World Environment Day: Recycle
Breathe Easier – Recycle
Royal Containers recognizes World Environment Day and strives to do its best to contribute to a healthy environment. Each World Environment Day is organized by the United Nations and draws attention to a particularly pressing environmental concern. This year on June 5, the theme for 2019 was “Air Pollution”. This gave us cause to think further about our own sustainability policies and how we, and the entire corrugated industry, are contributing to reducing air pollution.
How do Royal Containers and corrugated products contribute to the reduction of air pollution you may wonder? Quite a few ways … read on to find out.
Do you know Royal Containers’ corrugated boxes are made from 100% recycled materials?
The Paper & Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC), states that “almost all of the new boxes manufactured in Canada, are made from 100% recycled material that’s been collected from the back of factories or supermarkets or from curbside and depot programs.” Virtually all Canadians now have access to the convenient recycling of corrugated boxes, paperboard or boxboard cartons, and kraft paper bags. The Canadian corrugated box industry relies heavily on those recycled materials to make the new packaging that its customers use to deliver their various products.
How can you help? When you recycle, you help reduce pollution by saving on the costs to manufacture new materials and by cutting back on the pollutants released into the air by factories. Also, corrugated packaging is lightweight and clean, allowing for more efficient shipping. Fewer trucks = less fuel and lower emissions.
Based on a study commissioned by the Corrugated Packaging Alliance and conducted by the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), corrugated packaging recovery/recycling (keeping corrugated out of landfills) reduced the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 35%and contributed to 23% smog reduction between 2006-2014.
Bottom line, recycling reduces air pollution. According to the University of Central Oklahoma, when manufacturers use recycled paper, they cut air pollution by 73 percent and water pollution by 35 percent .
A few other stats we are proud to contribute to:
- Recycling also reduces greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 5 million cars off the road.
- Corrugated packaging is also more environmentally friendly than ever, able to accept non-toxic water-based inks and also to be processed without bleaching.
- After it’s recycled, paper (including old corrugated boxes) is used to make chipboard, paperboard (i.e., cereal boxes), paper towels, tissues, and printing and writing paper.
- Ozone-depleting chemicals have been virtually eliminated from the manufacture of corrugated boxes; over 97% of inks on boxes are now water-based and non-toxic, and virtually all box plant trimmings (corrugated cuttings) are recycled.
Royal Containers’ commitment to sustainability includes attention to air pollution. We are doing our part by using recycled materials and encouraging the ongoing recycling of corrugated products to minimize the impact on the environment.
Do your part and RECYCLE.
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