Recyclable plastic ♻

In our quest to be as green as possible, it is obvious that we have asked ourselves this question. Which material is the most recyclable, the most practical and which has the smallest environmental footprint between glass and plastic?

GLASS:
Glass requires less energy. energy to be made and recycled because it is made from natural substances such as sand, sodium carbonate and limestone.

One of the advantages of glass is that it is highly recyclable . However - contrary to popular belief - in Quebec, only 14% of the recovered glass is recycled , according to Recyc-Québec, and not necessarily to make it into glass again, since glass from centers sorting is generally too contaminated with other materials to be usable. The balance (86%) is simply found in landfills.

Glass is much more expensive to transport than plastic because it is heavier. Glass is also more expensive to recycle than plastic and therefore generates six times more greenhouse gases than plastic. Finally, as the glass is fragile, we have to use a lot more protection when packaging to minimize breakage.

THE PLASTIC:
Taking for granted that people do put plastic bottles for recycling - not in the environment - plastic is easily recycled.

Another advantage of plastic is that it is lighter. This means that it requires less raw materials and less energy to manufacture and therefore produces a reduced carbon footprint.

Due to its light weight, plastic also requires less energy to be transported , it is not fragile and therefore requires much less protective packaging and, finally, it is much easier to remove than glass. Once recycled, it can also be used in several other by-products such as carpets, clothing and other fibers.

Once the plastic containers are placed in your recycling bin, it appears that the plastic is actually more ecological than glass.

VERDICT:
After analysis, we chose to use BPA-free HDPE plastic containers (class # 2). This type of recyclable plastic is considered to be very safe in addition to being currently recycled in Quebec at more than 67.6% according to ‘Recyc-Quebec’. So you can be sure that the Vitacru containers will be recycled and transformed into new products once placed in your recycling bin.

In the end, glass and plastic have their drawbacks and their advantages. Basically, whether you choose plastic or glass, the best thing to do is to recycle them so that they can both work to improve the environment.

Recycled plastic bottles - Did you know?

- 1 bottle (PET) = 7 cards chips

- 2 bottles (PET) = 1 watch = 1 scarf in polar wool

- 27 bottles (PET) = 1 polar sweater

- 67 bottles of water (PET) = 1 duvet for two

- 11 bottles of milk (HDPE) = 1 watering can

- 12 bottles of soda (PET) = 1 pillow

- 200 bottles of cleaning products (HDPE) = 1 outdoor bin

- 450 bottles of washing powder (HDPE) = 1 3-seat park bench