Belkin, the American consumer electronics and networking company, is getting rid of single-use plastic and using recycled plastic where necessary. At the CES 2023 tech show in Las Vegas, Belkin announced its plan to go further, transitioning from virgin plastic products to more eco-friendly options.
In the press release, Belkin states that “After two years of development, the company introduced a new product material refresh for its top selling mobile power products. Several of Belkin’s most popular wireless chargers, power banks, wall chargers, and car chargers will receive updated product housing materials that consist of 73-75% post-consumer recycled plastics (PCR) and plastic-free packaging. The product transition will be rolled out beginning 2023 and will save an estimated 7,000 metric tons of carbon emissions and reduce CO2-eq emissions for these products by up to 67%. This would help Belkin reduce its scope 3 emissions, effectively produced by the company’s value chain.
“Belkin made a deliberate and methodical decision to transition product materials to PCR. This takes plastic waste from consumers and repurposes it to create new products. It utilizes plastic that is destined for landfill, giving it new life, while taking meaningful steps to support the circular economy by reducing dependence on virgin plastics. The Life Cycle Assessment conducted by the company shows that utilizing PCR material has a significant reduction in environmental impact”.
The brand reasons that even though there are other sustainable materials like bioplastics, ocean plastics, and recycled plastic available, using PCR plastics is the best approach. Products discarded by consumers and headed for landfills or incineration are collected, processed, and converted into thermoplastic materials to reduce the dependency on virgin plastic, which is far less eco-friendly to produce and form.
The company also says it’s on track to achieve scope 1 and 2 carbon neutrality by 2025, meaning its own emissions and those of its suppliers will equal the number of emissions Belkin’s carbon sinks can absorb.
To the average consumer, there should be no perceptible difference in the product packaging and product feel, save for the lack of single-use plastics like protective sleeves, films, pull tabs, etc.