Getting consumers to recycle their end-of-life
PVC is not always easy.
With its garden hose business, FITT has found a way to overcome that barrier as well as boost customer loyalty and awareness through the VinyLoop® recycling system.
The key: tell customers they can trade their used hose for a new one and get a bonus.
‘’That does two things for us: it helps ensure a steadier flow of recyclable material, and it keeps our customers coming back,’’ says Luca Battaglia, R&D Material Manager at FITT. ”Consumers are aware of the need to recycle, and this raises awareness on how they can do it.”
FITT estimates the number of eco-innovative hoses will quadruple by the fourth year on the market.
Through Vinyloop, the PVC sector’s system of sorting and processing ensures a high quality of recycled PVC for FITT’s three-layer garden hose. It goes into the deepest layer on the inside, with up to 95% of the entire hose made of recycled material.
That layer is covered by knitted material to reinforce the hose, and a layer of virgin PVC on the outside, which provides high resistance to chemicals and abrasion. ‘’And it’s for aesthetics,’’ Battaglia says. ‘’You can give it the colour and texture you wish.”
Bottom line: FITT saves money, cutting water consumption by more than half, it reduces its ecological footprint by 30%, saves 30% in energy due to less processing, and it cuts the price for the consumer.
‘’It’s the first PVC garden hose made from a post-consumer recycling system,’’ Battaglia adds. ”It’s win-win-win for the circular economy.”
A model for others to follow?
Awards 2016