With new technology and developments around every corner, things move fast at Smart Plastic HQ. Keep up with everything right here.
As part of their Mission Possible campaign, edie released this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe.
Each week edie compiles the top five sustainability wins in its Mission Possible: Achieving a Sustainable Future series.
Last week Procter & Gamble announced new packaging for its Gillette brand that will reduce their annual plastic output by 66 metric tonnes. With a goal of halving the amount of virgin plastic Gillette uses by 2030, this switch is a positive step forward. This is a powerful example of how large-scale organizations can implement strategies to reduce plastic waste without sacrificing quality.
Take a look at the other four sustainability success from last week in the article: P&G reduces plastics and record UK wind bids: The sustainability success stories of the week.
We wanted to share this piece about what brands need to know about sustainability.
Ella Barnett, in a piece published to Medium, What Brands Need to Know About Sustainability Moving into 2021:
A good product is no longer enough to win over consumers; instead, consumers are increasingly looking for brands that align with their values. With Millennials and Gen Z expanding in both influence and spending power, brands have no choice but to incorporate their demands. These generations are driving the sustainability movement, demanding with their dollars that brands take sustainability seriously. A new Capgemini Report shows that 79% of consumers are changing their purchase preferences based on social responsibility, inclusiveness, or environmental impact shown by a brand.
The global pandemic has shed a much-needed spotlight on sustainability within organizations and their supply chains, forcing difficult discussions about the role companies play in the future of our planet.
A study released in October 2020 found 81% of companies are more focused on sustainability today than they were three years ago. Another study released in July 2020 shows 79% of consumers are changing their purchase preferences based on the social responsibility, inclusiveness, or environmental impact shown by a brand.
Sustainability within an organization is no longer negotiable and greenwashing is no longer acceptable. We believe it's time for brands to start making a concerted effort to implement sustainable practices at all levels of the organization.
Let's take a look at isolation gowns, what's so important about them, and why we're asking the question in the first place.
Due to the global pandemic, isolation gowns play a central role in the fight against COVID-19. These gowns are designed to protect the wearer against the transmission of fluids, microorganisms and contaminants. Along with gloves, masks and face shields, isolation gowns are critical to the success of our infection-control strategies.
Gowns are rated by the AAMI from levels 1-4:
Rated gowns are tested for key performance characteristics:
It’s more important than ever for healthcare professionals to be equipped with the proper protective equipment to help reduce the spread of dangerous microorganisms and contaminants. Nurses and physicians use up to 28 gowns per day, disposing of them following each interaction with a patient.
That's 28 gowns per day for every single healthcare hero supporting the fight against COVID-19, globally.
Let that sink in for a moment.
The sheer amount of plastic waste that this generates is difficult to comprehend, and that's where we come in.
Smart Plastic has developed a proprietary, bio-based gown material that passes AAMI level 1, 2 & 3 tests, significantly reduces carbon impact and bio-assimilates the same as paper. This enables us to fight COVID-19 without filling our landfills and oceans with harmful plastic waste.
All gowns made with this material are 100% recyclable, FDA approved and purposefully designed for the circular economy.
We have partnered with Fairfield Processing Corporation to bring to market the Inspiration Gown™, a sustainably designed isolation gown, that's manufactured right here in the United States.
With the capacity to produce millions of gowns per month domestically, the Inspiration Gown™ represents the ability to support and protect the US economy, workforce and the environment.
To learn more about the Inspiration Gown™ by Fairfieldand how to order, contact their PPE sales team today at ppesales@fairfieldworld.com.
Smart Plastic Technologies is pleased to announce a preferred partnership with Fairfield Processing Corporation to bring to market the Inspiration Gown™, a sustainably designed isolation gown.
Smart Plastic Technologies is pleased to announce a preferred partnership with Fairfield Processing Corporation to bring to market the Inspiration Gown™, a sustainably designed isolation gown.
For over 80 years, Fairfield has been a trusted supplier of non-wovens and polymers for personal, home and commercial use. Their new industry-changing PPE program ensures that customers, employees, patients and families can obtain the personal protective supplies needed to remain safe and comfortable.
"Working with engineers who specialize in plastics and polymers, we have developed the Inspiration Gown™, a unique PPE solution made from a bio-based material that will bio-assimilate in landfill or marine environments with no long-term environmental impact" said Jordan Young, CEO of Fairfield Processing Corporation.
Enabled with Smart Plastic's SPTek ECLIPSE™ bio-assimilation and SPTek OYSTERLEAN™ bio-based CaCO₃ additives, the Inspiration Gown™ by Fairfield will protect the wearer, significantly reduce carbon impact, and bio-assimilate the same as paper.
The gown material developed by Smart Plastic is a 100% proprietary polyethylene blend that passes AAMI level 1, 2 & 3 tests. With sealed seams, thumb loops, and tear-away removal, the Inspiration Gown™ provides necessary additional protection from dangerous contaminants.
With the capacity to produce millions of gowns per month domestically, the Inspiration Gown™ represents the ability to support and protect the US economy, workforce and the environment.
To inquire about the Inspiration Gown™ by Fairfield, please contact:
PPE Sales
Fairfield Processing Corporation
88 Rose Hill Ave
Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: 203-733-0833
Email: ppesales@fairfieldworld.com
Website: www.fairfieldworld.com/care/
Learn about the impact of single-use plastics with the revolutionary SPTek ECLIPSE™ bio-assimilation additive in this video from The Ruskin Group.
Ryan Ruskin, CEO of the The Ruskin Group, discusses the need to reduce the impact of single-use plastics with the revolutionary SPTek ECLIPSE™ bio-assimilation additive.
Watch the video on YouTube.
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Enabled with SPTek GARD™, the Bact-Off cart handle provides retailers with a sustainable solution that supports a clean and healthy shopping experience.
The current coronavirus threat has exposed the need for retailers to seek out better ways to serve the health and well being of customers and their families. Shopping carts are identified as one of the most germ contaminated high-touch items, with a bacteria count of up to 73,000 colony forming units (CFU) per square inch and 361 times more bacteria than a bathroom door knob.
Enabled with SPTek GARD™, the Bact-Off cart handle protects customers against this cross-contamination risk with a proven efficacy of up to 99.999% in antimicrobial protection.
GARD™ is designed to defend.
Bact-Off, a global self-care consumer packaged goods company, in partnership with Smart Plastic Technologies, announced today the introduction of a simple, snap on plastic handle infused with the SPTek GARD™ antimicrobial additive. Given global health concerns and the current state of the retail economy, this product provides consumers and retailers with a solution that supports a clean and healthy in-store shopping experience.
Bact-Off’s design works with shopping carts currently in use at leading retail locations, defending against daily germ cross-contamination from the moment you enter the store.
SPTek GARD™ antimicrobial is added during the Bact-Off cart handle film production process, making it highly effective against MRSA, Salmonella, Listeria, E coli, and dozens of other dangerous organisms.
To learn more about GARD™ and our entire catalog of sustainable polymer additives and products, contact us today.
Infused with our proprietary bio-assimilation additive, the ECLIPSE™ Gown will both protect the wearer and biodegrade the same as paper.
As the world economy grapples with the challenge of reopening, the global need for PPE has exploded. Companies big and small need to implement enhanced health and safety protocols in an effort to keep employees and customers safe. Many businesses are finding it difficult to implement effective physical distancing at all times, making PPE like masks, gloves and gowns even more critical. An unfortunate side effect of this need is a dramatic increase in plastic waste.
The ECLIPSE™ Gown tackles both problems.
Infused with our bio-assimilation additive, the ECLIPSE™ Gown will protect the wearer and bio-assimilate the same as paper, degrading to a molecular weight that can be consumed by living organisms.
These non-sterile gowns feature a fluid-repellent polyethylene film, combining effective fluid resistance and wearer comfort. Ideal for patient contact, fluid isolation, decontamination or general cleanup tasks, the Smart Plastic ECLIPSE™ Gown will protect against bodily fluids to support the health and confidence of both customers and employees.
In the midst of this global COVID-19 pandemic, we need to protect the planet while we protect ourselves. The ECLIPSE™ Gown will completely bio-assimilate in both terrestrial and marine environments, resulting in no long-term environmental impact and leaving behind no microplastics.
To learn more about the ECLIPSE™ Gown and our entire catalog of sustainable polymer additives and products, contact us today.
All of the defining images of the coronavirus pandemic seem to feature one thing: plastic.
Rob Picheta writing for CNN, Coronavirus is causing a flurry of plastic waste. Campaigners fear it may be permanent:
PPE has become an additional threat to the world's oceans, which have been choking under the weight of plastic at a rapidly increasing rate.
While protecting and maximizing the shelf life of produce is critical to our food system, we must care for the environment as well.
In an increasingly globalized food economy, the use of plastic packaging for fresh fruits and vegetables is now commonplace. Produce is particularly fragile and susceptible to heat and moisture, resulting in a short shelf life. While additional packaging protects against microbial contamination during distribution and reduces spoilage and waste, it inevitably introduces a significant amount of plastic into the environment.
ECLIPSE™ solves this problem.
While maintaining 100% recyclability, our SPTek ECLIPSE™ bio-assimilation additiveensures that any plastic that escapes the recycling system will rapidly and naturally biodegrade in both terrestrial and marine environments. With a completely customizable useful-life performance, packaging infused with ECLIPSE™ will effectively complete its function while reducing the environmental impact of plastic. With a simple 1% inclusion rate in the production process, ECLIPSE™ is ASTM 5526 and 6954 certified and FDA approved.
This sustainable polymer additive has a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetable packaging applications, including but not limited to:
Additionally, ECLIPSE™ can be stacked with other Smart Plastic additives, including GARD™ antimicrobial and SERVO™ antifungal, maximizing the protection of fruits, vegetables and the environment.
COVID-19 has significantly impacted our food service industry, resulting in an increase in demand for the items required to support take-out and delivery.
In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many of the businesses being affected are in the food service industry. In lieu of welcoming customers in, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and fast food establishments are focusing on take-out and delivery. The corresponding increase in demand for food service items will present a significant problem when they inevitably escape the recycling net.
ECLIPSE™ will reduce plastic pollution.
Our proven ECLIPSE™ sustainable polymer additive ensures that plastic bio-assimilates like paper in both terrestrial and marine environments, leaving behind no microplastics. Designed for use in polyolefins like PE and PP, ECLIPSE™ is the answer to our plastic pollution problem. With a simple 1% inclusion rate in the production process, ECLIPSE™ is ASTM 5526 and 6954 certified, FDA approved and 100% recyclable.
This sustainable polymer additive has a wide range of food service item applications, including but not limited to:
To learn more about ECLIPSE™ and our entire catalog of sustainable polymer additives and products, contact us today.
