Since the beginning, Eco Chemical™ has adopted a variety of innovative practices to fulfill our environmental stewardship role. We pride ourselves on these efforts, including our focus on producing concentrated products whenever possible and our continuous efforts to reduce our waste water to near zero.
When it came to our bulk packaging and shipping practices, there was one aspect we knew we had to improve upon – our shipping container usage. We could change our product chemistry and manufacturing practices to achieve more environmentally friendly outcomes, but at the end of the day, the product would always need to be packaged in large volume units and shipped. Putting our heads together with our customers, we were able to find a solution to make our processes even more ecologically sustainable, as well as more economical. The result was a tote reuse and recycling program. Let’s take a closer look:
How Does It Work?
A plastic tote is a fundamentally durable container, capable of multiple trips and refills before being discarded. Each tote holds approximately 275 gallons of concentrated Eco Chemical stain or paint. At any given time, we have about 300 totes in circulation, shipping around 20 new totes per week. Because of the high volume, we put the reuse and recycle program in place to save money for our customers and ourselves, while also reducing our contribution to solid waste.
After use, our clients rinse and return the totes to us, leaving roughly 10 gallons of water in the tote to prevent stain residue from sticking to the inside. When we receive the totes, we first test each one for quality to ensure it’s safe for reuse, then thoroughly wash them in-house.
Why Does It Matter?
The tote recycling program is more than just good for business. As our resident expert and Vice President of Operations George Brandt explains, “Environmental awareness is good for everybody. As a company, we strive to have the smallest footprint possible, understanding that we can’t completely remove it, but we can do everything in our power to minimize it.”
If you’d like to learn more about our environmental stewardship efforts you can check out our blog on the subject, or give us a call.
