Don't count out Plastics in Sustainability

Is there sustainability in plastics?

This seems to be a common question throughout industry today. As the need for green materials grows in commercial construction and other industries, and organizations such as LEED and MBDC are promoting tax incentive opportunities and “green points” for those who utilize sustainable materials in applications, companies are increasingly looking for environmentally-friendly options and materials. Unfortunately, they are not looking directly to the plastics industry for help—but they should be.

As plastic manufacturers, we understand that plastic materials are not often seen as sustainable. However, we have seen, and offer, green plastic options, and we are noticing more and more options becoming available every day. Since being environmentally aware is so important in business today, the plastic industry is becoming more involved, in regards to LEED and MBDC. As members of the plastic industry ourselves, we are committed to bringing our customers the materials they need—including green plastic materials.

What sustainable plastic options can we offer? If you’re looking for materials with similar capabilities to that of PVC but want to be green, we can provide you with bio-resins. These bio-resins are corn-based plastics that are suitable for extruding applications. If that’s not what you’re looking for, we also have PETG, which is our most-used green material. Currently, we are working on new ways to extrude this material in profiles. Since environmentally-friendly materials are typically more highly engineered materials, we are constantly developing new processes in order to keep up with the green need.

We certainly understand that environmentally-friendly materials and products are in high demand throughout industry and we are working on creating more plastic options for our customers. Next time you think sustainability, make sure you consider plastic in the conversation!