A Smart Choice - ReProduct

A Smart Choice

ReProduct is a smart choice for everyone and every company. Below is a brief summary that explains the lasting benefits our environment receives from those who choose sustainability.

Healthy Materials

ReProduct annual reports, marketing collateral and greeting cards are made from a plastic material called OPP (oriented polypropylene). This material has been certified to contain no toxins. It requires less ink than paper and is printed with healthier inks. 

Material Reuse

Our products are designed so that 100% of the materials are reused directly in the manufacture of a new product and every one includes an integrated method to easily return the materials to the take-back partner. For the ReProduct Zero Waste Greeting Card, the return postage paid card is transported through the USPS to Shaw Industries where it goes directly into the carpet manufacturing process. There is no de-inking required.

Life Cycle

In the manufacturing process, less energy is required to make plastic than to make paper. Both paper and plastic require transportation from the processing plant to the manufacturing facility and then on to the consumer. For this consideration plastic wins since it is much lighter than paper and transportation costs are lower. More plastic can be transported in one truck – fewer emissions, lower fuel usage.   A complete lifecycle analysis can be found here:  Life Cycle Analysis.

Landfill Issues

When considering the landfill aspects of paper versus plastic, it is important to realize that very little of what goes into a landfill actually biodegrades. Current research demonstrates that paper in today's landfills does not degrade or break down at a substantially faster rate than plastic does. In fact, nothing completely degrades in modern landfills because of the lack of water, light, oxygen and other important elements that are necessary for the degradation process to be completed. Consumers put their garbage in plastic bags which prevents any exposure to air, light and water necessary for biodegrading. Also, landfills are constructed with thick liners to prevent any contamination of the ground water. This makes a capsule that traps the materials in the landfill. Plastics are much more compressible than paper as a whole. As a result, the plastic can occupy much less volume if it gets into the landfill.