Versatote Green
The Versatote Green Mission Statement
The idea behind Versatote Green is to provide our customers with products manufactured with the lowest possible environmental impact.
Our aim is to provide green solutions so that our customers can drive down their carbon footprint while using the highest quality product.
The UBQ™ Additive
The UBQ™ material is a thermoplastic composite converted from 100% unsorted household waste. UBQ™ is used to substitute plastics, minerals, and wood in thousands of everyday durable end-products. The use of UBQ™ in place of these materials diverts waste, prevents emissions, and reduces the net carbon footprint of final products.
The patented technology utilises the waste as feedstock for a multi chamber reactor which breaks down organic waste to its basic particles, which are bonded and reattached with the mixed plastics in a new thermoplastic matrix. Through a proprietary process, the mixed waste stream containing organic elements like food waste, garden trimmings, paper, cardboard, diapers, and packaging materials is converted into an entirely homogene ous composite material that can be easily utili s ed in existing processes and machinery.
A Life Cycle Assessment auditing UBQ™ concludes that its production prevents up to 12x its own weight in CO₂eq emissions, making it the most climate positive thermoplastic on the market. Using one ton of UBQ ™ in place of virgin polypropylene can save an estimated 14.5 tons of CO₂eq emissions.
Introducing UBQ™ into the supply chain lands a powerful punch on a myriad of sustainability objectives. With a simple material swap, Versatote is able to divert waste from landfills, prevent green house gas emissions, preserve natural resources, increase bio-based and post-consumer recycled content, and advance their circular economy.
When added to 100% reprocessed PP it becomes the greenest possible material solution while having virtually zero impact to the base polymers physical properties meaning that the customer receives the same high-quality products they always have, just one that is better for the environment.
UBQ™ Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the term UBQ™ come from?
It’s the name of the Cleantech company producing this material additive.
In what form is the additive suppled?
Uniform granules, similar to other polymers.
What percentage of UBQ™ can be added to the base polymer?
4% is considered optimum in PP which we manufacture our recycled products with.
What colours are available?
UBQ™ additive is a neutral colour which can be added to any colour but to start with it will be added to Versatote black recycled PP products.
How would customers know they are getting products containing UBQ™?
Documentation would be provided.
Can UBQ™ be added to products manufactured for food contact approval?
No, it’s not suitable for food contact applications just as most reprocessed polymers are not suitable.
Will lead times for totes be impacted?
No, the additive will be stocked and simply added to products during the manufacturing stage.
Does UBQ™ affect the mechanical properties of the polymer it’s being added to?
No, there is no known difference to the performance of the products at the recommended levels.
Will UBQ™ affect the cost of products?
There is a slight increase in the cost, but this is being absorbed by Versatote due to the environmental benefits it provides.
What measure do we have in place to ensure accurate additive is being controlled?
We have equipment to dose and blend the materials together accurately and automatically.
Does the additive affect the life of the products it’s been added to?
There are no known reasons why the product life would be affected by use of this additive.
Is there anything to prevent ‘normal’ recycling of product at the end of its useful life?
No, the reclaimed polymer can be used again in the same or alternative products.
Will you have to declare the presence of UBQ™ by marking product to indicate the additive is present?
This is currently under consideration.
CSS Group Energy Efficiencies
The last few years have seen major advancements by the whole CSS Group in energy efficiency some of which are listed below:
- Relocation to purpose built manufacturing facility. The building includes items such as motion sensitive variable illumination LED lighting and heat pump heating for the office complex.
- Replacement of older injection moulding machines with new servo driven machines saving up to 60% in energy usage.
- Installation of free air cooler and energy efficient water chiller system
- Installation of twin variable speed drive centrally controlled air compressors
- Installation of 60kw photovoltaic array
CSS Group – Virgin versus Repro Material Usage – Info & Graphs
At Versatote we have been working with customers to find the most environmentally friendly materials to use in our range of products while still meeting the required specification for use in the materials handling industry. In 2016 over 60% of our Total PP usage was Virgin materials and in 2022 nearly 70% of all PP used was reprocessed material.
This year we plan to be able to extend the range of reprocessed options with the addition of the UBQ™ additive and also some colour options to our range which will further reduce the amount of virgin Polymers we process.
