Program turns coastline waste into reusable packaging

As the summer enters its hottest months, many Americans will try to beat the heat by heading to the ocean or a nearby lake. Unfortunately, when they get there, they’re likely to find a lot of plastic litter along the shore.

A new program created by reusable packaging provider Orbis Corp. aims to help clean up that coastline waste and repurpose it for commercial use. The Oconomowoc, Wisconsin-based company says its “Ocean in Mind” program incorporates packaging made with recycled plastic material recovered near major waterways, helping clean up those areas. Once collected, the plastic is sorted, reprocessed, and used to make reusable packaging for logistics applications.

The company says it collaborates with customers to integrate this material into products that fit their specific logistics needs and sustainability goals, blending the recovered coastline plastic waste with other materials during the manufacturing process to create finished goods.

“Orbis is always exploring material innovations in the sustainable packaging industry,” Breanna Herbert, the company’s associate product manager and sustainability lead, said in a release. “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 [also] repurposes plastic at risk of entering our waterways.”