Part of the 21st century has been in the collective realization that we all need to do better with the 3 Rs – reducing, reusing, and recycling – in order for us to be better stewards of the Earth we live on. That sort of change has to start small and at the local level, but when it comes to better waste management it’s in recycling that there’s promising progress being made and in particular with how less material ends up as disposed waste.
Now this is all something that we can relate to here at Load n’ Lift being waste disposal bin rental providers in Trenton and Colborne ON. We wish had even half the smarts that the brain trusts behind emerging waste management technologies, and especially with those of them who have discussed ways to turn plastic waste into reusable resins that keep this plastic out of landfills or worse locations when it is disposed as trash.
The ramifications of this technology being developed and having it see widespread adoption around the world are very positive, and when you consider that in next-door neighbour America some 60 million plastic water bottle are thrown out each day it’s clear that a solution has been needed for a long time. PCR resins are helpful but what is really needed is a shift in the mindset of consumers that once you’re done with a plastic container you shouldn’t just toss it in the trash.
Admittedly we don’t do much sifting when we collect our dumpster rentals in Colborne and Trenton areas. But one thing you can be sure of is that all waste is disposed of responsibly according to Provincial regulations and fortunately the R of recycling is something that Ontario does much better nowadays as compared to earlier decades.
But enough about all that, what we’re going to do here is look at how PCR resins are made and all that they’ve got going for them.
Environmental Benefits of PCR Resins
Virgin post-consumer resins such as LDPE resin and polyethylene were processed from fossil fuels and turned into plastics for over a hundred years in Canada. When these PCR resins are reused and transformed into new products, that’s done without new fossil and that has hugely beneficial and exponential environmental implications for obvious reasons.
The US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) put out a report a few years back that recycled plastics account for way less environmental impact than their first-use counterparts. Other studies have indicated that recycled plastics contain over 25% less greenhouse and carbon gas emissions than virgin resins.
Individual consumers have much more in the way of means to choose products made or packaged in PCR resins these days, and by choosing to have more of them in the products you buy there’s the potential to make a higher impact on environmental conservation interests.
Price Comparisons
Virgin resin is that which is made from new constituents and ones that haven’t been put into making any type of product before. Previously post consumer resin has come with a higher cost than new virgin resins. For the most part this is because of the extensive cleaning, sorting, and processing required to recapture recycled resins.
But as the overall cost of petroleum-based raw materials goes up every year, the cost of PCR resins are projected to stay stable and not increase significantly. And if they were you can be sure that provincial governments would be willing to subsidize their use given how much waste management benefit there is in it for them.
Plus, when consumers recycle more plastic, supply and demand realities will keep PCR resins extremely attractive as compared to the costs for virgin resins.
Drawbacks to PCR Resin?
It is true that sometimes PCR resins will show occasional black flecks, grey/yellow tinting, or gels in the material. However, in many of the types of products where PCR resins will be used no one is going to be evaluating the appearance of them or whether they are flawless or not. Cosmetic interests are really of no bearing here.
The occasional cosmetic color variation or anything else is a minor issue that should be quickly looked past for the environmental benefits that come with using these more eco-friendly products. Plus corporations that use them and can make consumers aware of it stand to present themselves in an environmentally-friendly light and that is definitely big these days.
PCR Resins – Consumer Willing to Pay More?
There have been plenty of studies that suggest they will, and it is true that more people are taking the climate and environmental degradation crisis into account with their consumer habits. There are studies with estimates that 51% of Baby Boomers between the ages of 50 and 64 and 72% of Generation Z would be agreeable to paying more for products and services from companies committed who show their committed to operating in a manner that has less negative environmental impact.
Looking to rent a dumpster in Trenton or Colborne for waste management or jobsite waste pickup? Get it right with just one call to Load-n-Lift . We can have disposal bin rental on site the same day usually and then you take as much time as you like filling them up. Then we’ll return and take those full bins with us and dispose of all waste in a responsible manner as determined by Ontario municipal regulations and bylaws. We’re also able to dispose of hazardous waste service in this area too.
