Atlantic Poly Blog

There are many in Rhode Island advocating for a statewide ban on plastic bags. Everyone wants a healthy environment for future generations, but a bag ban is not a silver bullet solution, especially when aluminum cans, paper products and glass bottles riddle the roadsides. As well intentioned as the cause may be, to single out one industry in the name of environmental stewardship is simply misguided.

The EPA reports that plastic retails bags make up less than 0.5% of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. Considering that the unemployment rate in the U.S. sits just above 7% and Rhode Island's at 9%, should we really be making it tougher for those who depend on plastic manufacturing and recycling jobs to earn a living? Bag bans - if enacted - would essentially shut down this vibrant American industry.

Plastic bags are also the most environmentally friendly choice at the checkout, as the vast majority of plastic retail bags are made in the United States using high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a byproduct of natural gas, not oil, and are 100% recyclable. This is in stark contrast to their reusable bag counterparts - most of which are manufactured in China with oil and cannot be recycled, cluttering up landfills.

In fact, you may even be depositing your bags and other plastic wraps in the bins outside your local grocery stores, which are then picked up and recycled into new plastic bags.

Dr. David Tyler of the University of Oregon summed up the choice of plastic grocery bags like this: "If the most important environmental impact you wanted to alleviate was global warming, then you would go with plastic."

Those who also claim that a bag ban will reduce the costs for municipalities in their clean up and disposal are selling you a false bill of goods. The National Center for Policy Analysis studied this claim in those localities, like San Francisco, which have bag bans already in effect. The report concludes that there is "no evidence of a reduction in costs attributable to reduced use of plastic bags."

There are very real economic consequences to plastic bag bans with no scientific evidence to back them up.

For more information on recycling and  recyclable plastic bags, contact Atlantic Poly.

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Biotech companies, pharmaceutical companies, electronics manufacturers, and companies with government contracts are all businesses that require the use of specialty polyethylene bags. Specialty polyethylene bags are used in businesses or manufacturing facilities where there are stringent requirement to protect products against moisture, salt, static electricity and any other type of contamination.

If your business relies on protecting its products from these harsh items and environments during storage or shipment, Atlantic Poly can supply Mil Spec Bags, Anti Static Bags, Clean Room ISO Certified Bags, and Vapor Inhibitor Bags that are right for your business application. Whether the bags are needed to protect custom ASICs in expensive high end electronics, for military applications, or to protect people from hazardous waste we have the specialty polyethylene bags that you need.

Industries that use specialty poly bags include agriculture, biomedical, semiconductor electronics, manufacturing, medical, military and defense programs, pharmaceutical, and hazardous waste.

For more information on our Specialty Polyethylene Bags, contact Atlantic Poly.

Plastic bags are 100% recyclable, reusable, made from natural gas, not oil, and a sustainable choice for consumers, communities and businesses. What’s more the plastic bag manufacturing and recycling industry is a uniquely American industry that employs more than 30,000 Americans in 349 plants across the country.

Bans and taxes on plastic bags are misguided policies that don’t make sense. They don’t help the environment, force less sustainable options, threaten local manufacturing jobs and raise grocery costs for consumers.

Instead of banning a reusable, 100% recyclable, American-made product, recycling solutions can help reduce litter, give consumers a choice, and protect American jobs.

Plastic grocery bags are the best checkout option for our environment

• On a per bag basis, plastic bags are more resource efficient, reduce landfill waste and generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
  • They take up a lot less space in a landfill: 1,000 plastic bags weigh 13 pounds; 1,000 paper bags weigh 114 pounds.
  • They generate 80 % less waste than paper bags.

• American plastic bags are made from natural gas, NOT oil. In the U.S., 85 percent of the raw material used to make plastic bags is produced from natural gas.

• Recycled plastic bags are used to make new plastic bags and building products, such as backyard decks, playground equipment, and fences

For more information, contact Atlantic Poly.

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The home remodeling market is rebounding. As business picks up and demand increases, competition becomes more intense.  As a result, your home remodeling and construction company needs to set itself apart. Referral business can be a big part of your bottom line. Keeping customers happy and homes clean can increase that referral business. You can accomplish this, in part, with surface and floor protection film.

Carpet and floor protection film keep homes clean and floors safe from damage. Dust shields protect the other rooms in the home from the dust that is created in the work area. Surface protection film and dust shields are for use during construction, remodeling and painting.

For information on construction film, surface protection film, and dust shields, contact Atlantic Poly. Some of the surface protection products we offer are below:

Carpet protection film – for use with all types of carpeting, this is a clear, self-adhering protective film that is highly resistant to tears or punctures.

Hardwood Floor protection film - Self-adhering film that protects all hard floors such as tile, vinyl, laminates, marble, granite and hardwood. It can also be used to prevent damage to tubs and counter tops.

Dust control barrier / Dust Pro Shield - Temporary walls that control dust and heat loss. This is a state –of-the-art system that is quick, simple and affordable. The plastic screening material is locked firmly against the floor and ceiling, up to 12 ft high.

Unfortunately that state of the world is such that additional security in many businesses and venues is necessary. Not only does staff need identification, but visitors do as well. ID badges are a great solution for meeting and maintaining security measures.

In manufacturing, bio-tech and engineering, as well as companies that have military and government contracts, security is a must. Not only are there restricted sections within the workplace, but the workplace needs to be kept secure from visitors.  In these industries ID badges are a must. When your companies security relies on the vinyl ID badge, it must be a reliable and well-made badge.

ID badges are vinyl pouches that hold name badges along with security clearances. They can be made with pins or clips to attach to apparel, or used with a lanyard to hang around your employees necks.

Secure ID cards and ID badges can ensure enhanced security and integrity of a work place or school, identify employees and bring sense of community among the organization members.

For the highest quality vinyl name badges and ID badge holders, contact Atlantic Poly.

With the plastic bags debate taking place in many states, you may be wondering if we should ban plastic pages. Will banning them actually solve the problem?

How are Plastic Bags Used?

The plastic bags that people are talking about in this debate are the plastic grocery bags or t-shirt bags that are given away by supermarkets, markets and shops. These are the lightweight plastic bags, designed for a single use, and are often given away free. Heavy weight plastic bags don't cause as many problems because they are less likely to blow away because of their weight, and they can be used over and over again.

We should Not ban plastic bags because…

Many people wonder why we should NOT ban plastic bags. The main reason for plastic bags is to carry purchases home, so replacing these bags with other options should be easy. However, while there is a move towards reusable bags, this is happening very slowly and they are far less convenient for the consumer. Paper requires more energy in production and transportation than plastic.

The problem with Banning plastic bags

What are the problems with banning plastic bags?

Many believe that plastic bags are very low priority when all the environmental issues of concern are taken into account. Even some green supporters are against the banning of bags. A better solution could be in educating the consumer and changing habits. Other people refer to the fact that the banning of plastic bags simply moves the problem elsewhere. Cities that have banned plastic bags often report an increase in the sale of plastic bin bags. Instead of plastic, paper bags are often used. There are a host of other issues with paper bags, one of which is use of virgin paper pulp.

While it is undeniable that disposable plastic bags are a relatively small problem in the overall scheme of things, better disposal is something we can all do. For more information on biodegradable plastic bags or reducing the waste stream in your business, contact Atlantic Poly.

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While reusable bags seem to be the way of the future, biodegradable shopping bags can help fill the gap in store-provided reusable bags that don't harm the environment.

Plastic bags that are provided by retailers have come under a lot of fire in recent years. The debate over whether or not paper is better than plastic has led many shoppers to bring their own, reusable bags with them on shopping trips.

What about those times shoppers leave their bag at home, for those who buy more than their bags can hold, or for those who don’t want to bring bags to the store with them? For those scenarios, shopping bags that are biodegradable can be the answer.

Advantages of Biodegradable Plastic Bags

While 100% paper shopping bags are completely biodegradable, most retailers hesitate to offer them. Paper bags can be expensive to purchase, and do their share of damage to the environment as well. Many paper shopping bags are also reinforced with plastics, waxes, chemicals, and other products to help them hold up to heavy purchases. These reinforcements rob the bag of its biodegradable attribute and eliminate any benefit to the environment in using a paper bag.

Standard Plastic Bags Vs Biodegradable Bags

Standard plastic shopping bags, such as the kind used in most grocery stores can take a minimum of 20 years to begin breaking down in composition. What little biodegrading that does take place is incomplete and plastic chemicals and compounds leach into the surrounding environment, poisoning it.

Recycled, reusable plastic shopping bags are a great alternative to standard shopping bags, yet aren't always the most practical solution. Shoppers can forget to bring them along, not have them on hand for impulse purchases, not have the right bag size for the purchase being made or not have enough bags. The cost of reusable bags can also be a deterrent to some consumers who expect the retailer to provide a bag for their use.

For more information on biodegradable plastic bags, contact Atlantic Poly.

Green Living

Commercial or industrial customers rely on roll-off dumpster liners for construction, hazardous, manufacturing and debris disposal. Roll off dumpster liners are heavy-duty polyethylene plastic liners, or ‘trash bags,’ that give your company maximum protection to contain waste going into roll-off dumpsters.

There are many pros to using roll off dumpster and dumpster liners. The biggest pro being that your trash is neatly contained in the liner which fits securely and easily into the dumpster. This is by far the most professional, environmentally conscious and efficient way to dispose of your remodeling, demolition, or manufacturing waste. Multiple sizes are available, from 10 cubic yards to 40 cubic yards. Even materials that are difficult to dispose of are acceptable and contained in dumpsters using roll-off liners.

Additionally, dumpster liners reduce leakage, lower wash-out costs and increase container longevity. They also provide a cleaner, safer, easier way to dump debris, construction waste, and airborne contaminants.

Easy, efficient and  safe waste disposal keeps a job site or manufacturing company running smoothly. Atlantic Poly offers standard and custom sizes. Contact us for more details.

Biodegradable poly bags and other green alternatives to plastic grocery and shopping bags are becoming more and more popular. They offer some nice features if you're trying to grow a greener world.

Biodegradable plastic bags are designed to break down in the environment. They pose less of a hazard to ecosystems and sometimes contribute less, long-lasting, plastic material to landfills.

Technologies have been developed to speed up the decaying process of poly bags. Unlike some substances, polythene bags will decay in the environment, naturally; however, it takes decades for this to happen without a little help from new advances in the green science. The science can be tricky, though. Bags have to survive long storage, be strong enough to hold groceries and other items and yet, still be broken down quickly once exposed to wind, water, light, or another trigger to start the decomposition process. Different technologies hasten decay at different rates. There are other things that create confusion, too. It isn't always easy to determine what type of technology makes a plastic bag biodegradable. The technology involved determines how effectively and how quickly a bag will degrade.

Biodegradable plastics are being used or considered for lots of industries, and the more you support biodegradable technology, the more likely it is that responsible environmental practices will become more widespread within the manufacturing industry. Look for biodegradable plastics for these industries:

• Apparel
• Bakery packaging
• Dry cleaning bags
• Electronics
• Food packaging
• Hardware items
• Housewares
• Medical devices and consumable items
• Promotional mailers

When you consider using biodegradable plastic bags, think of using them for more applications than just toting groceries home from the store.

For more information on biodegradable plastic bags for your business, contact Atlantic Poly.

Green Living

Happy New Year from Atlantic Poly! We would like to thank our customers and vendors for allowing our business to be part of your lives. We wish you a wonderful and prosperous 2014!

If we have had the pleasure of helping you with your packaging and plastics needs, we hope that we have helped you with the highest level of customer service that you have come to expect from us. If you have a need for plastic bags, plastic packaging, envelopes and labels or dumpster liners in 2014, we hope that you consider Atlantic Poly, a plastics manufacturer in MA.

It is our sincere wish that in the New Year you are surrounded by warmth, family, and friendship. From all of us here at Atlantic Poly, have a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

Sincere best regards to you all.