Sustainability initiative repurposes coastline waste

Packaging manufacturer Orbis is combing our coastlines to find new materials for recycled packaging.

The Wisconsin-based company unveiled a material recovery program Wednesday that uses packaging made with recycled material recovered near major waterways, helping to clean up coastline waste while introducing a new stream of recycled packaging content into supply chains. Through its Ocean in Mind program, the company collects coastline waste, sorts and processes the material into reusable packaging, and collaborates with customers to find solutions for their supply chain needs, the company said.

Company spokesperson Breanna Herbert said the program takes recycling to a new level.

“ORBIS is always exploring material innovations in the sustainable packaging industry,” said Herbert, associate product manager and sustainability lead at Orbis. “By design, our products help reduce waste through re-use. This initiative takes recycling and reusability a step further by recovering waste from coastlines and repurposing it back into our product. We’re excited to offer our customers a material that not only improves supply chain sustainability but repurposes plastic at risk of entering our waterways.”

Orbis blends the coastline waste with other materials to create finished goods that are fully recyclable at the end of their service life, she added. The Ocean in Mind program is part of Orbis’ wider sustainability efforts, which also include working with customers to analyze packaging requirements and use to determine the environmental impact of their packaging strategies.