Environment
Alpen & the Environment
Alpen are a proudly Australian family owned and operated business and have been trading for over 50 years!
We have watched many trends come and go over this period but one important topic of our product development has always been the environment!
How can our products bring joy to life, celebrations and occasions while being the earth friendly choice?
When we design a product or a range, there are many factors and where possible, we make the best earth friendly choice!
SINGLE USE PLASTIC BANS:
Check with your state authority below for information on Single-Use Plastic Bans before purchasing products from Alpen Products:
ACT | NSW* | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA
Certain products stocked by Alpen Products are restricted for sale in different states.
*Additional NSW information from the EPA including guidance for industry, can be found here.
See our 125 cycle reusability test results here. And our 780 cycle results in the April 2024 update below. Our Occasions Reusable Tableware & Cutlery has been tested to 125 cycles of the mechanical dishwashing standard.
Looking for instore posters for Alpen's Occasions Reusable Tableware & Cutlery - download your copy here!
Visit the NRA's website to view the Action on Single Use Plastic National Summary here.
REUSABLE TABLEWARE
Alpen Reusable Tableware Customer Update April 2024
How can we REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE?
Alpen’s reusable tableware has been a key range for customers for 3 decades and still represents itself well in this category
Did you know that our plastic tableware is both reusable & recyclable?
Independent testing confirms that our PP5 tableware and cutlery range is:
- dishwasher safe with a PASS result for 125 cycles with no breakage or adverse effects. (With latest testing passing 780 cycles)
- microwave safe with a PASS result for 5 cycles at 10 mins per cycle in a microwave oven with 1000W output power without distorting, melting, surface deformation or staining
- Resistant to heat with no visual change or damage after 24 hours at 100 degrees Celsius
Our reusable tableware is made from Polypropylene – this means that it is FREE FROM BPA, Styrene & DEHP!
Polypropylene (PP) is rated by the Centre for International Environmental Law as amongst the safest of all tested plastics based on an assessment of the materials used to make it.
o No BPA – a harmful chemical that migrates to food through contact
o No Styrene – a harmful chemical that migrates to food through contact
o No DEHP – a harmful chemical that migrates to food through contact
- See page 30: Plastic & Health: The hidden costs of a plastic planet
- Polypropylene receives a Relative hazard score of 1 vs. 2788 for Polystyrene (the monomer Styrene migrates to food and is carcinogenic!)
- Healthier Food Uses of Plastics
Research has found that polypropylene is able to be combined with and/or more easily separated from, other plastics when collected for recycling than polystyrene. This means that products and packaging manufactured using propylene are more likely to be recycled than those made out of polystyrene, and less likely to impact on the recyclability of other plastics.
- Local Australian recycling tonnage of Polypropylene is 10x that of Polystyrene: Australian Plastics Recycling Survey
- See page 27: Design Smart material Guide, Plastics packaging Covenant, Rigid Plastic Packaging
Being this recyclable means that this range is not “single use plastics”. The plastics used can be reused and recycled, making them the best choice for plastic tableware!
Research has also found that the production of polypropylene generally generates between 40-50% less greenhouse gas emissions than polystyrene. Polypropylene has also been found to emit far less methane and ethylene (common greenhouse gases) during degradation (if littered) than polystyrene.
- 55% lower greenhouse gas impacts vs. polystyrene, see page 6: Design Smart material Guide, Plastics packaging Covenant, Rigid Plastic Packaging
- See Table 1 for emissions on degradation: Production of methane and ethylene from plastic in the environment
FSC Certification
In October 2023, Alpen Products qualified for our FSC Chain of Custody certification and now hold license number FSC-C193019.
To find out more about the Forest Stewardship Council and the many ways they are making positive change to the supply chain, please visit their website here: https://fsc.org/en
Latex Balloons
Did you know that balloons are made from Latex and is a sustainable, plant based product?
Our Decrotex balloons are manufactured from the sap of the Rubber Tree, better known as Latex. The rubber sap is then transformed into balloons, through different processes but maintaining its natural condition. Rubber Trees are not cut down during this process, but instead the milky white sap flows freely from the tree when a sliver of bark is removed.
No filler materials, plasticizers or other agent are used to reduce costs.
We do support the responsible use of Balloons and are members of PEBA (Pro Envionment Balloon Alliance). We do not support the release of helium balloons into the atmosphere. More information can be found about the responsible use of balloons at: https://www.peba.com.au/
Both Alpen's Occasions and Decrotex Latex Balloons are "EN-71-12" compliant, meaning no nasty nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are carcinogenic and given your and our precious kids love playing with balloons, we want to avoid this where we can.
We practice what we preach!
Environmental impacts don’t only relate to the products we sell, its in our every day business practices.
Alpen are members of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation and have been for many years. We have programs in place to ensure our products are correctly labelled with easy to understand disposal information and regularly update these as recycling procedures evolve.
As a member of the APCO, we report annually on our collection and recycling of business produced waste and have recently maintained “Level 3, Advanced” status on our core criteria. We continue to review practices that help us divert waste from landfill and will continue to better these practices annually. You can download our latest APCO Annual Report and Action Plan Document here.
