An inspiring journey towards greater sustainability
Designing, producing, distributing, and selling plastic products require a high degree of responsibility. Plastic has many qualities because it can be designed and shaped freely, and because it is both hygienic in use and has a long lifespan. But as a designer and manufacturer, you are also obliged to think about sustainability, disposal, and recycling if plastic products are to be utilized optimally.
At Plast Team, we have for many years worked purposefully to utilize the strengths of plastic materials and at the same time minimize the challenges that are also associated with production, distribution, and use. We have come a long way on that journey, but we also see the work for a more sustainable use of plastic as an ongoing effort that can always be refined and improved.
A sustainable approach to the supply chain
First, a few words about our overall approach to sustainability. It is a subject that cannot be divided into small bits but must be thought of together as a holistic concept for the entire supply chain.
Our philosophy therefore includes areas such as:
- Products designed for reuse and recycling
- Warehousing close to the markets for minimizing transport
- Comprehensive safety, product, and material testing
- Minimization of packaging needed for the products
- Development of innovative, recycling materials
- Sustainability in product development
When we look horizontally at the entire supply chain, it is therefore characterized by the responsibility we feel as a key player in the market for plastic products. If we dive into the individual materials we use, we set the same high standards for taking the environment and climate into account.
All Plast Team products are reusable and easily recyclable
The use of recyclable plastic is the first requirement to which all our products are subject. At Plast Team, we continue to introduce products that are produced in pure plastic, which makes it possible for the product to be reused once its lifetime is over. Obviously, plastic does not belong in the environment. Instead, it should be kept in the circular economy, where it can be reused, recycled, or composed. In our product development process, we always consider the safety, quality, and environmental impacts.
Our products have a long-lasting durability, and all our products are designed for reuse, which is a very important feature as reusing plastic products reduces waste and the demand for new plastics to be created. In other words, by reusing products, we are all taking responsibility for our environmental footprint. Unfortunately, this reusable step is often skipped, as many tend to only focus on the recycling part. At Plast Team, we will continue to communicate and promote about the advantages and possibilities of reusing our home products.
But we have also introduced product lines that go much further in terms of sustainability in their material choices. This includes both recycled plastic and post-consumer recycled plastic.
Recycled plastic takes things one step further
We want to make it easy for the consumer to choose well-designed products made of recycled plastic. At Plast Team we use regrind plastic that can be defined as having been processed at least once before. During injection molding, some plastic materials are
left behind and instead of wasting it, the materials are collected and sent back to the grinder. This way, it will be re-introduced when making new products.
The ProBox Recycle collection of storage products is made of recycled, regrind plastic, but is of course designed just as functionally and manufactured as quality-consciously as our traditional Probox series. However, due to the production process, the ProBox Recycle collection is only offered in the color, black.
The Avedøre Waste Management system is another example of using recycled plastic for quality products. The series consists of 3 different baskets, lids and inserts for smaller parts – with color dots for easy overview of waste, and brackets to hang the baskets. In this way, the Avedøre products combine several sustainable principles such as recycling of plastic and environmentally friendly sorting of household waste.
Post-consumer recycled plastic moving forward
Recycling discarded plastic products after they have been used by consumers can help prevent pollution from millions of tons of material that would otherwise risk ending up in nature or at the landfill. Post-consumer recycled plastic is a development that we support at Plast Team.
Akita storage buckets are an excellent example of how sustainability, Nordic design and a high degree of functionality can be combined in a successful product. It can be used for either storage of towels, blankets, and magazines, or it can be used as a tray for candles and vases, or even as a plant bucket. Akita is made of post-consumer recycled plastic.
The same goes for the Seoul Organizer and Basket series, for which we have introduced post-consumer recycling versions. The popular range offers very well-designed storage solutions for your desk, kitchen, office, or living rooms and with its wide range of sizes and designs, you do not have to compromise on either the functionality or the look of your decor.
Our new range of Folding Boxes are, like Akita and the Seoul series, made from post-consumer recycled plastic. The Folding boxes come in a mini and standard version. One must be aware that due to the post-consumer recycled material, the products are not food approved. However, there are several ways to use a folding box that does not include food contact. The box is ideal for transporting items in the car, including sports equipment, boots that have been used outside and which should not leave dirt in the car, and other items that are practical to carry in the box. The Folding box is, as the name indicates, easy to fold/flat pack and is therefore very handy to carry with you.
It can also be ideal for storage of toys and other items inside the household.
All in all, these products are examples of how we aim for protection of the environment when developing new high-quality products.
Our high-quality recycled plastics are provided by Interseroh, who sources recyclable raw materials from household collection.
Do you want to see how the process of recycling household plastics takes place? This short video from Interseroh explains it.
Of course, the development does not stop here at all
With a minimum requirement for the use of reusable and recyclable plastic, with more and more product series in recycled plastic and post-consumer recycled plastic and with a supply chain that we constantly optimize according to sustainable principles, we have already been on an inspiring journey at Plast Team.
But the development and the movement forward does not stop here at all. On the contrary.
In the future, we will continue to work on two fronts, on the one hand optimizing our supply chain, logistics, work processes, and warehousing, and on the other hand being at the forefront when it comes to developing new materials and innovative use of plastic for recycling. We hope you share our vision and continue to participate in the journey.
