A MULTITUDE OF ECO-FRIENDLY OPTIONS
Making Manufacturing More Sustainable
Sustainable
Bennett Plastics is a leading plastic injection molding company that sources sustainable materials. We have developed trusted partnerships with material suppliers and processors, as well as tested and used many different sustainable materials across a wide range of industries and applications.
Bio-Based Plastics:
Bio-Based Plastics are plastics that are bio-derived (made from substances derived from living or once-living organisms) or biodegradable (capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms) versus using petroleum or crude oil.
PHA
- Polyhydroxyalkanoates (or PHAs) are bio-based, multi-polymer structures derived from bacterial fermentation including sugar or lipids.
- PHAs are used in general packaging and in the medical, agricultural and food service industries.
- According to a 2018 University of Georgia study, PHAs are biodegradable in both aerobic and anaerobic environments making them an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics.
PLA- This bio-based poylmer is made from renewable sources such as sugar extracted from corn, sugarcane and root vegetables. Wallace Corothers, DuPont chemist and the inventor of nylon, discovered PLA in the 1920s.
- Due to its mass production, PLA is the least expensive and most commonly used in food packaging (utensils, bottles, etc.).
- PLA is biocompatible which makes it a preferred and safe choice to use in medical implants.
Acetate
- Cellulose acetate is a non-petroluem based plastic made from cotton fibers and tree pulp. The first soluble forms of cellulose acetate were invented in 1903 by German chemists Arthur Eichengruün and Theodore Becker.
- Acetate is commonly used in the food industry for packaged produce and bakery products and in the home improvement industry for window packaging and insulation. It is also known for its use in photography and eyewear.
- Acetate is strong, flexible, hypoallergenic, and biodegradable in circumstances such as composting.
Bio-Degradable Plastics:
- Compostable
- Industrial Compostable
Degradable Plastics:
- Degrade in water
- Degrade in landfills
Bio-Filled Plastics:
Recycled Plastics:
- Pre-Consumer recycled plastics (post-industrial)
- Post-Consumer recycled plastics
- Marine plastics
- Beach plastics
- Ocean plastics
Part Design:
We design parts or packaging with end of life in mind. If the part is a single or multiple use item, we consider the optimal materials and design, that can be easily recycled. The most commonly recycled plastics are:
Other less commonly but still recycled materials are:
Design with a single material that can be recycled and identified by the proper recycling code.
Manufacturing Waste:
We programmatically seek to reduce waste in all parts of the manufacturing process including recycling, re-using, and repurposing the bi-products of the manufacturing process.
Building:
- Our facility has LED lighting in all parts of the building.
- We recycle rainwater from the cooling tower through our machines.
- We recycle all plastic and corrugated packaging.
- We use efficient equipment and systems throughout the building.
Please do not hesitate to contact Bennett Plastics to learn about our plastic injection mold manufacturing services!