Sustainable lanyards made from recycled material provide an ideal solution for eco-conscious customers who want to help our planet. The process of turning recycled bottles into lanyards is a fascinating one, leading to a selection of beautiful lanyards to choose from.
Our recycled lanyards are made from PET – polyethylene terephthalate – a material produced by melting plastic bottles and transforming the resulting material into textile fibres. It’s almost impossible to tell the difference between these eco-friendly lanyards and those made with virgin materials because the quality is so high.
Lanyards made from recycled materials are ideally suited for someone who wants a sustainable product, without compromising the overall quality and look. The lanyards are also soft and therefore comfortable to wear around the neck.
What are the advantages of PET?
PET is a strong, clear, lightweight plastic in the polyester family. It is called “polyester” when used for fibres and fabrics and “PET” when used for bottles, packaging and containers. It is commonly used for bottles containing carbonated soft drinks.
It is a favoured packaging choice for beverages because it’s shatterproof, hygienic, lightweight and strong. PET’s best property is the fact it can be recycled, making it highly sustainable. In fact, it’s the most recycled plastic in the world.
It can be recycled multiple times, creating more food and beverage containers, clothing, construction materials, automotive parts and many other products, such as eco-friendly lanyards.
The components that make up PET are terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, which combine to form pellets of PET. The pellets are heated until they form a molten liquid. This can then be moulded into items of almost any shape, which is why it’s so versatile.
When the raw materials of PET combine under low vacuum pressure and high temperatures, they create long chains of polymer. Once the appropriate length is reached, the reaction is stopped. The almost spaghetti-like PET strands are then extruded, cooled and cut into pellets. Once set, the PET material is extremely durable.
When was PET invented?
PET was first synthesised in the United States in the mid-1940s by DuPont chemists, where scientists were looking to create polymers suitable for new textile fibres.
The technology was developed in the early 1970s to enable the blow-stretch moulding of PET into lightweight yet strong bottles. The PET bottle was patented in 1973 and won market acceptance very quickly. The recycling of PET bottles began in 1977.
Today, more than 50% of the world’s synthetic fibre is made of PET. The majority of two-litre and individual-sized bottles of carbonated soft drinks are made from PET resin today.
Creating lanyards from recycled plastic bottles is an increasingly popular way for businesses to help reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment. When you’re running an event with a sustainable or eco-friendly ethos, it makes sense to have PET lanyards for your delegates’ ID badges.
While some event planners might opt for bamboo lanyards, it’s worth remembering that these are made from virgin fibres. When your brand is committed to sustainability and recycling, PET lanyards are the only way to go.
How are PET lanyards made?
Our recycled lanyards started life as clear plastic bottles. The bottles were put in the recycling bin, rather than being disposed of in the general waste. They are cleaned, shredded and then melted down. The molten plastic is pushed through a sieve, creating many long strips of plastic.
The plastic strips are stretched and shredded a second time, creating a material that resembles wool. This material is carded, enabling the fibres to be brushed in the same direction. This creates stronger bonds. Without this step, the PET fibre would be more brittle and less durable.
The fibres are woven into strips to make the lanyards. The resulting PET lanyards are incredibly strong. They are suitable for dye sublimation printing, enabling full-colour designs.
What do PET lanyards feel like?
If you’re wondering whether a recycled lanyard is comfortable to wear, the answer is a resounding yes! In fact, they are incredibly soft and smooth. This is because the PET fibres are the same as polyester in essence, except they’re made from recycled material.
Our recycled PET lanyards are silky-smooth and feel soft against the skin while remaining strong and robust, so they will survive long after the conference has ended.
The printing process for our recycled lanyards enables full-colour printing and Pantone colour matching. Even if you have an intricate design, with various colours and a lot of text, the recycled plastic lanyards are ideal and you will not notice the difference from lanyards made with virgin materials.
Your design won’t peel or fade away and will remain a great advert for your brand, both during the event and after the delegates arrive back home.
You may be wondering how to recycle lanyards once they have reached the end of their useful life. The beauty of PET lanyards is that they can be recycled in the same way as plastic bottles to create other useful recyclable goods.
Why choose PET lanyards?
If you’re running a sustainable company or event, including exhibitions and conferences, recycled PET lanyards really are a must. Delegates these days expect lanyards as a matter of course, so there’s no better way of showing your allegiance to sustainability than by choosing the recycled variety.
They aren’t simply eco-friendly for the environmentally-aware delegate. They also offer a consistent finish and a high quality that will be hard to beat.
Their full-colour printing potential provides an excellent branding opportunity. A PET lanyard makes an ideal giveaway item, as it can promote your brand in the best possible way by its association with saving the planet’s resources.
Using PET lanyards is also a good talking point for your event literature and your company’s blog and social media feeds.
Here at Just Lanyards, our recycled PET lanyards are the future of conferences. The manufacturing process uses fewer chemicals and energy than manufacturing lanyards from virgin materials as well, so you can be confident you’re doing something useful for the environment.
We stock Recycled Heat Transfer full-colour lanyards, made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, which have a smooth finish and a satin feel. They are ideal for high definition, fine-detailed images with various tones and tints.
We also stock Recycled Flat Polyester lanyards, which can be printed in one, two or three colours on one or both sides. Made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, these lanyards have a tough, textured finish.
If you wish to find out more, or you’re ready to order our PET recycled lanyards for your event, get in touch with our friendly and knowledgeable team today, as we’re always happy to help.