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Environmental conservation and recycled promotional products can be confusing. There is much room for improvement in the recycled & eco-friendly promotional product industry, and EPP is a conduit for helping make educated choices that are eco friendly.

Recycled Promotional ProductsWhat numbers are you recycling?

Take a look at your water bottle, egg carton, Or shampoo; Do you see a recycling symbol with a number?  Did you recognize that all products hold different numbers?  What exactly do these numbers mean?

Sometimes it seems like modern America is one colossal plastic palace. The versatile material is in our cars, toys, packaging, clothing, home goods, food utensils, medical devices and so much more. It is also littering our streets, clogging our waterways and choking marine life. Many plastics can be readily recycled, but how do consumers make sense of all the different types and rules?  Number 1 PlasticsPET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers  PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers. PET or PETE stands for polyethylene terephtalate. You will see this number on soft drinks, water or beer bottles, mouthwash containers, peanut butter, salad dressing, and more.  These products the most common for single-used products, i.e. beverage bottles.  PET plastic is low cost, lightweight, and simple to recycle.  These products also have a low risk of discharging breakdown products. Despite the importance and demand of PET plastics its recycling rate is only at 20%.

Number 2 Plastics HDPE (high density polyethylene) Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box linersRecycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks.Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing  HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

HDPE indicates a product that has a high density of polyethylene

This symbol is found on milk jugs, juice bottles, trash and shopping bags, detergents, household cleaners, shampoos, cereal boxes, motor oil bottles, and much more. What classifies these products into HDPE is their ability to have multiple uses mainly in packaging; they also bear low risks of emitting the decomposition of products.

Number 3 PlasticsV (Vinyl) or PVC Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, pipingRecycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers. Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats  PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.Number 3 plastics show either a V (Vinyl) or PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). You will find this number on window cleaners, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, medical equipment, piping and much more.  Unfortunately PVC plastics are rarely recycled because they contain chlorine and can emit dangerous dioxins.  Although, they PVC plastics are not recycled as much they are accepted by plastic lumber makers in order to make things like decks, paneling, and speed bumps.

Number 4 Plastics LDPE (low density polyethylene) Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile  LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.

LDPE plastics represent low density polyethylene.  Number 4 plastics can be seen in squeezable bottles, frozen food, tote bags, clothing, bread, dry cleaning and shopping bags.  LDPE is a flexible plastic that can be recycled in multiple things like compost bins, shipping envelopes, landscaping ties, and floor tile but in America it isn’t recycled often. 

Number 5 Plastics PP (polypropylene) Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs. Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays  Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.

In number 5 plastics, the PP represents polypropylene.  The initials will mainly be seen on syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, bottle caps, medicine bottles, and some yogurt containers. All of these products have a high melting point which is why PP products are often used to hold hot liquids. 

Number 6 Plastics PS (polystyrene) Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers  Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products -- in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction. Number 6 plastics have a PS on products because they contain polystyrene. PS plastics can be found in disposable plates and cups, egg cartons, carry-out containers, CD cases, and meat trays.  PS products are used to make several foam products. In spite of the many uses of number 6 plastics, they can also emit toxins into food.  Environmentalists have disapproved of Styrofoam, as it is highly difficult to recycle and its disbursement is in great numbers.  

Number 7 Plastics Miscellaneous Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, 'bullet-proof' materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon Recycling: Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some curbside programs now take them.Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products  A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors. The last plastics you will come across are Miscellaneous.  Number 7 plastics are seen mainly in 3 and 5 gallon water bottles, bullet proof materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod cases, computer cases, and more.  The seventh category is made up of products that cannot be placed into any other plastic category.  Some number 7 plastics are made of plants (polyactide) and others are made of plastics (polycarbonate).

The products that you recycle can greatly benefit or harm the environment you live in.  Knowing the meaning of each recycling symbol can help you take one step to positively influence the planet.  By taking an extra few seconds to look on a ketchup bottle, shopping bag, soda can, or cereal box and recognizing its number, you may decide to consume fewer products with 5, 6, or 7 and purchase more within 1-4.  Maybe you’ll be at the store and you want to by a few CDs, a 24 pack of water bottles, and window cleaner. As you are picking out these products you read the number 6 on the CD case and decide you can just download the songs you want onto your ipod; then you remember that even though most water bottles have a number 1 only 20% of PET plastics are recycled, so you select reusable water bottles; and lastly you come across the window cleaner and recall that it is classified as a number 3 recyclable but is known for emitting dangerous dioxins, thus you pick out an Eco-friendly window cleaner that contains less toxins and ultimately bettering the environment.   

 

Benefits of Bamboo

  • Bamboo takes in more greenhouse gases and produces 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.
  • Bamboo is more adaptable to different types of environments than other softwoods
  • Economic studies have shown that by developing more uses for bamboo, there is the potential to provide income, food and housing to more than 2.2 billion people worldwide.
  • Using Bamboo allows us to re-green degraded areas hit by natural or man-made disasters.
  •  Bamboo does not require a large amount of pesticides to grow, it is naturally irrigated.

Source: http://www.obermeyernaturals.com/Benefits-of-Bamboo-sp-33.html

Bamboo as it relates to bamboo clothing & bamboo towels –

  • Textiles made of bamboo have natural antibacterial, antifungal and odor resistant properties, even after multiple washings.
  • Bamboo fabric requires less dye than cotton, modal or viscose, and the color is much more vivid.
  • Bamboo fiber is a biodegradable textile material. It can be 100% biodegraded in soil by microorganisms and sunshine. The decomposition process doesn't cause any pollution to the environment.
  • Bamboo plants can grow up to 36 in. in one day and can be fully grown in less than 4 years; as it grows bamboo develops more CO2 and releases 35% more oxygen into the air

Source: Eco by Boardroom Design and Creative (Catalog)

 

 

What are the benefits of:

    Eco Promotional Products
  • Corn Plastic - Polylactic Acid (PLA)
    • Made from a renewable resource & considered "Carbon Neutral" comes from renewable, carbon-absorbing plants
    • Starting to be less expensive due to high oil prices
    • Producing PLA uses 65% less energy to produce than Plastic (Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
    • Generates 68% fewer greenhouse gases versus PET
    • Will not emit toxic fumes when incinerated
    • Compostable under "controlled composting environment".

  • Paper Versus Plastic

    Recycled Promotional Products & Organic Apparel

  • Organic Cotton Versus Conventional Cotton
      Eco Promotional Products, Inc. is dedicated to providing products that are safe for our people and the environment. Studies have shown organically grown cotton is beautiful, comfortable, sturdy, while minimizing harm to people and planet.

      Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. Unfortunately U.S. production only makes up 3.06% of global organic cotton production. With the growing interest in environmentally safe organic cotton, together we can help build the demand and therefore production.

Seed Preparation
Organic Conventional
  • Uses untreated seeds
  • Never uses GMO (genetically modified organism) seeds
  • Typically treats seeds with fungicides or insecticides
  • Uses GMO seeds for approximately 70% of US-grown cotton
  • Builds strong soil through crop rotation
  • Retains water more efficiently thanks to increased organic matter in the soil
  • Applies synthetic fertilizers
  • Loss of soil due to predominantly mono-crop culture
  • Requires intensive irrigation
  • Weed Control
    Organic Conventional
  • Physical removal rather than chemical destruction
  • Controls weeds through cultivation and hand hoeing
  • Applies herbicides to soil to inhibit weed germination
  • Repeatedly uses herbicides to kill weeds that do grow
  • Maintains a balance between "pests" and their natural predators through healthy soil
  • Uses beneficial insects biological and cultural practices to control pests
  • May use trap crops planted to lure insects away from cotton
  • Uses insecticides heavily, accounting for approximately 25% of world consumption
  • Uses pesticides: the nine most common are highly toxic; five are probable carcinogens
  • Frequently uses aerial spraying, with potential drift onto farm workers, neighboring wildlife and communities
  • Harvesting
    Organic Conventional
  • Relies mostly on the seasonal freeze for defoliation
  • May stimulate defoliation through water management
  • Defoliates with toxic chemicals
  • Sources Used: www.aboutorganiccotton.org, www.ota.org,www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321

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