The Importance of Going Green

The green movement is all around us. From our cars and homes to the products we put on our backs and on our table. Many businesses in our industry are going green, reviewing their production processes, packaging, transportation and energy consumption.

Did you know that of the approximately 100 billion pounds of plastic processed each year nearly 70% ends up in a landfill in less than six months? Whenever possible, product designers need to think about next life rather than end of life for plastic products.

I had the privilege of seeing William Carteaux, President and CEO of the SPI, present the keynote address at the recent SPE Thermoforming conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Carteaux talked about many aspects of the green movement as they relate to our industry. “Plastics”, he said, “are not part of the problem, they are part of the solution.” But plastic gets a bad rap because plastic debris can be especially visible. Some of the aspects that make plastic so great, its durability and light weight, are also problems when it comes to a plastic products end of life, most do not biodegrade and most float - think marine debris.

But being green does not just apply to the recycleability of the products and parts our industry produces. It applies to how we manage or businesses and personal lives. Consumers want recycled/recyclable/sustainable products and they want to work with companies that have green practices. If companies do not add this concept to their business philosophy, they will miss financial opportunities. Our industry must work together up and down the supply chain to embrace this movement. It is here, it is real, it is not going to go away and others are already doing it, just look to western Europe.

So how can you make your business more green? There are many ways. Technology offers many advantages when machining and fabricating plastic parts and products. Cutting optimization, nested based manufacturing and remnant tracking are just a few ways to produce less scrap. You can also look at other aspects of your business and challenge your employees to come up with programs. Most importantly, have a scorecard to gauge your progress, learn from others, honestly review your progress, modify what does not work and walk the talk; turn off lights, recycle from the front office to the back of the shop, manage your HVAC system and convert your vehicles to hybrids whenever possible. Going green is not only good for the environment, it’s good for your wallet.

We will devote more to going green in our January/February 2009 issue. Until then, we would like to hear what your company is doing to be more green. E-mail what your company is doing to me at dwhelan@plasticsmag.com.

The new e-Reader Service response form on our website offers you more options for requesting information from our advertisers and select editorial items. If you are looking for information on fabricating or materials, machinery, tooling or accessories, you’ll find it at www.plasticsmag.com.

Enjoy the issue,