RSP is an official Oceanworks® member offering products made with certified recycled ocean plastics. Oceanworks® verifies the supply of recycled plastics from oceans, beaches, rivers and shores. This post is a spin-off of Oceanworks’ blog post: Selecting a Manufacturer That Can Work with Ocean Plastic

How to Find a Manufacturer That Uses Recycled Ocean Plastics

This is written by RSP, Inc. CEO Mike Ryan and dives into a conversation he had with a prospective customer about ocean plastic.

Finding Manufacturers That Use Recycled Ocean Plastics

I recently received a call from a potential client, and they seemed frustrated. They had called ten different plastic molders that they found on the internet and received a phone call back from only five of them. Of the five who had the time to return their call, none could answer the client’s question about injection molding with recycled ocean plastics.

The client asked me, “Where do I go to find a molder who is willing to work with recycled ocean plastics and has some experience working with it?”

I told them that I could answer their question. I went on to explain that RSP has been working with recycled ocean plastics for more than three years – which is a long time when you consider the materials weren’t available much before that! In fact, we were one of the pioneers of manufacturing with recycled ocean materials, and we continue to invest in the materials and processes so that we can be a one-stop shop for prototyping, packaging & manufacturing recycled ocean plastic products!

The potential client wanted to understand how the market for recycled plastic works, which materials RSP had worked with, and what the next step was in reviewing their recycled ocean plastic product requirements.

I explained that recycled ocean plastics are compounded around the world, but there is a higher concentration of suppliers in Asia. RSP has been in business for more than 60 years and has operations in the USA and China with clients in more than 40 countries, so procuring the material and shipping it would not be an issue.

Clients interested in using ocean plastic have many options. More than 60 base materials have been produced from ocean plastic, with more in development to continue opening possibilities to new ocean plastic products. RSP is an official Oceanworks Guaranteed® partner offering products made with certified recycled ocean plastics injection molding & other services. Oceanworks has set up one of the main global marketplaces for recycled plastic materials. RSP has handled and molded more than 25 different recycled plastics and has custom mixed and compounded many other variations.

There are several important questions to consider when looking at ocean plastic materials for a new design or switching from existing material. Ask your potential ocean plastic manufacturer these main questions:

• Are the material choices available in recycled ocean plastic suitable for the design?
• Are there any certifications or requirements of the product? For example, does it need to be food safe? Oceanworks offers several food-safe options.
• Does it need to be 100% recycled ocean plastic or is some portion acceptable? A blended material can provide more options.
• Is there a price target? Depending on where the material is compounded, sometimes freight costs can add up.

Once you have discussed these questions, RSP can offer a quote that can include test molding and production molding. Want more information about ocean plastic before getting a quote? Contact us today.

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The post How to Find a Manufacturer That Uses Recycled Ocean Plastics appeared first on RSP Inc..

RSP is an official Oceanworks Guaranteed® partner offering products made with certified recycled ocean plastics. Oceanworks® verifies the supply of recycled plastics from oceans, beaches, rivers, and shores. This post is a spin-off of Oceanworks’ blog post: What are the top five questions to ask your manufacturer about their ability to work with ocean plastics?

Top 5 Questions to Ask Manufacturer About Ability to Work with Ocean Plastics

What are the top five questions to ask your manufacturer about their ability to work with ocean plastics?

Whether your company has been working with a manufacturer for years or you’re on the hunt for a new contract manufacturing partner, introducing recycled ocean plastic into the equation requires an additional round of due diligence. Since relatively few manufacturers have experience with ocean plastic, it’s important to investigate their openness to the material and preparedness for handling it.

Asking the right questions up front can uncover some potential red flags and prevent both parties from going too far down the path if major issues seem likely. To get a full picture of a manufacturer’s profile when it comes to working with ocean plastic, here are five questions to ask. In the answers below, learn more about RSP’s experience with ocean plastic materials and processes, and be sure any manufacturing partner you consider can answer them knowledgeably too.

1. Are you willing to run high-quality recycled ocean plastics through your machinery?

Yes! RSP was an early adopter of recycled ocean plastic material, and we run tons of this plastic through our molding department every week with volumes expected to grow each year.

2. Have you worked with recycled plastic before?

Yes! RSP started using recycled plastics in 2005 when our plastics division was just evolving. At that time, RSP committed to being on the leading edge of sustainability in our industry. Current projects include packaging, blow-molded bottles, utensils, pest control products, and exercise equipment, with many more being added each month. RSP has also done custom blends of not only the recycled ocean plastic but also added biocomposites like hemp, rice, and flax. Tell us what you need!

3. What is your experience with imports?

RSP has operating teams in 3 countries and clients in over 40 countries around the world. We are not afraid of importing, exporting, shipping or cross-border transactions!

4. What kind of tooling will you use for sample runs?

RSP has been working with recycled ocean plastic for over 2 years, including experience using a variety of resins, hybrids, and custom compounded materials. We know how to design the tooling for optimal results and also for flexible steel-safe changes if required. If sample-run tooling is necessary, we have aluminum and “softer” steel options that are available to help ramp up production volumes or for testing the market.

5. Do you have experience with blending materials?

RSP has material engineers on-site every day at our facility working on selecting, modifying, and blending the correct resins and materials to get optimal results. This is part of the challenge and reward of working with new materials, and our team has the experience to troubleshoot and find solutions quickly.

Cast a wide net

Even if your company has existing relationships with manufacturers, asking these questions of your current manufacturers is a worthwhile exercise. You might discover that one of your manufacturers is better suited to work with ocean plastic than another, or you could learn that a new manufacturer is really the best fit.

Regardless of the outcome, these conversations are an important step to ensuring that introducing ocean plastic into the manufacturing process goes smoothly and that everyone involved can participate in managing risks and expectations en route to producing a sustainable product that you can be proud of.

Need assistance designing or manufacturing components with ocean plastic? Contact RSP, Inc. today to learn how we can help take your idea to the next level and make it a reality.

The post Top 5 Questions to Ask Manufacturer About Ability to Work with Ocean Plastics appeared first on RSP Inc..