ustainability — It seems like a relatively recent concept but, in reality, sustainability has been around for a long time. The activities “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” have been used for millennia. In the plastics industry, Spartech has made it an essential part of our business in our process and our philosophy, beginning with our Royalite^® product line in the 1960s.

There are many challenges in closing the loop and regrind is not always the answer. Spartech is constantly developing solutions — products and processes — designed for sustainability using recycled, bio-based and compostable materials. We want to be your proactive partner in your sustainability requirements as you work with your customers, and we have helped many companies work towards closing their loop. In some cases, programs have been developed at a customer’s facility and included multiple polymers for ease of recycling.

Using recycled materials requires consistent supplies of high-quality recycled materials. Spartech has partnerships with companies that have the experience and equipment to consistently supply the level of quality required, no matter the end-use markets and products. These partners:

• Expand regrind utilization with higher quality feed streams
• Run all materials through testing equipment and lab evaluation, ensuring exactness and consistency
• Manufacture high-quality recycled resins with capabilities including grinding, material blending and homogenization and reprocessing
• Leverage tolling services to assist customers in reducing part and scrap size
• Ensure high quality resins and full supply chain accountability through lot traceability

Spartech’s products and processes are designed for sustainability.

Designing for sustainability up front is the most effective and efficient way to work towards meeting sustainability requirements. Spartech’s Innovation Center helps explore solutions to those challenges because we can:

• Develop solutions that incorporate higher levels of post-consumer (PCR) and renewable fillers
• Evaluate down-gauging or lightweighting
• Assist transition to more sustainable polymers
• Consider compostable materials such as PLA with high-heat resistance or PHA that is saltwater and soil-compostable in as little as six months
• Printing solutions incorporating compostable inks

Reduce

• Reducing material going into landfills is a visible and measurable benchmark. We can help customers meet that goal in two ways, depending upon your quality and regulatory requirements.

Recycling

• We take back customer scrap and regrind, then engineer quality solutions to work those materials back into the customer’s products while meeting stringent quality and performance criteria. For decades, Spartech has had a presence in the automotive, RV and marine industries, where customers send their scrap back to us for recycling and reuse. We have extensive experience formulating it back into their products in percentages that maintain optimal part performance.

Downcycling

• Plastic is not endlessly recyclable when customers require certain key physical properties and performance. In those applications, virgin resin may still be needed in the mix. However, if the application cannot use regrind because it requires 100% virgin resin content, Spartech is a sustainable solutions provider offering downcycling opportunities. We buy back customer regrind and incorporate it into other applications, ensuring the material does not go to landfill. For example, we repurpose multi-layer packaging regrind into sheet used in concrete forms, which are reusable and have a long lifespan.

Every aspect of our operations is driven by this core value as we integrate the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and governance considerations, into all our endeavors. New and ongoing projects in Spartech’s operations improve our sustainable practices: reduce materials, waste, water and energy use.

• Converting to LED lighting across the business
• Converting large motors used in production from AC to DC
• Waste reduction
  • Recirculating system water that cools forming equipment
  • Ongoing clean-sweep procedures keep scrap resin pellets out of wastewater streams
  • Recycling and reusing cardboard and shrink films
• Sourcing raw materials from suppliers based in North America, requiring less energy and fuel consumption for transport to our manufacturing locations.
• 16 manufacturing locations means we are geographically located near our customer base, which helps lower fuel use to deliver products.

Spartech embraces the concept of sustainability not only within the “Three Rs,” but also by our commitment to create a clean and safe world for future generations. To achieve this, we diligently work towards reducing pollutants, preventing the depletion of natural resources and ensuring the preservation of healthy and balanced ecosystems. By placing sustainability at the center of our innovation, we strive to make a positive impact on our planet and foster a better future for all.

Suzanne Fenton is the Senior Manager, Marketing Communications for Spartech. For more information contact Spartech at 111650 Lakeside Crossing Court, Maryland Heights, MO 63146-8606, USA; phone: (314) 569-7400; marketing@spartech.com; or www.spartech.com