Sustainability isn’t about “100%” - It’s about getting it right
When people think about sustainable products, the first metric that often comes to mind is recycled content percentage. Higher must be better…right?
Not always.
True sustainability isn’t about maximising recycled content at all costs. It’s about using the right material, in the right application, while still meeting performance, safety, and durability requirements. That balance is what allows circular products to scale - beyond niche solutions and into everyday life.
Let me explian with a simple example.
When 100% recycled works
My PhoneLounger is made from 100% recycled plastic. That’s possible even when the polyprolylene comes from mixed-grade recycling streams because the product doesn’t carry much load. (Realistically…how heavy is your phone?)
The performance demands are low and forgiving, which means mixed recycled material can perform perfectly well without compromising functionality or longevity.
When it doesn’t
Buckets and tubs, on the other hand, live very different lives.
They’re dropped, stacked and impacted. In these applications, material consistency matters. These products can be made from 100% recycled plastic, but only when the polypropylene comes from a single, controlled-grade source where material properties are predictable.
When recycled polypropylene comes from mixed-grade sources, performance can vary. To ensure durability, safety and consistent real-world performance, we stabilise the material by blending in 30% virgin polypropylene.
That’s why these buckets and tubs contain a minimum of 70% recycled plastic, not because 100% is impossible, but because engineering reality matters.
Where real sustainability lives
Sustainability isn’t a single number. It lives at the intersection of:
Environmental impact
Product performance
Commercial feasibility
When all three align, circular products don’t just exist…they scale. And that’s how recycled materials stop sitting in warehouses and start becoming everyday objects again.
Not perfect, but practical. And moving the system forward, which is the point.