Go Green!

Going Green:

A phrase referring to individual action that a person can consciously take to curb harmful effects on the environment through recycling.

Recycling

Recycling involves processing used materials into new products in order to prevent the waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste management and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy.

Recyclable materials include glass, paper, metal, textiles, electronics (cell phones, computers) and plastics.

Did you know…?

* Americans recycle only about .6 percent of the 100 billion plastic bags they use annually?

* Plastic bag production requires 40% less energy than paper bags. It results in 80% less solid waste and 94% less water-borne waste, as well as less air pollution

* 80% of all Americans have access to plastics recycling?

It seems everyone these days is concerned about the environment. Over the years, most retailers have used high density merchandise bags, or the “t-shirt” bag, for the carryout of purchases. Recently, environmentalists have decided that these “plastic bags” are the biggest contributor of pollution on our planet. They seem to forget that this product is recyclable, just like most packaging products. The problem is not the bag, itself, but that people do not recycle them. Instead they throw the bags away, use them for small container trash liners, or reuse them…but they do not recycle them.

Our heavy duty trash bags are made from 100% recycled resin generated during the manufacturing process. They consist of scrap, trimmings and other byproducts that have never been used in the consumer market. As scrap it is clean and unused for its original purpose. The scrap is melted and reformulated to resin. This resin is then made into film that is used in recycled bags.

Recycled bags can not be used in any food related uses. The FDA and USDA specify that all food related polyethylene products meet there specifications with clear virgin resin.

Compostable plastics vs. Biodegradable plastics

Compostable plastic is plastic that is capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as a part of an available program, such that the plastic breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable materials and leaves no toxic residue.

Biodegradable plastic is plastic which will degrade from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, etc over a period of time. There is no requirement regarding toxic residue, as well as no requirement for the time required to biodegrade.

While all compostable plastics are biodegradable, not all biodegradable plastics are compostable.

Koch Bag & Supply offers a line of products that can help you be environmentally friendly…so GO GREEN!

Eco Tote Bags

Made from 100% recycled, non-woven cloth, these totes are perfect for holding heavy items from stores, markets, restaurants, and libraries.

Trash Bags

Eco-Star - made from an environmentally friendly substitute to 100% petrochemical polyethylene.

Bio*Star – compostable bag

Déjà vu – Manufactured using up to 50% of both internally recycled virgin resins and high quality post-consumer resin.

Re-run – Manufactured using up to 80% of both internally recycled virgin resins and high quality post-consumer resin

Random color - Manufactured using 100% internally recycled virgin resins.