Environmental Policy
Sapona Plastics is committed to reducing adverse environmental impacts from our manufacturing activities, products, and services. We are committed to going beyond mere compliance with relevant environmental legislation and regulations, striving for continuous improvement. The company will utilize an environmental management program to achieve the intent of this policy and focus on resource conservation and waste reduction.

Environmental and Sustainability programs and records
Recycled Grill Brush Handle - Plastic handle used reprocessed/recycled PP, over 350,000 lbs per year of recycled plastic.
Most scrap produced is ground and recycled back into the product unless limited by specification.
Our CEO, Jack Lail, maintains the grounds and keeps the landscaping in good shape.
Leadership - Dean Lail, our president, has been a certified Drinking Water Treatment Facility Operator and certified Distribution System Operator, responsible for the Drinking Water system at Sapona.
Cans and bottles are recycled by our scrap recycler. Receptacles are in the break room.
All Electric Presses - Sapona Plastics has 10 all-electric presses which save over 25% electricity compared to traditional hydraulic presses. Future presses and auxilliary equipment will be energy saving. 
Our electricity usage in 2009 resulted in an estimated equivalent pollution count as follows:
6,548 pounds of nitrogen oxides
23,955 pounds of sulfur dioxide
4,616,034 pounds of carbon dioxide
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EPA Clean Energy
Lighting Survey - Energy Management Program at NCSU in conjunction with Randolph Electric prepared a survey report of lighting estimating a possible annual savings of $24,000 or 47KW by changing lighting fixtures, lamps and installing occupancy sensors. For every KWh saved, 1.24 pounds of CO2 is not released into the atomosphere. The recommendations were implemented.  
In January 2011, Southpoint Solutions replaced all lighting and fixtures in the Sapona Plastics building saving an estimated 345,000 kWh per year and reducing demand by 48KW.  72 existing Metal Halide light fixtures were replaced with CM 4 lamp T8 fixtures from Orion Energy Systems.
Office areas are collecting and recycling paper routinely.  After 6 years we actually saved $72,000 and replaced all lights with LED in 2017.
In 2011, Sapona formalized a contract with Carolina Container with Sustainable Forestry Initiative certified sourcing.   The contract was renewed in 2015 www.sfiprogram.org

Asheboro Recycling, Pelican and/or Sonoco - All clean scrap plastic and cardboard generated is recycled. Obsoleted inventory of metal equipment and components have been recycled.
Sapona is embarking on our commitment to Zero Pellet Loss to the environment in 2012.  ​​

Sonoco Recycled Corrugate 2021

MIR Plastic recycled in 2021 (Lbs.)

Our MoldFlow software provides simulation information on the carbon footprint, embodied water, and embodied energy of a plastic part.  You can learn more about embodied water at the following link:
http://environmentvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/embodied-water.pdf

Can plastic lip balm tubes be recycled?Unfortunately, lip balm tubes are not curbside recyclable because they are small enough to clog up the machinery and are typically made of a mix of plastics. 

Links of interest related to environmental issues:

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Remove 1 Lb. of plastic from the ocean by buying a bracelet.

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