Wellington Based Method Replaces Virgin Polypropylene with Recycled : New Zealand Bin Manufacturer Moves to 50% Recycled Content

New Zealand based bin manufacturer, Method, is to include at least 50% recycled materials in its new bins which had previously been made from fully recyclable virgin polypropylene.

The company designs and manufactures bins for the workplace and sells them around the world and said that at its core, it believes in facilitating the circular economy, and the introduction of 50% recycled content is a small but important step.

However, the Wellington based firm said that introducing recycled content isn’t as easy as often perceived, with recycled materials being highly varied by nature. The process was therefore undertaken with consideration to ensure durability, life-span and the high-quality finish of the product isn’t reduced.

Method’s in house sustainability and R+D teams have been working to find a material of consistent quality and sufficient supply that is able to be used in its manufacturing.

Further, the company said that it made it a top priority to ensure that when incorporating recycled materials the bins are still fully recyclable at the end of their lives, and the materials are able to be used at the same level, otherwise, the process is only effective in the short-term. This is due to the fact that often products made from recycled materials they can not be recycled again, only delaying their fate in a landfill.

According to Method, this means that its bins are still as aesthetically and durable with the recycled content, as they were when made from virgin materials, and importantly at the end of their lives they can be completely recycled and made into new bins.

Further, the considered integration of recycled materials into Method’s bins is evidence that manufacturers have the ability to collect and reuse recyclables to make a real difference. Particularly in Method’s case, it is a powerful message to see the recyclables the bins collect transformed into new bins.

“Seeing this come to life is truly exciting. Even more so, seeing the recycling infrastructure we are a part of capturing resources for the development of our own products,” said Co-founder Steven Korner.

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