As a plastics company, the origin of the resources we use is at the heart of our concerns. We have always given priority to quality, sturdiness and reducing the environmental impact of our card and badge holders.
Polycarbonate is the material with which we started out because of its robustness, and from which we continue to inject part of our cases today. Polycarbonate is renowned for its impact resistance, and is used in motorcycle helmets, firefighters' helmets and car headlights. As well as being extremely resistant, it has the advantage of being easily recyclable, many times over.
Second Life Polycarbonate card cover (recycled and recyclable)
To promote recycling, we are now injecting some of our models with regenerated plastic.
The main difference between regenerated plastic and conventional recyclable plastic is that regenerated plastic is itself made from recycled materials. As a result, the materials we use are less dependent on a linear economy.
Card cover in AlgoBlend
We then sought to innovate with the material used, using an algae-based plastic called AlgoBlend. It belongs to the family of biocomposite bioplastics, i.e. plastics reinforced with waste from natural resources, in our case brown algae.
Card cover made from oyster shells
We also worked with other sources of bioplastics, such as wood flour and oyster shells. The latter material was the most successful, not only for its visual appeal, but also for its rigidity and softness to the touch.
We're always looking for ways to innovate, and our latest innovation in this field is PLA.
More on this in the next article! We'll explain the ins and outs of this promising material.