Facts about plastic and the environment
At Poul Willumsen, we manufacture products of plastic – primarily in polystyrene and acrylic (standard and recycled).
Today's great interest in the environment often entails a debate about the material plastic.
We know that many people consider plastic as:
- Environmentally harmful
- CO2-consuming
- A chemical that ends up in nature and the oceans
BUT the fact is that the alternatives to plastic are not always good for the environment.
According to research projects from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland in 2010 and 2018, a world without plastics will actually increase energy consumption by 57% and CO2 emissions by 61%.
Recycling
73% of all plastics in the EU are recycled or used for energy, for example for packaging and in construction, where it is used as energy-saving insulation and for the production of solar cells etc. Each kilogram of recycled plastic produces 2 kilos less CO2 emissions than if the plastic was not recycled.
At Poul Willumsen, we also recycle plastic. We buy used plastic granules from other companies (post industrial waste) and use them to money boxes and keychains in recycled material - to the great benefit of our environmentally conscious customers. In addition, we recycle our own surplus material to manufacture other products.
We do not derive plastic pellets into the nature
We are a member of Operation Clean Sweep, which commits us to 100% avoiding waste of plastic pellets in nature - a project that we naturally support, since we avoided wasting pellets even before membership.
Our products are not disposable. These are long-lasting products. Therefore, they will not be left by consumers in nature as opposed to e.g. plastic bags, disposable cutlery and food packaging.
For example, a piggy bank typically gets a place in the home for many years, and it makes good sense to produce it in plastic, as this is much less energy-intensive than producing a ceramic piggy bank.
European production is your guarantee for control and consumer protection
We produce all our products in The Netherlands, subject to the EU's strict chemistry legislation, which ensures that the products do not pose a risk to the consumer's health.
Very cheap plastic products manufactured outside the EU are not subject to the same regulatory control.
Source: The Danish Plastic Federation
