Purchasing 101: Recycled Bags & Cases

Buying products made from recycled materials is a key step in supporting recycling programs and resource conservation. Resources are saved only when recycled products are purchased. This is referred to as "closing the loop." Consumers close the loop when they purchase products made from recycled materials. Governments can promote buying recycled products through their own purchasing programs and guidelines. Manufacturers can participate as well by using recycled materials in their products.

Tips for buying recycled products

Read labels and be informed
Take a few seconds to look at the product to see whether the product or the packaging contains recycled content.

What does recyclable mean?
The term recyclable refers to products that can be used again in the manufacture of new products rather than being disposed of as waste after consumption.

Post-consumer vs. pre-consumer
Post-consumer material comes from the items that have been used and discarded by a consumer like you, collected through recycling efforts and sold to manufacturers.

Buy green guidelines
Government agencies, as well as many businesses and organizations, set purchasing guidelines for environmentally friendly products. For example, most federal government agencies must purchase paper with at least 30% post-consumer recycled content.

Better Energy Systems Ltd. (the same company that brings us Solio solar chargers) are creating cases from the discarded tires of South American Trucks. Tread cases use these tires that would otherwise be burnt or thrown in landfills.

Better Energy Systems have a smart phone protective cases, including one for the iPhone, to their eco-friendly range. Tread cases are manufactured from re-engineered Colombian truck tires and the resulting recycled material (called Butyl rubber) is heat resistant, can withstand temperatures of up to 110 degrees C (230 degrees F), is not weakened by UV light and can even survive acid being poured on it.

Only 15% of Butyl rubber is currently recycled with the rest being burned or thrown into landfills.

"We are helping to preserve the environment by giving redundant resources a new lease of life. We also believe our consumers want to do the right thing and buy products from companies that are perceptive of their environmental footprint," said Chris Hornor, CEO of Better Energy.

Each Tread bag or case is hand made in Barranquilla from used tires from local service stations in Quibdó, Columbia. Because the tire pieces are hand-cut each Tread piece will have individual markings and textures.

* Models available : universal smart phones cases, iPhone cases, iPod Touch cases, universal mobile phones cases, iPod case(all generations), Zune MP3 player cases, 15" PC and Mac bag, 15" MacBook Pro Bag, 15" Mac sleeve, cameras and Solio chargers