Trash Bags Certified Green

Webster Industries, a leading manufacturer of recycled content polyethylene trash bags, recently announced that the company’s ReClaim™ brand and private label trash bags are the first and only trash bags to achieve third party certification from Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) for state-of-the-art recycled content. Webster is the only plastic trash bag manufacturing company to receive independent certification to validate and verify the company’s recycled content product claims. SCS, originally founded in 1991, is an independent, not-for-profit organization widely considered to be one of the country’s leading third party product claim certification organizations.

ReClaim bags and Webster’s private label recycled content trash bags contain 75% recycled content, including at least 10% post-consumer material. All packaging contains 100% certified recycled paperboard, and the company long ago lead the industry in eliminating toxic inks and dye additives.

Recycling plastics provides substantial environmental benefits in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy, preserving natural resources, and reducing landfill waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling low density polyethylene (LDPE) saves about half (46%) of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of virgin plastic trash bags, and recycling LDPE uses only about 10% of the energy that it takes to make a pound of virgin plastic material. Webster recycles over 30 million pounds of LDPE plastics each year that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated.

Webster achieved independent certification from SCS after going through a rigorous evaluation and auditing process. SCS also certified Webster’s products for government procurement and green building qualification, including an Environmental Preferable Product (EPP) designation and LEED certification that qualifies the use of Webster’s trash bags for credits toward green building status.

Jack Shields, president of Webster Industries stated, “The success of our recycled content trash bags has been tremendous as a growing number of customers are using their purchasing power to reflect their strong environmental commitment and environmental stewardship. Through the SCS certification, our customers get an environmental benefit they can trust and the assurance that their purchase is truly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste, and saving energy. And, in addition to our ReClaim brand, we are pleased to offer our private label customers a quality recycled content product with the SCS logo confirming certification for recycled content, LEED credits, and environmental preferable product (EPP) designation.”

Recognized by the green globe and green cross logo, SCS is the only recognized independent certification company verifying recycled content for polyethylene can liners. Stan Rhodes, president and CEO of SCS stated, “Webster is setting the gold standard in terms of recycled content and product innovation with environmental attributes in the plastic can liner industry. I applaud Webster’s proactive leadership to obtain SCS certification. It is important for customers to know that the products they purchase truly have the environmental benefit being claimed.”

The SCS certification for Webster’s ReClaim and private label trash bags validates the recycled content environmental claims and gives customers a guarantee that Webster’s products provide a verified, audited and meaningful environmental benefit. Given the current marketplace confusion regarding identifying truly “green” products, the SCS certification and corresponding logo on Webster’s products provides third-party proof and scientific validation that all of the products truly contain recycled content that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated.