The world is in a plastic crisis, and we’re starting to see how our actions are creating a negative impact on the ecosystem. 480M tons of plastic-based PPE is disposed of worldwide every day, and plastic production is expected to double by 2050. We’re heading towards a future where climate change is irreversible, and our waste stream is becoming unmanageable.
Business operations have been a catalyst for pollution and the destruction of natural resources. Disposing of plastic-based PPE along with other mainstream garbage is not eco-friendly. These plastic-based products are nondegradable and can take as long as 450 years to breakdown into microplastic. Since PPE does not decompose, it ends up in our oceans and landfills causing damage to wild-life and our lives.
But we can take action to change that by recycling and upcycling. Recycling is important for a business because of the positive impacts on the environment. AMERISAN believes the responsible and environmentally right way to dispose of plastic is to recycle and reuse what was once deemed waste. Recycling encourages people to come together and to keep each other accountable to create better future for our world.
Saves energy - It takes less energy to reuse and recycle plastic than it does to produce plastic from scratch, otherwise known as virgin plastic.
Decreases the waste going to landfills- Non biodegradable waste will remain in landfills for centuries emitting harmful gases. According to the EPA, 18% of landfills are plastic which can easily be recycled.
Slows global warming – recycling and reusing plastic reduces energy consumption, and in turn reduces our greenhouse gas emissions.
Recycling plastic not only benefits the environment but also has a positive effect on the economy. It can save businesses thousands of dollars in waste management. Recycle and reuse creates a circular economy where PPE plastic is a resource rather than waste.
Any business can integrate sustainability into their companies. Companies need to think about the environmental impacts of their operations and how to provide their employees with a means and solution to start sustainable practices.
Recycling in business joins together employees and operations with a social responsibility to maintain our environment and cut down on waste. People want to do the right thing and implementing a recycling program in your organization is one way that people can feel their participation is making a positive impact.
The number one driver for a successful recycling program in any organization is the culture. Employees like to feel that they work for a company that is doing the right thing. By clearly communicating the program and your sustainable mission, it will help motivate employees to recycle their waste effectively. If your employees are motivated to participate in the recycling program, it helps decrease the amount of waste going to our landfills and oceans.
Putting recycling into practice begins with management and a plan – this is where Amerisan can help.
Amerisan has partnered with Recircle to develop a program that helps our customers responsibly dispose of their plastic waste in an easy and practical way. This new recycling program, Recircle, allows our customers to recycle non-medical PPE, that will be repurposed into other non-food-grade items. This program gives our customers the tools to reach their sustainability goals and join in the effort of saving our planet.
Our Recircle program can be customized to fit the specific sustainable goals of each customer. Our consultants work with each organization to ensure the program is setup to be easy, convenient, and understandable - this is the key to get most people on board with business recycling.
How the Recircle recycling program works
After the initial consultation of identifying which waste will be recycled, Amerisan will supply customers with Recircle recycling bins or boxes. Personnel dispose of their PPE in these recycling bins.
The bins are then palletized and sent to centers to be sorted, cleaned, and recycled into reusable feedstock. The feedstock is then manufactured into lumber that can be used as building materials, pallets and many other items - creating a full circle recycling & upcycling program.
We will continue to monitor and report on the success of the recycling program for our customers and identify other areas of opportunity to divert more waste from landfills.
Properly run recycling programs cost the government, taxpayers, and business owners less money than waste programs
For more information on our Recircle program visit us here. If you are interested in getting started with the Recircle program, you can contact us and one of our consultants will be in touch. Amerisan can provide flexible, customizable recycling solutions for everyone.
Recycling PPE not only keeps plastic out of our landfill and ocean.
It’s the right thing to do!