Move Over PVC, Make Room for Clarified Styrene

Torrance, Calif. — With trend-setting retailers mandating that products be packaged in more environmentally conscious materials, manufacturing companies are scrambling to find cost-effective ways of doing so. Responding to growing consumer and government concern about the health consequences associated with environmental problems caused by PVC, come 2007 many club stores and major retail chains will accelerate campaigns to phase out products packaged in PVC.
For years, ecologically sensitive corporations have been looking to replace PVC without sacrificing performance. While many viable substitutions – such as PET and NatureWorks ® PLA – exist on the market today, one of the most practical options for custom packaging is clarified Styrene, a new addition to the market that looks and behaves much like PVC. Clarified Styrene does not contain any added heavy metals and is virtually 100% recyclable. While clarified Styrene has proven to be an environmentally sensitive and cost-effective solution, many packagers have refrained from using it as they are struggling to find efficient methods of sealing this PVC substitute.
The Research and Development team at AVC Corp., an industry leader in environmental custom packaging solutions, has developed a solution to the sealing dilemma. Any product previously packaged with PVC – whether packaged in a blister, clamshell, or clampack – can be done with clarified Styrene, making it the ideal solution to replace PVC in all future packaging endeavors.
“Because AVC continues to be at the forefront of the environmental packaging movement, our R&D team has been exploring alternatives to PVC for years,” said Art Stephens, VP of Manufacturing for AVC. “With new legislation coming into place banning its use and major retailers dictating the shift away from PVC, it’s time product manufacturers also begin exploring greener packaging methods and materials.”
While the raw material may have a slightly higher price per pound than PVC, clarified Styrene will yield more product, meaning the cost per unit for the customer is virtually the same. Most retail packaging companies are using PET as an alternative to PVC, but it can cost as much as 15% more than PVC, deterring many product manufacturers from making the switch. Clarified Styrene offers the strength, clarity and flexibility of either PET or PVC, but is considerably lighter in weight.
“Clarified Styrene is the ideal solution to PVC for many reasons,” Stephens said. “AVC has the knowledge and experience with this material to utilize it in any form of plastic packaging.”
Based in Torrance, Calif., AVC develops unique and innovative custom packaging systems such as the Reusable Retail Package (RRP), the Environmental Packaging Solution (EPS), the Environmental Rigid Blister (ERB), and the Spinning Clamshell Solution (SCS). Any kind of packaging that exists on the market today can be packaged using clarified Styrene.

For more information:
Guy Marom, AVC Corp.
Phone: (310) 533-5811
Fax: (310) 533-6077
Torrance, CA 90501
E-mail: guy@avccorp.com
www.avccorp.com