Meet The Materials: Recycled Paper
Posted by House of Marley on Apr 22nd 2022
House of Marley’s core focus is sustainability, which begins with choosing the right materials to make audio products that are Earth-friendly. But we take the extra step to ensure every aspect of our products is biodegradable. That’s why all our product packaging is 100% paper (including increasingly using recycled paper) and 100% recyclable—no more plastic.
Every year, each American household throws away 2,500,000 plastic bottles, and most of them either go to a landfill or reach the ocean. But with recyclable paper in our lineup, you can unbox your Get Together Duo Speakers or Stir It Up Turntable and safely dispose of it without harming the environment.
But how else does using packaging made from partially recycled paper help the planet, and what’s the measurable impact on forests, global resource usage and greenhouse gas emissions?
Continue reading to learn why we use recyclable paper in House of Marley products and how it makes a positive impact on the environment.
Protecting Our Forests
Forests come first. House of Marley prioritizes global reforestation, and using partially recycled paper in our packaging helps us stay in line with our goals.
While some individuals and companies are going paperless, the world’s dependence on trees is still significant. Approximately 2,000,000,000 trees worth of paper are used in America every year, but recycling can reduce the number of trees that are cut down for paper production.
Using packaging made from partially recycled paper minimizes the impact of large-scale deforestation by providing a renewable resource that minimizes the demand for hardwood. According to the Environmental Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, recycling a single run of The New York Times would save 75,000 trees.
With that in mind, House of Marley’s effort to use recyclable packaging is making a difference by keeping trees strong and tall.
Saves Landfill Space
Landfill waste practices remain the most popular, yet detrimental, ways that countries dispose of municipal solid waste, and plastic products are a big part of the issue. But thanks to our recyclable packaging, we can prevent waste from reaching landfills.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported 27 million tons of landfilled plastic. Additionally, some plastic products contain harmful chemicals that produce greenhouse gasses that make landfills one of the biggest producers of methane emissions in the country.
But that’s why House of Marley is stepping up! Our packaging is now 100% recyclable—that means no small plastic pieces that are too tiny for the recycling bin! And because it’s biodegradable, our packaging won’t stick around for long, even if it reaches a landfill.
Minimizes Water and Energy Usage
In addition to saving trees, our packaging saves water and energy. While environmental sustainability is becoming a higher priority, House of Marley uses it to shrink its dependence on valuable resources in the process.
With 135 paper mills in the US alone, countless resources are spent on paper manufacturing every year. Recycled paper decreases water and energy usage by half. Data from the Utah State University shows recycled paper reduces water by 7,000 gallons and 4000 kilowatts per ton.
So what’s the real impact of saving resources like water and energy? Cutting back on resource usage is another way to stall the effects of climate change while improving the quality of life for everyone, including the trees. We’re also using materials like organic cotton to reduce the number of precious resources needed to make our products.
Reduces Air Pollution
To keep the air clean, we need to make sure the trees stick around. Our packaging offers a couple of benefits that can help us shrink our carbon footprint.
Trees are the world’s first line of defense to fight climate change because of their natural ability to absorb excess carbon dioxide. We can save 17 trees by producing one ton of recycled paper, and those 17 trees can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
Secondly, manufacturing recycled paper isn’t nearly as harmful to the environment compared to virgin paper. Paper mills release dozens of toxins into the air, like chlorine, that can deteriorate the ozone layer. By comparison, recycled paper is typically chlorine-free, which means no chlorine or other harmful derivatives are used in the recycling process.
By using partially recycled paper in our packaging and by creating packaging that’s 100% recyclable—no need to pull out any small plastic piece first—we’re helping reduce air pollution.
Choose Sustainably Active Audio
House of Marley is proud to give music lovers premium headphones, record players and Bluetooth speakers that are completely Earth-friendly, right down to the recycled paper packaging. Shop House of Marley for immersive audio products built entirely with sustainable components.