Recycled Materials

Eco-friendly, Organic, and Green

Sounds like a song, but what makes product manufacturers eligible to claim products eco-friendly, organic or green? According to a recent survey by Green Seal and EnviroMedia Social Marketing, 21% of consumers say a product‘s reputation is the biggest factor they weigh when making purchasing decisions, but one in three consumers say they don’t know how to tell if green product claims are true.

For many people who have not heard the term, closed loop recycling, it is time everyone did. Closed loop recycling is a major advance in recycling that seeks to achieve zero waste by completely reusing, recycling, or composting all materials. 

The manufacturers that are making closed loop recycling happen are the visionaries of our zero waste future. Take for example, the lifecycle of carpeting. Carpet maker and industry icon, Ray Anderson, CEO,  Interface, Inc., has set out to prove our environmental impact is as important as economic impact.  Interface has created closed-loop carpet recycling and has essentially set an example for others to follow. 

Smart, stylish, and contemporary looking eco-design eyewear is one of the newest entries of environmentally friendly green products.

Can eco-design be the new quality standard?  For eyewear made by Modo, like their Earth Conscious Optics collection, this seems to be the new sustainable approach.

Currently, an overwhelming 70% of glass materials go to landfills. In the natural environment,  glass may never decompose, although some estimates indicate this may take 500 to one million years. Glass comprises about six percent of our landfills, wasting real estate and damaging our ecosystems.

The promise for more green products is on the horizon, including recycled glass.  

Let’s start with the good plastic called Bioplastic, because it is derived from biomass, which are living or recently living materials, like plants and organisms.  Two types of bioplastics are now being used in some water bottles, snack packaging, gift cards, and even ballpoint pens:  Polylactic Acid (PLA) and  polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA).  Look for these bioplastics when you are shopping.