Laird Plastics Leads the Charge Toward Plastics Recycling

Laird Plastics, a leading independent plastics distribution, manufacturing and recycling solution provider with more than 40 locations across the United States, was honored with the 2015 SGIA Sustainability Recognition Award — and it’s easy to see why. According to the Laird Plastics corporate team, “Laird Plastics operates its business and seeks to improve profitability by incorporating a clear view of how we interact with the natural environment. Environmental and resource considerations are an integral part of our strategy and executive decision-making. We will continue to reduce our environmental impact and consumption of non-renewable resources, increase the impact of our market-wide recycling efforts and selectively add environmentally preferable products to our sales portfolio. We have and will continue to incorporate practices, programs and products that enhance overall environmental sustainability.” Laird Plastics has long been excelling in the recycling realm. In 2007, Laird launched their energy reduction program and recycled 2,140,000 pounds of plastics and plastic-related materials and saw an 8.3 percent reduction in gas and power usage. As they continued to recycle more year over year, they reached a staggering 6,800,000 pounds of recycled materials in 2010 and a more than 35 percent reduction in overall natural resource consumption in 2011. Currently, the materials Laird is recycling include, but are not limited to:

• Clean, clear acrylic
• Clean, clear PETG
• Clean, clear polycarbonate
• Clean, white styrene
• HDPE
• Mechanical plastics
• Mixed ABS
• Mixed acrylic
• Mixed or printed styrene
• Mixed PETG
• Mixed polycarbonate
• Polyethylene films
• Polypropylene
• Rigid vinyl
• Segregated ABS
• UHMW

R-E-C The Laird Plastics Recycling — Environmental — Consulting (LP R-E-C) division was launched in 2009 and is a “business unit solely devoted to domestic plastic recycling and sustainable supply-chain management.” The division aims to provide a policy for how companies, including Laird Plastics, can lessen its carbon footprint while continuing to develop new sustainable business practices, all while promoting profitability. Additionally, the LP R-E-C provides a solution for the end-of-life cycle for branded material. Since branded material can be considered intellectual property, how these materials are disposed of can raise unique concerns for brand owners. The LP R-E-C assures brand owners that their materials are being properly handled — whether to be reused, repurposed, used for thermal value or modified in any way — by tracking, documenting and reporting the full end-of-life cycle. Sustainability for Present and Future Sustainable solutions are not only important for the environment, but they also can guarantee the sustainability of the life of your business. By following the example set by Laird Plastics and all of the 2015 Sustainability Recognition Award recipients, wide-format and specialty graphics companies can ensure the growth of their operation and the entire printing industry. To learn more about SGIA’s sustainability resources and how you can take steps toward sustainable business practices, visit SGIA.org/Sustainability. About Laird Plastics Laird Plastics offers a comprehensive network of service centers and inventories with an extensive product range including such major segments as acrylics and polycarbonates, graphics materials (substrates and a variety of higher end materials) and mechanical/engineering materials (UHMW, LDPE, HDPE, nylons, acetals). This includes product representation on performance and selection, transportation, storage and delivery. Increasingly, we are finding opportunities to service customers with needs across multiple locations who are looking to reduce the total costs of their supply chain. Through decentralized commercial activity, a genuine focus on safety, quality and productivity, and an extensive support and training network we seek to attract, motivate and retain the best wholesale distribution people to serve this exciting and growing global marketplace.