Environmental Benefits: Rentacrate and Sustainability

Plastic Containers vs. Cardboard Boxes

The Concept of Reduce by Reuse

The EPA has established that the number one way to reduce solid waste in landfills is by reuse. The method of reuse has been deemed far superior to that of recycling.

Rentacrate is the perfect example of an innovative concept that is cost effective, more efficient and environmentally sustainable. Rentacrate provides reusable plastic crates for office and household moving as an alternative to one-time-use cardboard boxes. The Rentacrate Complete Moving System™ by its very nature eliminates cardboard waste and promotes the concept of reducing solid waste by utilizing reusable products.

In a recent study commissioned by the Reusable Pallet & Container Coalition, it was determined that as compared to corrugated boxes being made and used for corresponding applications, reusable plastic containers:

• Require 39% less total energy to produce
• Produce 95% less total solid waste
• Generate 29% less total greenhouse gas emissions

Rentacrates have an average lifespan of 10 years during which one crate can eliminate over 400 boxes from landfill waste. With nearly 250,000 crates in use at any one time, Rentacrate's current inventory of crates will eliminate 10 million boxes per year or over 100 million boxes in their lifetime. Given that nearly one third of landfill waste is corrugated material, Rentacrates make a significant contribution to reducing solid waste production.

When it comes to recycling, every tree cut for the manufacturer of corrugated ultimately ends up as solid waste or is incinerated. Even if wood fiber does not reach the waste stream until it has been used several times due to recycling, it does not solve the core problem of solid waste. Thus, the method of Reuse is superior to Recycling when it comes to sustainability.

The plastic manufacturing process is also an environmentally friendly alternative to cardboard. Utilizing natural gas, the plastic manufacturing process is so energy efficient that it actually uses less fossil fuel per pound than paper making and paper recycling. Plastics manufacturing also generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than paper making and paper recycling.

Rentacrate products are made from 100% recyclable plastic. Broken, damaged or retired crates are returned to the factory where they are recycled and used in the production of new crates with only an additional 5% of virgin plastic. With its highly efficient recycling program Rentacrate ensures that once a crate is produced its reuse capacity is almost infinite.

Traditionally, environmentally friendly products have come with a cost disincentive. Rentacrates however are more cost effective to use than the alternative. Using Rentacrates can actually save up to 40% off the cost of your move with fewer units, less labor and fewer truckloads needed.

When you care about saving time, money and our world, Rentacrate makes you more efficient, more cost effective and adds significant sustainability. Crates have been used in Europe for office moving for over 35 years. Rentacrate Inc. has pioneered the concept in the USA. At Rentacrate we are committed not only to improving the moving process but also to improving our world.

Electronic Recycling Services

Rentacrate is also at the forefront of the industry when it comes to certified Electronic Recycling. Rentacrate provides the state of the art solution to businesses across the country for their ongoing E-Scrap needs. Since more and more states are enacting laws making it illegal to dump computers into landfills, you need to know your choices:

• Incinerating - bad for the environment and wasteful
• Shredding - expensive and most likely resulting in shredded materials going to landfills
• Refurbishment - puts the security of your company's data at the most risk
• RECYCLING - the actual reclamation of all raw materials

Rentacrate prides itself in practicing the state of the art RECYCLING method most beneficial to the environment. All components are hand disassembled in such a manner that 100% of computers and electronic components are recycled and therefore reused. This method obviously provides superior recycling efficiencies to that of shredding or incinerating and eliminates solid waste.

Shredding Services

Rentacrate also provides certified Shredding Services for both move projects and on a contractual basis. After our cross-cut particle shredders are used to ensure compliance with shredding standards, it results in the shredded paper becoming recyclable.

Rentacrate teams with paper recyclers who take the shredded material and pulp it so that it becomes reused.

Rentacrate's Shredding Services are in line with our corporate philosophy of providing sustainable services to businesses.