A company based in Flower Mound is making plastic products more sustainable through recycling programs that aid dozens of industries in meeting environmental goals.
Revolution, a company focused on delivering “smarter, better plastic products and recycling services to a variety of markets,” started out selling agricultural film, as reported by Axios. Besides selling the film to farmers, the company would then recover it after it was used and recycle it for use in other plastic products. It also recycles bulk plastic and sells resin pellets to manufacturing companies.
“Recycling is a team sport … It’s not possible unless there are multiple members along the value chain that are willing to work together,” Revolution CEO Sean Whiteley said, per Axios. “But if we want to make a difference, we want to make an impact, then we have to modify behavior.”
The company has since expanded to offer other products such as irrigation tubing, restaurant carryout bags, and construction industry materials. It recently released a line of eco-friendly consumer garbage bags called “dailygood bags,” which are made with 97% recycled plastic.
Companies that use Revolution’s products include Pepsi, Cheesecake Factory, Jason’s Deli, American Airlines, and the University of Texas at Arlington.
Texas has struggled to establish a regulatory framework to address plastic pollution. A bill introduced last year, HB 3210, was intended to reduce plastic waste in landfills, but it died in committee.
According to the Texas Campaign for the Environment, efforts to ban plastic bags have also failed. The organization claimed that plastic bags have been responsible for the deaths of cattle and horses in Texas. The bags frequently end up on pastures where livestock swallow them, which can be deadly.
The campaign claims that about 40% of commercial plastic packaging is single-use and gets discarded. It estimates that only about 9% of plastic produced since the 1950s has been recycled. The remainder has allegedly ended up in landfills or the natural environment.
Among the issues that make recycling plastic difficult is the increased cost of products made from recycled plastic. Revolution’s consumer bags are one example. A 20-pack of 13-gallon dailygood bags costs $12.50, while non-recycled trashbags cost about $4.