PCR PLASTIC: WHY WE USE IT AND WHY IT MATTERS
We are all experiencing the effects of climate change, and the pressure to do better is mounting. At CORPUS we strive to make continuous improvements to what we call "climate conscious.” We see the complex decisions we make as a brand to reduce our carbon footprint as a constant evolution as new data and technology lead us to reevaluate some decisions.
Most recently, while auditing our carbon emissions as we set toward a carbon-neutral certification, we realized that for the foreseeable future, virgin packaging materials (regardless of the material: resin, metals, glass) are not really putting the planet first. The energy required to produce virgin packaging, along with the environmental impact to extract and refine the materials used, can be counter-productive to reducing our carbon footprint.
We have chosen to transition to a 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic bottle produced in Southern California. Some of the reasons that further pushed us in this direction:
> The plastic that has already been produced to date is not, sadly, going away anytime soon – and little of what we put into the recycling bin is actually recycled. Supporting facilities that recycle and manufacture new bottles using PCR creates a demand for this type of recycling, and experts see it as one of the best ways to increase the amount of plastic that is recycled moving forward.
> Using PCR also reduces the need to create new plastics from non-renewable petroleum products. This changes the game. Plastics become a resource instead of waste.
> Manufacturing products with recycled plastics means BIG energy savings when compared to manufacturing virgin plastic. Using PCR instead of virgin plastic reduces energy consumption by at least 79% and reduces GHG emissions by at least 67% during the manufacturing process.
As a California-based company, we have the advantage of a rather large industry and are one of the few companies in our position that truly take advantage of this by manufacturing as locally as possible. Our new 100% PCR bottles are made in Southern California, only 17 miles from our solar-powered filling plant (an estimated 20-minute truck route door to door).
From there, our warehouse is located about 7 miles away from the filling plant (a 15-minute truck route door to door.) These conscious, intentional decisions make a very significant impact on reducing our overall greenhouse gas emissions.
While the decision to use PCR was far more costly to our bottom line than virgin plastic, our investment assures us that we are maximizing our efforts to do the best possible.
At the end of the day, we know we need to take all current norms and standards into account when it comes to making these decisions, and expect this process to be a constant evolution. A shift to PCR will continue to be applied where possible in order to put the plant first.