10 Companies That Recycle Their Products
Our world is changing - we are starting to see how our consumerism is impacting the environment, and how our environmental regulations are more important now than ever. We continuously hear news about natural disasters, and the expansion of climate change effects that are devastating nature.
Animal welfare groups are calling on people to reevaluate their consumption habits, and take on a more sustainable approach when it comes to our products. Clothes, items, and green toys pass domestic and international safety standards, but not all are considered eco-friendly.
The Repurposing Trend
Besides world poverty, climate change is one of the biggest issues we are currently facing. Years of abusing our natural resources have finally caught up to us, and we are paying the price for excessive pollution, logging, and oil mining that we used to create our consumer goods.
Well, companies are now punching back against climate change and pollution by creating sustainable business practices that encourage the recycling or reusing of their products. Rather than ending up in the landfill, companies take old products and turn them into usable alternative products that can be distributed for sale or donations.
10 Companies That Put the Purpose in Repurpose
Recover Brand
Recover Brand is an innovative clothing company that puts recycling at the center of their operations. They only use fabrics and materials that have been recycled or made sustainable through the use of fabric by-products, or through sustainable farming practices.
From sustainable llama wool and sheep’s wool, to materials that would otherwise be considered as more trash, the company takes these materials and transforms them into useful products.
Crayola
Crayola has one of the most educational recycling programs of all companies. In line with their products, Crayola teaches kids to reuse and repurpose through their ColorCycle program, which teams up with schools all over the world to collect used markers to be used as clean-burning fuel that lessens carbon emissions.
The ColorCycle program also lectures educators on how to properly teach kids about their responsibilities to the environment, and how repurposing helps cut down on pollution.
Nike
The shoes for athletes - Nike Stores collect and repurpose old, worn shoes into Nike Grind, recycled materials that can be made into outdoor gear, playground surfaces, athletic fields, and surfaces for sports centers. For old, but usable shoes, Nike encourages donating them to someone in need instead for further sustainable consumerism.
Terracycle
Terracycle is a recycling plant like no other. Where most recycling facilities have strict rules on what to accept and what not to accept, Terracycle recycles near any type of material or item, and sells the raw materials to other companies that turn them into recycled products.
My Own Water
My Own Water is a bottled water company that makes use of aluminum water bottles, which works better and safer than recycled milk jugs or recycled plastic bottles. Aluminum is completely recyclable, and stays pure even after being recycled hundreds of times. My Own Water is pushing for eco-friendly alternatives to or wasteful plastic water bottles.
We can rejoice at this 100% recyclable water bottle, which does not end up in the ocean or landfill, and instead ends up as a wholly new bottle ready to be used by the next consumer! It’s safe, pure, and completely clean.
Re:Water
Another contender in the aluminum recycling industry is Re:Water, which uses the sustainable aluminum material rather than plastic. Their products don’t only cut down on emissions, they are environmentally friendly too, as aluminum is one of the most recycled materials - with over 75% of aluminum ever mined still in use today.
Rothy's
That plastic water bottle you drank from probably never crossed your mind again once you chucked it in the bin. Truth be told, more plastic waste is the most detrimental waste on the planet, with the material never really breaking down as organic matter does.
Rothy’s is taking plastic bottles and turning them into sturdy and fashionable shoes that anyone would wear. The end product is a knitted fabric-like texture that is durable, and is perfect for those on the go!
Crocs
No matter what your stance on Crocs is, this pop culture icon of a company gets their consumers to reduce waste through their donation program for Crocs footwear. Chances are that you’ll get bored of your Crocs long before they break down, so why not donate your shoes to someone in need instead?
Canon
Canon takes over the field of recycling electronic waste, or e-waste, in their products. They collect and accept any of their digital cameras, office supplies, printers, and more electronic devices that may have seen the end of their lives.
The company takes these devices, and dismantles them. They use any viable parts for their products, and any recycled parts to be sent to the recycling facility for processing. As we move towards a more digital future, Canon is minimizing the waste that comes with our digital era. Canon also offers sustainable shipping, as they send you the shipping label and instructions.
Glass Half Full
Glass Half Full NOLA recycling facility was a drunken thought that executed into an innovative recycling plant for glass bottles and other glasswares. The team behind the company were college students fond of drinking beer during those wild college parties. The beer bottles left behind served as inspiration for these students to start Glass Half Full.
Featured by reputable news segments like NowThis and The Consulate General of France in New Orleans, this small company gained popularity as they recycle glass bottles into safe, sustainable sand particles safe enough to walk on. The glass sand can be used to cover artificial beaches, indoor pools, or as material for glassworks.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Recycling isn’t all about reused plastic pots and recycled cardboard boxes, it’s a lifestyle that we have to implement not only in our homes, but our businesses as well. We don’t just use castor bean oil or other sustainable materials, and we don’t just give out a free lipstick in exchange for a repurposed makeup kit. We have the opportunity to change our consumerism.
For the sake of the environment, we surely hope that recycling doesn’t remain a trend. While companies are creating great movements towards eco-friendly practices, we have to remember that excessive consumerism contributes to the increase in environmental deterioration. Do your part - don’t throw away those old gadgets or broken crayons, recycle them instead!
