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March 21, 2017

Closing the loop. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Closing the loop. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Although you might think otherwise, this doesn’t involve crochet, Bruce Willis or eliminating spies so they can’t spill secrets. No, we’re talking about closed loop recycling, which is a production process in which post-consumer waste is collected, recycled and used to make new products. In plain English, it means that once you’ve drunk a delicious beverage out of an aluminium can, for example, you put the empty can in the appropriate box so that it can be made into into something else. Of course, there are many products that can be recycled but we’re going to concentrate on cans because they’re what we collate.

Recycling is vital for the health of the planet and the humans it hosts; waste has a huge negative impact on the world, from harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases being released from rubbish in landfill sites to the pollution of our seas and green spaces.

What’s more, recycling reduces the need for raw materials so that rainforests and natural resources can be preserved. Huge amounts of energy and money are used when making products from raw materials, so recycling cuts down on this.

In fact, it’s so important that the Chancellor announced in his recent Budget that the UK Government will increase recycling targets for aluminium to 64 per cent by 2020 and will consult on extending the scope of landfill Tax to illegal disposals of waste made without the required permit or licence.

If everyone played their part, this target is eminently achievable, as aluminium cans are 100 per cent recyclable and the process can be repeated again and again.

Here are some fascinating facts, courtesy of Alupro, the aluminium packaging recycling association:

  • Over 90 per cent of the drinks cans sold in the UK are made of aluminium
  • If you recycle a can today, it could be back in your hand in its new form in just six weeks
  • In one year, that same can could be recycled eight times!
  • Compared to making aluminium from scratch, recycling saves around 95 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions
  • Recycling 1 tonne of aluminium saves 9 tonnes of CO2 emissions – the equivalent of driving 2,800 miles
  • The current recycling rate for drinks cans in the UK is 60 per cent

So, drinkers of the world, unite! Recycle now!

OK, but what’s that got to do with WaveGrip?

We know it looks like we have a fun approach to our product, but as far as recycling and sustainability are concerned, we’re deadly serious.

Apart from being big fans of aluminium cans because they’re perfect as drinks containers, we’re pretty keen on their environmentally sustainable credentials. And we’re proud of the fact that the WaveGrip carriers that multi-pack these cans are also fully recyclable, photodegradable and produced by one of the most environmentally conscious packaging businesses on the planet.

We may have mentioned some of this in passing …

WaveGrip carriers are:

  • Lighter
  • Stronger
  • Better value for money
  • Secure
  • Restorable
  • They use less material

By processing and recycling our manufacturing waste streams in-house, we maintain a strict zero-to-landfill policy across all our sites. We also work with many of our suppliers and customers to implement sustainable practices across the supply chain.

But the carriers aren’t made of aluminium

Well spotted! Our carriers are produced using the latest strength-enhancing polymers, which are not only recyclable but lightweight, durable, and low carbon. They’re not a major drain on natural resources either. In fact, only 4 per cent of global oil production is used for plastics and according to the British Plastics Federation, packaging accounts for only 1.5 per cent of oil and gas use.

Our parent company, Berry Global is also committed to sustainability and works towards meeting its environmental responsibilities as well as helping customers to achieve theirs.

So if your sustainability values match ours, what next?

Get in touch! We’ll happily talk carbon footprints all day.

You have nothing to lose and maybe a loop to be closed.

The post Closing the loop appeared first on WaveGrip.

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