Aug 13 2010
Kitchenware industry leader, Robinson Home Products – home of well-known brands such as Oneida, Sunbeam, Rubbermaid and Crock Pot – has tapped SABIC Innovative Plastics’ eco-engineered Valox iQ* resin for its new Green Street™ line of plastic kitchen utensils. A more sustainable, higher-performance material than traditional resins, Valox iQ resin utilizes upcycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) water bottles, diverting them from already bulging landfills.
Equally important, this innovative product delivers the exceptional performance and quality that consumers demand in kitchenware, including heat and chemical resistance, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for food contact, and attractive appearance. SABIC Innovative Plastics’ investment in sustainable technologies helps companies like Robinson Home Products – a SABIC Innovative Plastics customer for over 30 years – achieve business success while promoting environmental protection.
Robinson Home Products’ New Green Street™ Plastic Kitchen Utensils Using SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Valox iQ* Resin.
“When we set out to create our new eco housewares line, we considered all aspects of the manufacturing cycle: from choosing a nearby molder that generates its own power to manufacturing in the United States in order to reduce the environmental impact of shipping nearly 12,000 miles from Asia,” said Bob Skerker, chief executive officer, Robinson Home Products. “To find a sustainable thermoplastic for our Green Street line, we turned to long-time supplier SABIC Innovative Plastics to help us find the right solution. Valox iQ resin is now playing a critical role in enhancing the consumer appeal of these new utensils, helping us to strengthen our own eco-leadership position and grow our business.”
“Our versatile Valox iQ resins are adding value to the sustainability movement on a variety of fronts, from cutting fuel consumption and emissions in lightweight auto body panels to transforming discarded plastic into beautiful and useful housewares,” said Dennis VanPoppelen, product market leader Americas, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “We are investing in a wide range of other sustainability solutions to give customers even more options for reducing their products’ environmental impact without sacrificing performance or aesthetics. Needless to say, our customers are whole-heartedly embracing our efforts to deliver uncompromising performance combined with a lower environmental footprint.
A Greener Kitchen
Consumers are increasingly demanding products with lower environmental impact and Valox iQ resin is helping to address this need. The innovative resin is made from up to 65 percent upcycled post-consumer plastic waste, giving it a carbon footprint 50 to 85 percent lower than other engineered thermoplastics and extending the useful life of a PET bottle to 20 years. The Valox iQ resin product line includes Cradle-to-CradleSM certified grades, meaning that it supports a model that aims to eliminate waste entirely by circulating safe and healthful materials within closed-loop systems of continuous reuse.
In addition to its sustainability, Valox iQ resin offered Robinson the outstanding performance characteristics needed to support the company’s reputation for excellence. It withstands the demanding environment of the home kitchen, including exposure to cleansers, oils and grease, and high temperatures (up to 205 C/401 F) from cooking and automatic dishwashers. It can be custom colored and easily molded into unique and complex three-dimensional shapes, such as the distinctive branch design of the Green Street utensils.
Robinson’s Green Street products are now globally available.