SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

MasterTag is committed to the sustainable production of our products and it’s contribution to the larger cause of environmental stewardship.

We print on plastics that are easy for growers and consumers to recycle.

Our scrap is recycled back into the system, using less raw material.

Superior score strength allows for thinner material, using less plastic, while maintaining performance.

sustainability-lansink-ladder

Lansink's Ladder

The Lansink Ladder is a visual hierarchy for waste management proposed by Ad Lansink in 1979 with the highest priority options on the top.

It represents a more complete version of the statement, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”.

A philosophy of sustainability to which we subscribe.

PREVENTION

  • Short run lengths reduce the excess tags growers have to buy, store, and sometimes recycle later.
  • Responsive lead times reduce the excess “buffer” tags that are wasted through over-purchasing.

MINIMIZATION

  • Efficient design and layout that maximizes sheet usage.
  • An ongoing effort to reduce start-up scrap, that is already significantly lower than industry standards.
  • Advanced die-cutting systems reduce tag thickness, while providing superior insertion strength, resulting in 30% less plastic for similar tags.
  • Use of 20%-30% mineral fillers (by weight) in our Polypropylene, reducing the amount of hydrocarbons consumed.

REUSE

  • We seek to reuse all packaging we receive or produce, for internal purposes, for use with customers, and for materials that can be returned to our suppliers.

RECYCLING

  • All Polystyrene and Polypropylene used by MasterTag is 100% recyclable.
  • Over 98% of the internal plastic scrap generated is recycled, either into new plant tag material, or into grower trays and pots.
  • MasterTag assists growers with obsolete tag inventory to recycle their materials into grower trays and pots.
  • We provide signs for garden centers to encourage recycling of plant containers and tags back to the garden center (which also creates another consumer visit).
  • The trim scrap generated in the extrusion process of our sheet is directly recycled into our product.

ENERGY RECOVERY

  • We believe the burning of plastic to produce energy is a last resort. While they can be burned for fuel, our materials are designed to be recycled and used again and again.

DISPOSAL

• In printing, our ultraviolet curing process eliminates most Volatile Organic Compounds.
• Waste ink is carefully processed and disposed.

Sustainability & Future Vision

Our New Materials Evaluation Team is constantly searching for alternative, more sustainable options on the material front.

We are currently working on sampling, testing, and developing several different materials that fallunder the recycled-content, biodegradable, and bio-plastic designations.

Our extensive testing is designed to provide the best balance of performance and value in the products we sell.

We invite customers to participate with us in testing new materials and evaluating them for their applications.

 

This includes, but isn’t limited to:

Short Term (1-3 years):
Polypropylene w/ increased recycled content
Polystyrene w/ increased recycled content
Bio-based (sugar cane) Polypropylene

Mid Term (4-7 years):
Bio-based grass paper
Fully recycled (100% Post Industrial Waste) Polypropylene
Fully recycled (100% Post Industrial Waste) Polystyrene