Schneider Electric recently unveiled its first home energy solutions made from ocean plastics. The Merten range of sockets and switches are made from recycled ocean material and are delivered in sustainable packaging, eliminating non-recyclable material. Debuting at CES 2022, Schneider is the first company in the industry to offer home energy solutions made from upcycled ocean plastic, according to the company.
The Merten range includes new models made from polyamide fishing nets collected from the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. The line includes switches, sockets and frames. The Merten Ocean Plastics line has been recognized by CES as a 2022 Innovation Award honoree in the Sustainability Category. The product range is also the first in the industry to receive the international Cradle to Cradle Silver certification for responsible product design and steps taken towards a continuous circular economy.
The abandoned or lost fishing equipment makes up around 10% of the plastic waste in our oceans. The new Merten ocean plastic models contribute to reducing the 640,000 tons of fishing nets left in the ocean each year and are the first step in making this range of products more sustainable.
Schneider Electric partnered with DSM, a global leader in Health, Nutrition and Bioscience to transform fishing net waste into high-grade technical plastic that can be used in electrical devices.
DSM collaborates with several local communities in India to recover and collect discarded fishing nets, providing a significant benefit to the local economy and environment.
The abandoned fishing nets are then cut up, cleaned, extruded and inspected for quality before being sent to DSM for processing into Akulon Repurposed compound. The carbon footprint of this new compound is -82% lower than the traditional Nylon 6 used in similar products, reducing the potential impact on global warming, air acidification and photochemical Ozone formation in its manufacturing process.
The final material also contains 15% glass fiber to make products more durable, resilient and long-lasting to meet all necessary electrical safety requirements and standards.
Further enhancing its sustainability commitments, Schneider Electric has also revamped its product packaging, eliminating all single-use plastic and non-recyclable materials from the packaging process.
For more information on this new product, read the original press release.