What is the Ring Leader Recycling Program?
The Ring Leader Recycling Program is an educational experience, involving six-pack rings and the Three R's -- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. It is designed for implementation in both formal and informal educational environments to allow students to learn about and participate in Closed-Loop Recycling.
What is photodegradable?
The process whereby ultraviolet radiation in sunlight attacks a chemical bond or link in the polymer or chemical structure of plastic. The polymer chain "breaks" at this link and disintegrates into smaller and smaller pieces. These small pieces are hydrocarbons that can be a good mulch (a layer of loose material on the ground around plants that prevents evaporation of water from soil and helps stop the plants' roots from freezing).
What is biodegradable?
Biodegradable materials are capable of being broken down by bacteria into basic elements. In biodegradation, living things convert original material into substances they can take in and use. Biodegradability needs microbes and oxygen, neither of which is present, to any significant degree, in modern landfills. Very little really degrades in a landfill because there is not enough air, light, or moisture.
Who is ITW Hi-Cone?
ITW Hi-Cone is the inventor of recyclable six-pack ring packaging for the beverage, food, and consumer products industries.
How long does it take for photodegradable six-pack rings to break down?
When exposed to direct sunlight, the rings will break down in 3 to 4 weeks in summer and 3 to 4 months in winter.
Will six-pack rings break down in water?
Yes. The recyclable six-pack rings are lighter than water, causing them to float on the surface where they are exposed to direct sunlight. They will photodegrade, but the process takes slightly longer.
Are the photodegradable six-pack rings toxic?
An independent testing laboratory found the photodegradable six-pack rings to be non-toxic. They contain no heavy metal or toxic additives.
Why is the six-pack ring a minimal package?
ITW Hi-Cone has decreased the amount of material in a recyclable six-pack ring by over 30 percent since the 1960s. Today, of the three major packages used for six-packs (plastic shrink-film, paperboard, and six-pack rings), recyclable six-pack rings produce the least solid waste by both weight and volume.
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