As the U.S. plastic bag industry seeks to increase the percentage of recycled content in shopping bags to 20 percent by 2025 for greater sustainability, Cortec® Corporation is already far ahead in the field of VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) packaging. More than 20 years ago, Cortec® patented the technology for making anti-corrosion film using recycled plastic resin. Today, Cortec® continues to lead the market with a vibrant recycling program that produces VCI film (under the distinguishing VpCI® brand) with up to 20 percent recycled film content, a level at which Cortec® can ensure the quality of the new product.
On average, Cortec® regularly manufactures its popular VpCI®-126 film with 15 percent pre- and post-consumer recycled content, significantly outpacing recent ARPBA milestone goals of reaching 10 percent recycled content shopping bags by 2021 and 15 percent recycled content bags by 2023. Moreover, Cortec® achieves this in a specialized market that helps industries protect metals from corrosion during shipping or storage. Cortec’s VpCI®-126 film can be extruded and converted into many different formats and sizes depending on the needs of the end user—from the manufacturer who wants to protect a small metal gear in a VpCI®-126 Top-Seal (zippered) bag, to the plant manager looking for an easy way to preserve a large industrial asset in VpCI®-126 film during storage or shipment.
Cortec® has been able to minimize its own plastic film waste for decades by recycling in-house VpCI®-126 scrap at its Cortec® Advanced Films (CAF) plant in Cambridge, Minnesota. Several years ago, Cortec® was able to extend this recycling opportunity to a major off-road equipment assembly plant that receives engine components from dozens of suppliers across the U.S. and the world. After assigning a Six Sigma Black Belt to study the proposal, the manufacturer adopted the recycling program and eliminated its outdated specification of adding oil to VpCI®-126 packaging, since testing showed no impact on corrosion protection.
