MyBinding Knowledge Base
Are there environmentally friendly options for lanyards?
Just about every organization uses lanyards these days and often times, when one doesn’tneed his/her lanyard anymore, the thing winds up in the garbage. Depending on what the lanyard was made of, it could sit in a landfill for years, never decomposing because it was made from non-recyclable materials. It doesn’t have to be like that though, thanks to a new lineup of eco-friendly lanyards that allow you to have an ID card/lanyard solution and save the planet at the same time. Here’s a look at these products that are good for the planet.
One of the most important parts of a lanyard is the strap itself. These are typically made of non-biodegradable material, but there are two new offerings that are much more eco-friendly. The first is the P.E.T. recycled plastic lanyard. This is a lanyard strap that’s made out of recycled water bottles or, to be technical, Polyethylene Terephthalate. These lanyards are only available with a break-away strap and they come in several different colors including purple, forest green, and natural. (A fancy way of saying “white.”) These are great lanyards because they use recycled materials that otherwise would have been thrown away.
There’s another type of green lanyard. This one is made out of 100% pure bamboo fibers, so it’s extremely soft to the touch, while being extremely durable and anti-bacterial. Bamboo is one of the most earth-friendly materials available because it’s a cellulose material that easily breaks down and it can also help prevent pollution. Like the P.E.T. lanyards, these come with break-away straps and are available in a bunch of colors. (Just don’t wear one around a panda unless you want your lanyard to become lunch for a hungry bear.)
Some of the other green ID products available include a badge holder that’s 100% free of phthalates. Phthalates are toxic plastics that are harmful to the environment, as well as detrimental to human health. The phthalate-free badge holder comes in two styles: horizontal top-load and vertical top-load, so they’re great for all kinds of ID cards. There’s even a totally recyclable clip with which to use these badge holders. And if you need to make ID cards, you can purchase the so-called “earth-friendly cards.” These cards are made from 100% recycled plastic and are made from corn plastic. These cards are biodegradable and best of all, they help support the U.S. economy because the corn used to make the plastic is grown by American farmers. These cards come in boxes of 500 and are available in one size only, a standard 30 mil thickness.
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
