustainable Plastic used for?

Sustainable plastics can be used in a number of different industries as an alternative to their virgin plastic counterparts. With a wide range of bottles and jars available, their use is growing in personal and beauty care, healthcare, pharmaceutical, food and drink, pet care, household and cleaning products to name but a few.

With global brands announcing ambitious targets to cut their environmental impacts they are also starting to invest in their own recycling processes and technologies to deliver the quantities they need. As technology develops more industries dependent on traditional types of single use plastics will look to switch to sustainable options.

Sustainability

The use of sustainable plastics can reduce your carbon footprint as they do not involve the consumption of non-renewable raw materials. Sugarcane, in particular, also removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows. Their production reduces non-biodegradable waste that can contaminate the environment.

The introduction of the Plastic Tax in April 2022 has encouraged the use of products that have at least 30% recycled material within them.

Recycling Sustainable plastics

Not all bio based plastics are biodegradable plastics. Nor do they biodegrade more readily than petroleum based plastics. Landfills lack the microorganisms and oxygen required for waste to biodegrade in a timely manner in the natural environment. You should therefore still try to minimise your use of items that are not marked as recyclable or compostable.

Plastic packaging that contains recycled content will be marked with the recognised resin identification codes and should be recycled as you would their virgin plastic equivalent.

Sustainable packaging

At The Plastic Bottles Company we offer a number of bottles and jars made with a proportion of recycled content from 10% up to 100% and a number of sugarcane bottles. These range from a perfect sample size at 50ml, up to a 250ml bottle with a 24mm neck for easy filling. We have a number of complementing caps and closures, offering flip caps, lotion, serum and trigger sprays to suit your products.

Our environmental promise has always been at the heart of what we do. To find the best environmentally friendly products that suit our customers' brand and budget. It’s also key to the way we operate our whole business.

With ever increasing developments in the manufacturing industry, it is our vision to make all of our product ranges recyclable.

Trigger Spray 28mm 410 Recycled Smooth Grey/White 35% PCR

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Bottle 200ml Tall Boston PET Amber 24mm 30% PCR

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Cap 24mm 410 Recycled Smooth Boreseal Black

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What is the Plastic Tax?

The Government has released a white paper detailing their efforts to combat virgin plastic use. This has resulted in the introduction of a plastic tax that will come into effect in April 2022. Suppliers and purchasers will be exempt from this tax if the recycled content for each product is 30% or more. Read more on our blog.

We have been working with our customers and suppliers to offer a wide range of recyclable and biodegradable plastics exempt from the Plastic Packaging Tax. Contact us to learn more and how you can make the switch.

Here to help!

If you need advice or are looking for a particular bottle or container that's not on the website, just ask. Even if we don't stock it we may be able to source it for you.

Telephone: (+44) 01229 588877 or 588468
© The Plastic Bottles Company 2018 - 2024. All rights reserved. GJD Solutions Limited t/a The Plastic Bottles Company, Unit 1F Cross Lane, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 9DQ. Registration: 07515596.