Thursday, January 5, 2017

Sustainability & Thermoform Plastics: 4 Facts You Need To Know

By Lenna Stockwell


Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Those three words have significant meaning in our world as we try to lessen the amount of waste on our planet. Thermoform plastics are some of the most widely used materials on our planet, and while many people worry about the excess of plastic, there are many aspects of thermoformed plastics that make them quite sustainable.

1. Recycling Is Easy With Thermoform Plastic

Virtually every type of thermoformed plastic can be recycled, in theory, however some are easier to recycle than others. Most curbside recycling programs in the United States allow both high-density polyethylene, known as HDPE, and polyethylene terephthalate, known as PET or PETE. These plastics can be used to create everything from custom food packaging to bags to water bottles.

When shopping around for retail product packaging and custom food packaging, one might think about the sustainability of PET or HDPE. Because recycling centers accept these materials so widely, consumers encounter little trouble when trying to recycle. Many offices and public parks have bins for recycling these materials, or consumers can just dump them into their recycling trash cans at home.

2. Reduce Waste With Thermoform Plastics

Unlike cardboard, aluminum or glass, thermoplastics are quite easy to form into almost any shape. This means you can use less packaging and still provide plenty of protection for a product. A thermoforming company can create a custom food packaging or product packaging design that truly limits the amount of materials needed overall. This provides companies with the opportunity to reduce plastic use and provide consumers with recyclable packaging at the same time.

3. The Impact Of Weight

Goods often are transported from place to place in large trucks. These trucks have weight limits as to how much cargo they can hold. When you use plastic packaging, the trucks can hold more goods simply because plastic is so lightweight. When you can ship more goods in one delivery, this reduces the number of deliveries you make. This translates to less pollution because fewer fossil fuels will be burned in order to ship these goods.

4. Eco-Friendly Packaging Is On The Rise

While synthetic thermoform plastics make up the majority of materials used for items such as custom food packaging, there are some exciting new options to consider. For instance, you might opt for packages make with recycled content or perhaps opt to have your packaging or products formed out of starch-based bioplastics. These are few of the latest thermoformed plastics options that are worth your consideration as you search for the most sustainable options for packaging.




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