Our Koup cinnamon t-shirts are made from 100% recycled plastic – an average of 8 plastic bottles – and cinnamon extracts for its natural antimicrobial properties. By utilizing Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastics, we help to reduce the massive amounts plastic waste ending up in landfills, incinerators, and our natural environment, which gravely pollutes our ecosystems, harms wildlife, and contributes to climate change that affects each and every one of us.
With competitive price and timely delivery, EcoPlas sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
What exactly does Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) mean? Why do we use it? What are the benefits of using PCR plastic over virgin plastic?
In today’s blog post, we will be answering all of these questions and providing insight into the pros and cons, energy efficiency, and environmental impacts of virgin plastic vs. recycled plastic.
Virgin plastic is new, direct resin produced using natural gas or crude oil and without any recycled materials. On the other hand, Post-Consumer Recycled or PCR means, as the name suggests, when a product is recycled after its life as a consumer product (ie. water bottles, milk containers, detergent bottles) and made into new products.
Plastics are polymers, long chains of atoms arranged in repeating units. And when recycled, plastic actually gets downcycled, meaning that the quality and durability decreases every time as these long chains of atoms get broken down and shortened. In this sense, virgin plastic is stronger and more durable when compared to recycled plastic. However the pros don’t outweigh the cons when we consider the bigger picture of plastic production and the impact it has on our environment.
When fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses are released into the air, trapping heat in our atmosphere, and in turn making them the primary contributors to climate change. Just last week, on July 2nd, the ocean was on fire due to the bursting of a pipeline that then caused a gas leak containing methane and other gas components such as ethane and propane. According to the NRDC, “pipeline leaks and ruptures are common, due to insufficient regulation. When oil leaks or spills from a pipeline, it can pollute the water and the environment, killing wildlife and causing public health issues to people who live in surrounding areas.”
As the production of virgin plastic continues to rise, with landfills already overflowing with plastic waste, and our oceans gravely polluted by plastic, our planet is suffering the consequences that, if not dealt with as soon as possible, are irreversible. We don’t need to be producing more plastic. We shouldn’t be producing more plastic. Rather, we have more than enough already existing plastic that can be recycled and upcycled into new materials and new products. And, in doing so, we can help our planet in more ways than one: reduce plastic waste, greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, protect our planet, and save costs in the production and manufacturing of virgin plastic.
Using Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics has numerous benefits, and once more and more corporations and brands start to realize and adopt the concept of circular economy as the model that could save and restore our planet, we will be running on a system that is sustainable and beneficial to us, the planet, and future generation.
In a study “Virgin vs. Recycled Plastic Life Cycle Assessment Energy Profile and Life Cycle Assessment Environmental Burdens”, The Association of Plastic Recyclers compared the energy profile and environmental impact of virgin plastic and recycled plastic. The study found that “comparing just the expended energies of recycled PET, high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) shows the virgin plastic expended energies are 1.7, 3.0 and 3.0 times the expended energies of postconsumer recycled plastic.” This means that recycling plastic uses lower energy compared to the process of making virgin plastic from its raw chemicals, which takes “up to 3x more energy to produce”.
The study also analyzed several environmental impact factors of virgin plastic production and PCR plastic pellet production. The factors include: Total Energy, Water Consumption, Solid Waste, Global Warming Potential, Acidification, Eutrophication (excessive nutrients in bodies of water due to runoff), and Smog. Results show that, except water consumption which requires 4% more, PCR plastic production resulted in a 46-79% reduction in environmental impacts when compared to the production of virgin plastic.
This significant reduction shows that using recycled plastic instead of virgin plastic can greatly help the environment, and this is only factoring in the direct manufacturing impact of recycled plastic. When we look at the bigger picture, using recycled plastic has even more benefits such as removing plastic waste from landfills that would otherwise sit there for hundreds of years and continue to pollute the planet and the oceans, and giving them new life and value.
In a closed-loop, circular economy where products are designed with their end-life in mind and can continue to be recycled and regenerated into new products over and over again, our planet’s resources will no longer be exploited and wasted after just a few (sometimes just one single) uses. For this to happen on a global scale, and for us to truly see a difference, it will require the efforts and willingness of everybody on the planet, on both a consumer and corporation level, because it is part of our duty and responsibility to care for our people, our planet, and our future generations.
This brings us back to the reason why we use 100% recycled polyester as the main material for our textiles and fabrics here at Koup. By using recycled plastic bottles, we are removing plastic from landfills, stopping them from potentially entering our oceans and harming wildlife and the environment, and most importantly, we are taking part and taking action towards saving our earth through sustainable and long-term solutions.
Learn more about the story of Koup here.
In order to see change, we must make changes in the way we live our lives. As individuals, there are simple ways we can embrace a circular lifestyle and help reduce plastic waste in our daily lives. As a community, we can inform and help one another, advocate for better recycling programs, and encourage each other to live more sustainable and earth-friendly; small changes in our day-to-day lives can still make a significant impact. As we know, a lot of the bigger changes depend on the willingness of large corporations and leaders to make happen. We hope to spread the word of circularity and sustainability by showing others that a circular model is indeed possible, and that our planet needs us now more than ever.
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You have most likely heard of PCR and maybe even PIR, but what do they stand for? These acronyms are extremely common in writings about sustainability and plastic — so common that sometimes they aren’t fully explained. If you’ve been wondering what PCR and PIR are, we’re here to help.
PCR is commonly written as PCR resin, which stands for Post-Consumer Recycled resin. PCR stands for Post-Consumer Recycled material, which is material that has been recycled from products that are no longer used for their intended purpose. PCR materials are often plastics, such as PET, PP, and HDPE, that are recycled into resins for new packaging.
Sometimes this is shortened to just PCR for Post-Consumer Resin. They are interchangeable in most circumstances.
PIR is Post Industrial Recycled (resin) or Post-Industrial Resin. As with PCR, the exact wording is typically interchangeable. PIR stands for post-industrial recycled. PIR packaging supplies are made from waste or used plastic packaging materials. These are materials that have never made it to the consumer and are created as byproducts from the manufacturing process.
The resin is used to make new products, such as packaging
Plastic waste is collected
The waste is shredded into small granules
The granules are melted down and reprocessed into a resin
Reduces waste: PCR reduces the amount of plastic waste in landfills and water sources
Lowers emissions: Producing recycled materials requires less energy and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than creating products from virgin materials
Promotes a circular economy: PCR diverts materials from landfills and gives them a second life
Examples of PCR materials Recycled paper, Recycled plastic bottles, Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), Recycled polypropylene plastic (rPP), and Recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE).
Post-Consumer means that the plastic has been used for its intended purpose by the customer. When it has completed its purpose, these plastics are recycled through traditional curbside or collection recycling. In some cases, closed-loop buyback programs are set up for products that are used in more commercial spaces.
Post-Industrial is plastic that never made it to the consumer. This excess plastic is left over from the manufacturing process and can be generated for a variety of reasons. Some scrap comes from contouring products or changing production on a line. Other times, scrap is created during necessary product quality and printing standards checks. Since this plastic never leaves the manufacturing setting, it can be easier to collect and recycle.
For more pcr plastic pros and consinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
Both PCR and PIR content is sorted, cleaned, and melted back into resin pellets to then be used again in future products. If you’re curious to learn more about that process, check out our closed-loop video that explains the steps we take to get clean resin to reuse.
The next time you see a product that is made or packaged with PCR or PIR resin, you know that you are doing your part to purchase sustainably. Just remember to recycle that product when you are done with it to keep the loop going!
Today, many companies are using PIR packaging materials to package their products. These materials are made from used or waste materials that the manufacturer or their clients produce.
For example, various stretch film manufacturers will collect used or waste stretch films from their clients and recycle them, turning them into new stretch films.
In some cases, you can actually make a profit from selling your used stretch film to stretch film recycling companies. But, in order to get paid for your used stretch films, you must adequately sort and bale your used films.
And you must collect a high enough volume to qualify for a stretch film pick up by these stretch film recycling companies. Each stretch film recycling company will require a specific amount of film for pick up to qualify for a purchase.
Each stretch film recycler will have a different minimum volume of properly sorted and baled film that will qualify you for a pick-up and a paycheck.
Some stretch film recycling companies will pick up your unsorted and unbaled films for recycling. However, if the stretch films are not baled and sorted, they will not pay you for these materials as they will have to sort and bale them.
In these situations, the stretch film recycling company will have to sort and bale the film, which incurs a cost to them. So, if you want to get your used and waste stretch film recycled and get paid for recycling it, you must properly sort and bale it beforehand.
In an effort to be more earth-friendly, many companies today are using PCR and PIR recycled packaging materials to package their products.
This allows both the company and their customers to produce less of an impact on our planet earth. Many consumers appreciate products that are packaged in PCR or PIR packaging materials.
In this respect, you may be able to generate more product sales by using PCR or PIR packaging materials for environmentally conscious people who are looking for products packaged in these materials.
Businesses that use PCR and PIR packaging materials to package their products include food, electronics, and various other consumer goods manufacturers.
If sustainability and environmental friendliness are important to your company and consumers, PCR and PIR packaging materials may be right for you.
Companies whose clients are passionate about sustainability may find that they can sell more products to their consumer base if they package their products in PCR and PIR packaging materials.
This makes for a win-win situation where your consumers feel good about their purchase from a sustainability standpoint while you can sell more products.
Are you interested in buying PCR and PIR packaging materials? Would you like to learn more about the PCR and PIR packaging materials that are available today?
If you answered yes to either of the questions above, you would want to consider speaking with one of our in-house packaging experts.
They will be able to help you source the appropriate PCR and PIR packaging materials for your sustainable product packaging needs and requirements.
Raw post-consumer resins are commonly characterized by DSC, TGA, and Rheology before they are formulated into usable resins and ultimately into polymer products. Techniques like Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measure temperatures and heat flows associated with thermal transitions in a material. This data is useful for evaluating a resin’s thermal properties such as melting point and crystallization rates, as well as identifying the presence of other polymers contaminants present in PCR. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measures a material’s mass over time during temperature change. For polymer testing, TGA can be used to measure the thermal degradation of their resins. Rheology is the study of the flow of matter, which correlates to a polymer resin’s processability. When manufacturing polymer products using PCR, producers use rheology to test the sample’s melt and extensional viscosity as well as viscoelastic properties. When working with recycled resins, the information from these techniques can be used to add the appropriate amount of additives prior to processing.
After resins are formulated with additives, the masterbatches with PCR are tested for quality and consistency. DSC can now measure the resin’s thermal stability, which may vary depending on the blend of resins and additives used. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) measures the mechanical properties of materials as a function of time, temperature, and frequency. Polymer scientists use DMA to measure their product’s modulus and glass transitions. These measurements help scientists evaluate product strength, blend compatibility, and investigate failed batches.
Taken together, polymers producers are applying these material science techniques to develop a better understanding of their polymer formulations, especially as they start ramp up the PCR content to comply with the targets and deadlines set by local authorities.
The Need: Postconsumer Resin (PCR), also known as Postconsumer Recycled Content, is plastic material that has met its intended use or can no longer be used for its intended purpose. It can be generated by households or by commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product. PCR is what most of us think about when we think of recycled plastic—turning a used plastic bottle into a new one, or turning used plastic bags into a park bench. One of the key tools for tackling the huge amount of plastic waste in our society, and turning the circular economy into a reality, is to support and stabilize the PCR market.
Brand companies and converters looking to fulfill publicly stated sustainability commitments rely on the certainty that the material they are purchasing and incorporating into their packaging is truly PCR. Unfortunately, along with the sharp rise in demand for recycled content, virgin and post-industrial plastics are being fraudulently sold as post-consumer recycled content (PCR). These materials that are marketed or sold as PCR under false pretenses dilute the impact of sustainability commitments, undermine the integrity of the recycling industry, and ultimately weaken trust in recycling as a solution to plastic waste.
The Solution: The APR’s PCR Certification Program provides that certainty. APR is continuing to grow its program to certify postconsumer (PCR) resin for use in packaging. APR PCR Certification is an important tool to provide transparency to those buying and selling recycled plastic, and to support a robust and stable market for recycled plastic that has met its intended use & would otherwise be headed to landfill or waste.
To create a circular demand pull that turns old plastic packaging into new recycled content, the industry must focus on strengthening the market for verified PCR.
Which of the Pact’s 4 Targets does your work help achieve? TARGET 4: By , the average recycled content or responsibly sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging will be 30%
What makes it particularly smart or circular? APR PCR Certification provides transparency to support a reliable, robust PCR market and fosters trust at a critical juncture in the plastics packaging value chain. Any plastics reclaimer generating PCR pellet or flake can participate in this program to provide customer assurances in the authenticity of their product. Brand companies and converters can commit to using certified PCR to meet sustainability goals and prepare for upcoming regulations.
Results, Benefits, and Outcomes to Date: At the time of writing, 4 major certifiers have qualified for endorsement by APR to conduct certification audits, and 14 reclaimers offer APR certified post-consumer PET, HDPE, PP, LDPE, LLDPE, LLDR, and MDR resins. Buyers of PCR feel confident that the PCR they are buying is legitimately PCR, and reclaimers with legitimate PCR enjoy an expanded market for their certified PCR.
For more information, please visit recycled abs plastic granules for sale.