This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Green Marketing, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.
Poly-Pak Industries has come out with a basic event tote they are calling the 400% solution bag. The bag is designed as an option to the more common poly-propylene bags that are just about everywhere in our industry. Don’t get me wrong, I like the reusable, #5 recyclable propylene bags. The problem, as we have learned and some readers have pointed out, it is very hard to locate a recycler that can actually recycle #5 bags. So #5 are still strong and reusable, but in reality, currently, not so recyclable.
Enter the 400% solution bag. Why the name? Because these bags are being marketed by Poly-Pak as 100% reusable, meeting all state and local US laws for re-usability, 100% recyclable, so drop in any collection bin, 100% degradable made with D2W degradable additive, and 100% economical at less than half the price of a non-woven bag.
The 400% solution bags have an enormous imprint area at nearly the full size of the this 18in x 20in x 4in bag. The 400% solution bags are offered in three handle styles, soft loop handle, patch handle, and fold over dye cut (so handle is cut into the material itself). With only a 4in gusset this is really not a shopping tote, but it is a excellent promotional or event bag, especially with that huge imprint area.
This is the first time I have come across the D2W degradable additive (see the D2W website for an explanation of this material). Basically this is an additive that does not weaken the bag but does allow it to break down, even if the bag simply becomes litter. From the D2W website, “The degradation process commences with any combination of heat, light and stresses acting as catalysts and affecting the speed with which it progresses. Once the process is initiated it will continue even in a landfill, if the plastics are caught in the branches of a tree or in a fence, or if they are under water.” Also adding D2W does not effect the recyclability of the material it is added to. Interesting.
Poly-Pak was the first company to bring this new D2W to my attention, and I am interested to see what the industry will do with this material moving forward. The 400% bags are actually so new they are not yet even listed on the Poly-Pak Industries website. Minimum runs on these bags start at 5,000 units at a cost normally less then same size nonwoven bag.
If you are an ASI member with questions Melissa Cantor at Ploy-Pak is the contact to talk to. If you are interested in the 400% Solution bag to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.
Adventures in Green Marketing 