Hilex Poly Co.
Hilex Poly Wins FPA Sustainability/Environmental Award
SPI member company Hilex Poly Co. of Hartsville, SC received the Flexible Packaging Association’s FPA 2012 Achievement Award for implementing Hilex's Bag-2-Bag closed-loop recycling program with Kroger Company's supermarkets.
The FPA awards typically honor a specific package, focusing on its printing, design or technical achievement; however, Hilex Poly's award is specifically for sustainability and environmental achievement. Compared to conventional bags, the Bag-2-Bag requires 20 percent less energy to produce, lowers carbon emissions by 11 percent, diverts millions of pounds from landfills each year, and provides sustainability-conscious consumers a closed loop carryout package.
Retail bags are made using material recycled from plastic bags and other film that shoppers drop into Hilex Poly containers at retail stores such as Kroger's. Hilex Poly's closed loop system has made it an easy process for consumers to recycle their bags properly.
Hilex Poly is a founding member of Progressive Bag Affiliates, which defends plastic bags and promotes recycling of all plastics film, including bags, and as of January 1, 2012 has transitioned from the American Chemistry Council to SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, where it will be known as the American Progressive Bag Alliance (ABPA).
With over 30,000 collection points across the country, mostly at retail stores such as Kroger's supermarkets, Hilex Poly collects many plastic film products, which in turn are recycle into new bags, and into decking, piping, and playground equipment. As consumers have discovered the ease of using this system, Hilex's recycling volume has increased by 50% over the last five years. Having invested tens of millions of dollars into its recycling facilities, Hilex Poly was able to recycle more than 20 million pounds of plastic film in last year.
