Recyclable and Biodegradable

During the 2000s, climate change became a more prominent, globalised discussion, on the back of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth (2006) and recycling, reducing and reusing products started to become the mantra of local and national governments everywhere. Consumers and businesses alike began giving more consideration to how they could improve their carbon footprint by changing what they bought, recycling more or choosing products or packaging that wouldn’t have a life longer than their reasonable use.

 

One of the innovations in plastic that came to the fore then was biodegradable plastic – oxo-biodegradable plastic.  The polypropylene raw material which can be manufactured into poly-pockets, the classic, simple filing protection used for documents of all kinds, worldwide, was combined with an additive to produce oxo-biodegradable plastic. Back in 2008, we thought this was a brilliant idea – and so did lots of other companies too. We introduced a biodegradable filing product by SECO, and this material was and still is used for lots of other products, such as supermarket shopping bags for example.

 

There are challenges with this kind of product though – like every new innovation, it has its pros and cons, and this has led some countries and states, led by California in the US, to prohibit their sale. In Europe, one of our biggest markets for stationery products, France, has followed suit.

 

Here at SECO by Stewart Superior, we’re often the first to take up new and innovative ideas and when we realised that there was this issue with our biodegradable filing, we began to look for alternatives we could also offer. We’re always keen to bring to market products that serve our customers, wherever they are, and whatever they need. This move has led us to introduce a recyclable product for markets where our biodegradable filing is no longer available for sale, while offering two kinds of greener filing products in markets that are taking a different view.

 

This is how product innovation works. Sometimes, we see market trends and respond; at other times, we see an opportunity for something no one else is doing – or doing well – and we bring in a new product range that literally changes the landscape. Recyclable and biodegradable filing products have to be the way forward if we’re keen to reduce, reuse and recycle the resources we all need and use for business, home and educational purposes.

 

SECO Recycled is the same high-quality poly-pockets as our biodegradable option. Customers who are looking for a recycled product can be confident that this product is what they’re looking for. The clear version is made from 60% recycled materials while our coloured versions are made from an impressive 80% recycled materials (the coloured versions). Clear or coloured, they’re all 100% recyclable when they’ve reached the end of their useful lives. The biggest issue now is single use plastic, even if it is recyclable – and the beauty of all our poly-pockets is that although they appear to be single use, they can endure for years and years and years. In fact I have a colleague who still has a poly-pocket with a certificate in that she first used as a student in the 1990s. When that poly-pocket comes to its end however, that won’t be recyclable.

 

Whichever your preference or your market demand, our SECO by Stewart Superior green filing products have that extra feel-good factor. They are either recyclable or biodegradable and that means whatever you buy, it’s a better choice than a standard product.  We worked hard to achieve our ISO 14001 back in 2010 and we will continue to work to and exceed those standards. If you’re interested in buying our filing products, we’re available through your stationery retailers everywhere and the large online channels – just look for the SECO by Stewart Superior name or ask for SECO filing by name.

 

For more information on the SECO by Stewart Superior range, please contact us on 01628 810 260.