At Crawford, we’re proud to say we offer both recycled packaging and biodegradable packaging as options to our clients. Crawford Industries has always been committed to being a sustainable company—and incorporating these materials into our business and its products is key to us being good stewards of our natural resources and our environment. We’ve also found in recent years more and more customers coming to us, looking for a green option for their plastic packaging needs. Nothing makes us happier than knowing we have two options for our clients to choose from!
What exactly is “recycled” and “biodegradable” packaging though? And what is it made up of?
[captionright caption =”Recycled Packaging”]http://crawford-industries.com/files/2011/12/recycled-packaging-355.jpg[/captionright]
As we’ve mentioned before on our blog, many different types of plastic are recycled and made into new products. Plastic bottles, plastic piping, yogurt tubs, juice containers, etc are all commonly recycled and used again as new material in plastic packaging, and in other plastic items. At Crawford, our recycled plastic packaging is made from discarded milk jugs that have been reclaimed and recycled.
Recycled packaging helps reduce landfill waste and is one fantastic green option—but it isn’t the only green option out there for your packaging needs. Biodegradable packaging is another sustainable option that we offer and, just like recycled plastic, it is also a great choice for those seeking to run a more earth-friendly business.
How exactly does “biodegradable plastic” work?
Our biodegradable material, BioPoly™, has an additive in it called Eco-One™. This additive is what enhances the biodegradation of the plastic when it is disposed of in a microbe-rich environment (ie: a landfill).This might sound a bit complex, but bear with us!
When packaging made of the BioPoly™ material is placed in a biologically active landfill, the ingredients in the Eco-One™ additive create a coating on the surface of the plastic, which we call “biofilm.” This “biofilm” coating is made up of microbes that penetrate the plastic, as well as send out chemical signals (their way of communicating) to attract additional microbes to the site. Once all of the microbes have been assembled, they collectively feast on the polymer chains—which, in turn, breaks down the chemical bonds of the plastic product at an accelerated rate. This leads to an increased rate of biodegradation of the packaging.To learn even more details, we encourage you to visit the page specifically about this material on our website, or in this helpful video below.
What is biodegradable plastic? from EcoLogic on Vimeo.
Main US Site Video TM Version from EcoLogic on Vimeo.
The most important attributes to lowering a product’s burden on the environment are “biodegradability” and “recyclability.” Just like with our recycled plastic, Crawford customers can choose to have any type of packaging products we offer be made with our biodegradable material.
We hope this look at recyclable packaging and biodegradable packaging helps answer some of your questions. If you have anymore, we’d love to answer them for you!
