As many businesses take steps to become more sustainable, you may hear reference to the environmentally friendly benefits of closed loop systems. So, what are they?
Under a closed-loop system, businesses reuse the same materials over and over again to create new products for purchase. This way natural resources are preserved, and waste material is diverted from landfill – helping protect the environment. Therefore, more and more businesses are looking to adopt this approach. Closed loop systems can apply to both packaging and the recycling of packaging materials, but what’s the difference?
Closed loop packaging
Closed loop packaging involves businesses using packaging materials that can continually be reused and recovered throughout the supply chain.
A good example of this is using plastic pallets. The plastic pallets are loaded with goods, shipped to their destination and then the pallets are collected (or returned) to their original location to be re-used for future deliveries. They can be used for a wide variety of applications including retail, automotive, agricultural construction and manufacturing to name a few.
Closed loop recycling
Not all packaging materials are suitable for being reused. In this instance, if a business wanted to implement a closed loop system when it came to their packaging, closed loop recycling is the alternative.
This is where a business takes their waste single-use packaging material – like plastic film or cardboard and returns it to their packaging provider or manufacturer. It is then recycled back into usable material and re-enters the supply chain. Examples of this include the recycling of drinks cans and bottles, or the recycling of plastic garment covers.
Supporting your sustainable packaging choices
To help our customers make informed choices about their packaging and the environment, our stock catalogue packaging now comes with an Environmental Impact Rating that will show if a packaging solution can be reused or recycled. Click here to learn more.
For more information about closed loop packaging and help other sustainable packaging ideas email contact@networkpack.co.uk.
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