White Paper Executive Summary
While the benefits are indisputable, the challenge of effectively implementing green policies remains when competing in a global marketplace. Fresh-Lock® zipper brand, offers a simple way to lower your plant’s landfill output with the introduction of a modular, reusable, environmentally-friendly spool. With the Fresh-Lock ® Zipper Spool Reuse program, making a positive environmental impact doesn’t require the reengineering of a plant, the retrofit of a machine or even changing raw materials. Now, simply changing spools lowers a plant’s environmental impact and actually saves you money.
The spool’s design allows it to be disassembled after it is emptied. By releasing the Cord-Lock™, the spool disassembles into three modular pieces. These stackable sections reduce the overall footprint, replacing spools being piled into bins with a neat, manageable stack of components. After use, simply pack the Zipper Spools into their original shipping cases and they are shipped to a designated washing facility at no cost to the customer. The Zipper Spool Reuse program is geared to work with any size converter in an effort to make the largest possible positive impact on the environment. Credits are given out once per quarter based on the number of individual spools that are returned.
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White Paper
Reducing Environmental Impacts While Saving Money
Nowhere in business today is the pressure to “go green” felt more intensely than in the packaging industry. But, while the benefits are indisputable, the challenge of effectively implementing green policies remains when competing in a global marketplace.
Presto Products Company, in conjunction with their Fresh-Lock® zipper brand, offers a simple way to lower your plant’s landfill output with the introduction of a modular, reusable, environmentally-friendly spool. Our Zipper Spool Reuse program gives converters and consumer brand products companies a simple but effective way to be green without interrupting production or increasing costs, while still offering a positive impact for the environment.
Traditionally, zipper closures like Fresh-Lock® zippers are delivered wound on spools. Once emptied, the spool has to be disposed of by the converter. Every year, converters across the country utilize over 100,000 spools of Fresh-Lock® zippers, with each spool being used only a single time, and then discarded in a landfill.
Even though the overall cost of disposal of spools is manageable when compared to other cost factors in the production process, the long-term environmental impact of the disposal is worth noting. Spools are bulky and take up disproportionate space in landfills and, like other plastic products, decompose at rates measured in centuries. And to make matters worse, the spool is a single-use mechanism. It has no secondary use or value for the process. Because of this, the spool represents an important opportunity for environmental improvement.
With the Zipper Spool Reuse program, making a positive environmental impact doesn’t require the reengineering of a plant, the retrofit of a machine or even changing raw materials. Now, simply changing spools lowers a plant’s environmental impact and actually saves money.
Introducing the Zipper Spool Reuse program
Unlike conventional recycling approaches that create a cost burden for the converter, the Zipper Spool Reuse program actually reduces the cost of spools. Presto uses a simple reimbursement system that literally credits customers back on invoices for switching to the new, greener Zipper Spool Reuse program.
The Zipper Spool Reuse program is the first of its kind in the industry and gives packers a simple, cost-effective method for reducing the environmental impact of spools. Fresh-Lock® Zipper Spools never see a landfill. Instead, through an innovative approach and design, spools are reused or recycled. This “cradle to cradle” approach all but eliminates the need for landfilling spools.
Implementation of the Zipper Spool Reuse program results in an estimated 80% reduction in the amount of HIPS resin used to manufacture spools carrying Fresh-Lock zippers. If each converter who uses Fresh-Lock® zippers participated in the Zipper Spool Reuse program, the impact on the environment would be meaningful and measurable.
Here are just a few examples of how that impact could be measured. If all current Fresh-Lock® zipper customers implemented the Zipper Spool Reuse program, it would:
- Consume 8,000 less gallons of fossil fuel annually, enough to fuel 134 automobiles for one year
- Eliminate nearly 350 tons of solid waste
- Consume 11 billion less BTU’s of energy annually, enough to heat over 200 houses for a year
- Reduce greenhouse gas emission (carbon dioxide and methane) by almost 150,000 pounds
- Reduce electricity used by 206,000 Kwh annually, enough to power central air-conditioning in 74 homes for one year or play Guitar Hero on Nintendo Wii on a 32-inch flat screen for over 100 years
How the Process Works
The program involves four basic parts: Reduce, Return, Receive and Reuse. Each part in the process is explained in detail below.
Reduce
The heart of the program is the first-of-its-kind modular spool, which reduces the footprint of empty spools. The spool is wound as usual with Fresh-Lock® zipper product.
The spool’s design allows it to be disassembled after it is emptied. By releasing the Cord-Lock™, the spool disassembles into three modular pieces. These stackable sections reduce the overall footprint, replacing spools being piled into bins with a neat, manageable stack of components.
As spools are exhausted and disassembled, they are returned back into the cartons in which they were originally wound spool was shipped.
Return
Cartons filled with Zipper Spools are shipped to a designated washing facility at no cost to the customer. Depending on the volume of Fresh-Lock product consumed by the converter, shipments are made either via UPS or LTL truck. Specific shipping instructions are provided when a converter participates in the program. In any case, the shipping remains completely FREE to the converter or consumer branded product company.
Receive
Each calendar quarter that the converter participates in the Zipper Spool Reuse program, they receive a credit toward their Fresh-Lock® Zipper purchases for each spool returned. The credit on their invoices essentially pays the converter, reducing the overall costs of the zipper.
Reuse
Returned Zipper Spools are meticulously inspected and thoroughly washed. In the cradle-to-cradle approach any spool that is damaged is recycled and manufactured into new spools. There are no changes to the product specification with the new spool configuration.
Compatibility
Zipper Spools function the same as conventional spools and require no changes to packaging equipment.
Invoice Credit
Credits are given out once per quarter based on the number of individual spools that are returned. Credits from the previous quarter will appear on an invoice for the next calendar quarter.
Heavy User Projection
Larger converters, packers or consumer branded product companies who switch to the Zipper Spool Reuse program have an immediate and meaningful impact on the environment and save money. Here’s an example:
Background and assumptions
- Customer consumes 11,679 large conical spools each year
- Each empty spool weighs six pounds and accounts for 216 cubic inches in volume
- Each Zipper Spool that replaces a traditional spool is used about five times
- Packaging material to ship spools is reused to return spools for washing
Environmental impact of the Zipper Spool program
- Eliminates 35 tons of scrap spools currently landfilled
- Eliminates 17,518 cubic feet of spools currently landfilled
- Saves over 14,000 gallons of fossil fuel annually
- Eliminates 136 tons of greenhouse gas emissions
- Significantly reduces disposal costs and onsite storage space of used spools and packaging materials
- Saves customer $11,679.00
Heavy User Projection
The Zipper Spool Reuse program is geared to work with any size converter in an effort to make the largest possible positive impact on the environment. Here’s an example:
Background and assumptions
- Customer consumes 560 large conical spools each year
- Each empty spool weighs six pounds and accounts for 216 cubic inches in volume
- Each Zipper Spool that replaces a traditional spool is used about five times
- Packaging material to ship spools is reused to return spools for washing
Environmental Impact of the Zipper Spool program
- Eliminates 3,360 pounds of scrap spools currently land-filled
- Eliminates 840 cubic feet of spools currently landfilled
- Saves over 700 gallons of fossil fuel annually
- Eliminates 1300 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions
- Significantly reduces disposal costs and onsite storage space of used spools and packaging materials
- Saves customer $560.00
Conclusion
With a simple evolution of design, the Zipper Spool Reuse program gives converters and packers a simple method to reduce the environmental impact of their operation, while saving money in the process. For more information on the Zipper Spool Reuse program or Fresh Lock® zippers, go to
www.Fresh-Lock.com. The site offers information and insight on the program as well as details on how to begin using Zipper Spools in any operation.
