More Tips: 1. Look for clear badge holders manufactured from recycled PVC and lanyards woven from bamboo fiber or post-consumer PET for your accessories.
2. Organizations like Earth911 can help you find a recycler for your obsolete plastic ID products, so make a point of collecting any badges that are no longer needed so the materials can be sent to a reclamation facility. Remember to cut up any items that have identifying information on them.
3. Laminate or apply a topcoat to all your cards to increase their longevity.
Industry Leaders: When it comes to environmental commitment, there are a couple of companies that stand out from the rest.
Evolis offers the Tattoo Rewrite printers, which allow you to reuse materials over and over again by erasing and reprinting the thermo-sensitive surface of specially designed cards. Their Pebble units incorporate “ribbon saver” technology, which conserves monochrome ribbon by using the minimum length necessary for each print job. This European company complies with strict guidelines regarding the use of hazardous substances in its products (RoHS compliance). They are also up to speed with the related Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment directive (WEEE) for managing the safe disposal of used electronic devices. Evolis boasts solar energy and rainwater harvesting at its headquarters and daily selective waste sorting in both manufacturing and administrative departments.
Zebra (formerly Eltron) practices full disclosure with its 12 page Corporate Product Material Content Policy. End users will be glad to know that they can check to see the full list of hazardous substances excluded from use in the manufacturing process. Zebra holds suppliers of parts and raw materials to the same exacting standards in an effort to keep their supply chain free of pollutants such as ozone depleting substances and heavy metals. Packaging materials from this company are also marked with appropriate recycling symbols to make it easy for you to keep up the good work by reducing waste at your office. The corporation has its own recycling program in place to accept used Zebra cartridges at its Illinois facility if you are willing to pay the postage.