How to Promote Recycling in Your School

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It’s important for you to implement a recycling program within your school facility. As the facility manager, it’s up to you to come up with waste management strategies and recycling, so getting students and faculty onboard can help make these recycling plans come into fruition. However, you’ll have to get creative to help inspire and incentivize others to get on board with the program.

Here’s a few tips on ways to promote recycling in educational facilities:

Start a Contest

There’s no better way to rally students behind an idea than by making it competitive. Speak with administration to brainstorm an idea for a recycling contest that the whole school can get behind. Divide the student body into teams by grade. The key is to figure out the prizes. There can be anything from fun field trips to catered lunches. Once you’ve got the contest parameters and prizes figured out, hang up posters and flyers to invoke school spirit and the benefits of recycling.

Implement a Green Week

Now more than ever, it’s important to educate students and faculty on the benefits of the green movement. Talk to administrators about implementing a green week where there’s educational assemblies and instructions on what sustainability is, the importance of going green, and, of course, the huge benefits to recycling properly. This is your chance to go even further by highlighting recyclable material and how they should be divided, so students can be aware of how to separate their recyclable waste.

Save Your Scrap Paper

Scrap paper tends to be thrown out with other trash when it can be recycled and reused. Students are well aware that paper comes from trees, and they may even know the important role that trees play in our environment and ecosystem. Install a scrap paper bin in classrooms and high-traffic areas in the hallways, so students won’t have a shortage of areas where they can put their scrap and loose-leaf paper.

Utilize Green Materials in Your School Facility

Recycling is a two-way street, and while it’s important to recycle your products, it’s equally as important to utilize products that have already been recycled to keep the green momentum going. There are a variety of materials that can be used to help you complete this process. Considering replacing your current school lockers and toilet partitions with HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic. This plastic is not only recyclable, but it’s also partially made from post-consumer materials. HDPE plastic can also last throughout the years, so you’ll have a durable and reliable material in your school that’s also sustainable.

Hold a Clothing Drive

Plastic bottles and paper aren’t the only items that can be recycled. In fact, clothes are also important to recycle because you can help supply those in need with warmer jackets and clothing to help them throughout the winter months. Inspire students to bring in old coats, shirts, pants, and shoes to donate them to local shelters and churches, who will then ensure that the clothing is being distributed to the people that need them the most.

Getting on Board with School Recycling

As a facility manager, you’re well aware of the importance of recycling and sustainability. Through inspiration and incentives for the students and faculty in your school, you’ll be able to ensure that your recycling program gets the right traction, and you can insure that your school limits the unnecessary waste. Getting everyone onboard with recycling can help inspire others to do the same.

Want to learn more about how to push your school towards a greener direction? Check out this free eBook, Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, from your friends at Scranton Products.

How to Leverage Sustainability to Boost Profits

We live in an era where sustainability is one of the most important practices with businesses. Millions of companies around the world have gone paperless. Several buildings are being designed with sustainable practices and materials, and natural and sustainable energy are making a huge impact on businesses around the world. The threat of climate change has enacted entrepreneurs and innovators to explore greener alternatives, and with the green movement and sustainability are on the rise, they aren’t going away anytime soon. What Makes HDPE Sustainable

Businesses that make sustainability more than just a practice have seen their efforts pay off with their profits. Your business can make efforts to implement a sustainability plan that will not only help the green movement, but will help grow your business.

The Importance of Sustainable Practices

No matter what type of business you’re in, you can always take steps to make it more sustainable. Whether it’s implementing a thorough recycling program, replacing your light fixtures with LEDs, using green building materials, or even going solar, these sustainable practices are only meant to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere, but lower the costs of unnecessary expenditures. By taking these steps to make your business align with the green and sustainability movement, you’ll be able to do your part, lower your costs, and even inspire others.

How Sustainability Can Boost Your Profits

There are several ways where sustainability pays off. It helps reduce your energy costs when you go solar or install LED light fixtures. There are various programs out there that offer incentives to companies that recycle properly. Basically, going green and using sustainable technology will help lower your overhead costs.

Sustainability can also improve your actual profits. Whether you’re in a direct-to-consumer or a business-to-business industry, customers and clients love to see business that they partner with on the upward trend. Being a sustainable business can actually attract customers and clients with a similar mindset towards the green movement.

Getting Started on Becoming Sustainable

When you’re looking to improve your sustainability with your current facility, there are a few things you can go to lower your energy costs and help reduce any emissions. While recycling is important, it’s an on-going practice. You’ll want to set things in place now, so they can begin to pay off.

The first step is choosing lower-energy lightbulbs and motion sensors, so the lights can automatically shut off when they’re not needed. If you’ve got it in the budget, consider installing solar panels, which will show a huge decrease on your energy expenses. You’ll also want to incorporate some green building materials in your facility. Consider replacing your toilet partitions and vanities in your restrooms with HDPE, a durable, recyclable, and sustainable building material. By implementing a plan of sustainability, you’ll see your facility and energy costs go down and your profits rise.

Want to learn more about how to become more sustainable? Check out this eBook, Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, from your friends at Scranton Products.

 

Why Sustainability is So Important to Us

Sustainability is one of the most common goals of every facility manager. The idea that you can implement some materials and designs that will not only stand the test of time, but greatly reduce any harmful output to our environment is what managers, designers, and architects yearn for. However, why is sustainability so important to us in the commercial facility industry? There are several answers to this question, so we’re going to explore the many benefits of sustainability and how it can help commercial facilities thrive.

The Importance of Sustainability

The overall goal of sustainability is to prevent the unnecessary depletion of our natural resources. While this may not seem like it has a correlation with your facility, it actually does. Given the various energy required to heat and light a facility, the amount of waste generated by a facility’s occupants, and the toxicity of certain cleaning products and chemicals that are used within a facility, it’s now more important than ever to make facilities and commercial buildings more sustainable. There are several ways you can set sustainable goals and achieve them. Here’s a few to help you get started:

Waste Reduction & Improved Recycling

One of the key principals of sustainability is to reduce waste and increase the ability to recycle. Since there’s finite space on the planet, there’s little room for waste. Unfortunately, we’ve got plenty of it to go around. By implementing a thorough recycling plan for your facility, you can cut a lot of disposal costs and you’ll reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants in your facility. Properly recycling materials can actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere.

Using Clean & Sustainable Energy

Installing solar panels on the roof of your facility has nothing but positive benefits. It significantly cuts costs on your energy bill because the energy that you’re using gets replenished every day. Depending on where your facility is located, local organizations often give incentives and tax breaks for businesses who utilize solar panels for clean and emission-free energy. Overall, solar panels pay for themselves within a matter of years, so you’re essentially cutting down on your operating costs.

Use Green Building Materials

Another way you can make your facility even more sustainable is by utilizing some green building products anywhere Sustainabilityyou can. While bamboo and hemp may be sustainable materials that can be used to build a home, it doesn’t really hold sway in a commercial facility. However, recycled plastic, like HDPE (high-density polyethylene), can certainly be used inside your facility to help add to the sustainability efforts.

HDPE solid plastic has been used in commercial facilities across the country as toilet partitions, storage compartments, and even lockers in schools. It’s a solid material that doesn’t scratch, rust, crack, or dent. It’s not absorbent, so moisture and mildew won’t wear it down. HDPE plastic is very low maintenance, so it only requires a little cleaning periodically. Above everything else, it can outlast other plastic materials on the market, so you’ll cut costs by not having to replace the product frequently.

There are plenty of benefits to trying to make your facility more sustainable. It not only helps you cut operational costs with your facility, but it can help reduce the harmful effects of emissions in the environment. Do you want to learn more about how to make your facility more sustainable? Check out this free eBook, Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, from your friends at Scranton Products.

How Architecture & Sustainability are Working Towards a Greener Future

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Sustainability is one of the most important aspects to building managers, whether you’re about to break ground on a new facility, or you’re looking for ways to make your current facility more efficient. Green architecture has become increasingly popular since it helps reduce carbon emissions, as well as show a massive drop in energy consumption. The goal is to leave as little of a carbon footprint as possible, so finding ways to make your facility more sustainable is crucial.

The Importance of Sustainability & Green Architecture

Most buildings, skyscrapers, and high-risers you see that are made of glass and steel may appear alluring and awe-inspiring, but those buildings certainly use up a lot of energy, which maximizes their carbon emissions. Tall glass and steel structures require significant energy to keep the interior of the building at the optimal temperature, depending on the weather and season. According to The Economist, “In America, buildings account for 65% of electricity consumption, 36% of total energy use, and 30% of greenhouse-gas emissions.”

The ultimate goal with green architecture is to drastically reduce these numbers to a more manageable and sustainable level. By getting started now, we can work towards a greener future with less emissions and energy use collectively. Using these different materials is the first step towards a green and sustainable future.

Utilizing the Best Green Building Materials

The first step towards making a green facility is by utilizing sustainable materials. You’ll want to sort through materials that can help your building maintain its optimal temperature without having to kick the HVAC system into high gear. Certain woods and rock types make for ideal construction material due to their thermal mass. Utilizing recycled material can also have its benefits because it’s reducing waste while getting more use out of a previously discarded material.

How to Make Your Current Facility Greener

If your facility was already constructed before the idea of green architecture really caught on, don’t fret. There are still steps that can be taken to increase the sustainability of your facility. A major area that you can focus on is your facility’s restrooms. More importantly, replacing your standard partitions with a more sustainable material, like HDPE plastic.

These green building materials can help retain the heat in your restroom while combating the elements, such as humidity and moisture. They’re durable, scratch-resistant, and non-absorbent, so you won’t spend a lot of time and money on maintenance. They’re made from recycled material and they’re backed by a 25-year warranty, so you won’t have to shell out a small fortune to replace them.

Getting Started on Making Your Facility Sustainable

By using HDPE plastic in your facility, you can start small and work towards a greener future for your building. This plastic will outlast your current toilet partitions in your restroom, and they’ll incur less damage and won’t have any mold growth due to their strong and reliable structure. If your facility has lockers or storage compartments, you can replace the metal with HDPE plastic lockers, which will provide secure storage and durability while increasing your buildings sustainability.

Want to learn about how HDPE plastic and other materials can help make your facility more sustainable? Download this eBook, Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, from your friends at Scranton Products.

Architecture Trends Influencing Sustainable Hospital Design

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Sustainable design and architecture has grown in popularity, not just as a stylistic approach, but architects and designers are thinking about the long term. Most new hospitals have taken to this approach and begun implementing sustainable design aspects and green materials that can help reduce emissions and energy use. If you’re the manager of a facility or hospital, you’re probably trying to think of ways to cut costs on your energy bill through long-lasting solutions.

Here are a few architecture trends that are influencing sustainable hospital designs that you may want to consider during your next remodel, or if you’re about to embark on a new facility.

Increasing Natural Light & Using Low Energy Bulbs

There are many benefits to natural light. It helps reduce the need for electrical illumination to lower energy costs. There are many effective ways this can be done, including skylights, larger windows and window walls, and glass doors. When the sun sets, that’s when you can utilize low-energy bulbs to provide light without burning up too much energy.

Get More Green

Indoor plants have many benefits. They can reduce carbon dioxide levels, keep the temperature down, boost humidity, and even help reduce pollutants in the air. Using more indoor plants can help improve moral, as well as help the building maintain a healthy environment. However, outdoor gardens and courtyards can also have positive benefits for hospitals, mainly with the patients.

When a patient can see or even walk through a gardened area, it can have positive effects on their health in terms of stress reduction. Having multiple “green areas” makes the hospital more visually appealing. Run-of-the-mill hospitals have a stuffy lack of imagination, and the environment in which a patient is trying to heal has a lot to do with it. Having a garden terrace for patients to relax, enjoy the sights, or spend time with their family has positive benefits on the building, and the patient themselves.

Using Recycled Materials

One of the easiest and most efficient moves towards sustainability is using recycled materials in any way you can. Not only does this help reduce waste, but it also helps conserve natural resources, and it can help reduce greenhouse gases.

There are also plenty of great materials that are recycled. HDPE (high-density polyethylene) is a solid-plastic that can be used for a variety of applications, like toilet partitions and durable lockers. This plastic not only provides a strong structure, but it’s also non-absorbent, impact-resistant, and long-lasting.

Moving Forward with Sustainable Hospital Design

Now that you’re aware of some of the newer trends that hospitals around the world are using to make their facility more sustainable, you have a few ideas to run with. Not only did you see that these design aspects have benefits of reducing your energy costs and the actual building emissions, but you also saw that it can have a positive effect on the patients and their health. With the right design implementations, hospitals and patients can benefit greatly. Are you looking for ways to make your facility or hospital more sustainable? Check out this free eBook, Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, from your friends at Scranton Products.

 

Reduce Your School’s Energy Consumption in 4 Easy Steps

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More often than not, school facility managers are trying to find ways to cut costs. This is particularly important with energy consumption, not only because energy has a hefty price attached to it, but there are many ways to reduce the costs that are more green and eco-friendly.What Makes HDPE Sustainable

To help you get started on coming up with an action plan to cut costs, here are 4 easy steps to help you reduce your school’s energy consumption.

Let There Be LED & Natural Light

Homeowners know that one of the major energy consumers in their household is light bulbs, so to combat the energy bill, they simply leave the lights off in rooms they aren’t using. This isn’t the case with a school because, ostensibly, every room is in use. However, implementing LED light bulbs instead of fluorescent or incandescent bulbs can greatly reduce the amount of energy that your school uses.

Not only should you implement the energy-saving LED lights in your school, but you can always get rid of unnecessary fixtures. Most notably, interior lighting fixtures that are near a window are technically not needed, and your school and energy bill can certainly benefit from utilizing as much natural light as possible.

Cut Down on the Air Conditioning

Who doesn’t like fresh air? Cutting down on the air conditioning can have positive benefits for your school’s energy consumption. When the weather is particularly beautiful, don’t be afraid to turn off the air and open the windows. This can help keep your school at a reasonable temperature without having to use your air conditioning system. By utilizing fresh air and keeping your air conditioning off, you’ll cut costs on your energy bill while reducing harmful emissions.

Be Mindful of Appliances & Devices

After the school day is over and the occupants have gone home, be sure to do a thorough check throughout the building for any electrical appliances that are still on. While appliances like the refrigerator should remain on, other equipment shouldn’t, such as computers. Leaving computers on all night not only consumes a decent amount of energy but also wastes it. Be sure the turn off all classroom computers before leaving the school to help save on energy costs.Earth Tone Inspiration

Generate Your Own Energy

One of the best ways to save on energy costs is simply to create your own energy. Solar panels have been widely used in school facilities across the country with fantastic results. Installing solar panels on the roof or property of your school can help to reduce the cost of energy consumption. Implementing solar energy at your school, you’ll see a noticeable drop in costs and improve your school’s image as being forward thinking, environmentally conscious and, of course, sustainable.

Were these 4 steps on reducing your school’s energy consumption helpful? Are you looking for more ways to make your school more eco-friendly? Download the Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom from your friends at Scranton Products.

Why Sustainability is so Important in 2020

Our collective future depends on sustainability. There are many factors that can help people embrace sustainability, whether it’s electric cars, LED lights, or even solar panels. The idea of becoming more sustainable has become increasingly popular, but not just as a growing fad, but as a way to help pave the way to a brighter future.

As a facility manager, you may have heard of different ways to make your facility more sustainable, but have you embraced them yet? We’re going to give you a few tips and tricks to help you learn more about sustainability. We’ll even show you ways that you can make your facility more sustainable and eco-friendly.

What is Sustainability & Why is it Important?

Sustainability essentially means that everything we need to survive, and thrive, as a society all depends on our natural environment. This means utilizing building and energy sources that can either be recycled or continuous. We’ve seen great strides with eco-friendly cars, low-energy devices, and even building materials. Sustainability is important because it helps society become self-reliant and it steers us away from utilizing materials that can be harmful to the environment.

Ways That Can Help You Make Your Facility More Sustainable

Whether you’re about to break ground and build a new facility, or you’re looking to renovate your current one, there are several ways that you can reduce your facility’s carbon output. Utilizing some of these methods and materials will not only help you make your facility greener, but you’ll also notice a reduction in overall costs and maintenance.

  • Saving on Energy: There are several ways that you can reduce your facility’s energy A really effective way is by getting rid of any incandescent or fluorescent lights, and replacing them with more efficient ones like CFL or LED light bulbs. You can even invest in some solar panels to put on the roof, which will help you utilize clean energy while reducing your overall costs.
  • Improve Your Recycling: Recycling is one of the backbones to sustainability, and ensuring that the proper things are being recycled helps the wheels of sustainability turn. This also includes replacing disposable items with more eco-friendly ones that can be easily recycled.
  • Invest in HDPE: HDPE plastic is a strong and durable material that can have a variety of applications, including lockers, vanities, and bathroom partitions. This material is low maintenance, mold/mildew resistant, and best of all, 100% recyclable, containing roughly anywhere between 25-100% pre-consumer material.What Makes HDPE Sustainable
  • Going Green: There are plenty of ways that you can go green. This includes taking advantage of beautiful weather by opening the windows and turning off the air. You can also use green cleaning materials to reduce your use of harmful chemicals.

The Importance of Being Sustainable

Making your facility sustainable can have positive effects on the environment, your occupants’ outlook, and even your overhead costs. Sustainability not only helps you save money on your costs, but it can have a positive effect on the health of your occupants, and it even contributes to reducing harmful emissions that are detrimental to the environment.

Want to start taking the steps towards making your facility more sustainable? Download Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, a free eBook from your friends at Scranton Products.

 

How to Reduce Your Facility’s Carbon Footprint

Are you looking for ways to make your facility greener and eco-friendlier? Newer buildings have a great start with using LEED-certified materials and newer practices that can reduce the environmental impact of the facility. But if your facility has already been built before the green movement, you don’t have to worry. There are ways that you can make your facility eco-friendlier. Here are a few steps on how to reduce your facility’s carbon footprint.

Get the Most Out of Your Energy

One of the most efficient ways to reduce your facility’s carbon input is to either reduce your energy use (which is next to impossible) or find ways to use less energy. Any rooms that aren’t being occupied shouldn’t have any electrical equipment running. This includes computers, TVs, and even lights. However, if you don’t think you can run your facility in partial darkness, you may want to invest in solar panels to make your facility a renewable energy source.

Keep Your HVAC System Well Maintained

Did you know that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are responsible for 40% of all carbon emissions? In order to keep these emissions low, you need to make sure that you keep up with maintenance on your HVAC system to ensure that it’s running as efficiently as possible. You can also reduce these emissions on especially nice days by opening your windows and turning the system off. That way, fresh air pumps through your facility without any emissions.

Use Green Building Materials

If there’s a remodel or renovation project coming up in your facility, you should utilize green building materials to add to your facility to give it a greener edge. Look for any recycled materials to use in your building. If you have a restroom project in the near future, consider using HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic for your stalls and partitions. This material is highly durable; impact-, dent-, and graffiti-resistant; and 100% sustainable. Not to mention, HDPE outlasts most other plastic materials, and requires very little maintenance and upkeep.

Use Low-Energy Lightbulbs

While it may seem like a tedious process, it certainly helps reduce the energy bill. Using LED lights can greatly reduce your energy consumption because they only use 10 watts, while bulbs like incandescent lights use up 60 watts. If you do the math, you’ll see huge savings when the energy bill comes in.

Boost Your Recycling

A lot of facilities fall short in this category, but you don’t have to. Consider getting more recycling bins for your building and have them placed in convenient high-traffic areas. Educate the occupants on the benefits of recycling, and even what can be recycled. By implementing a rejuvenated recycling plan, your facility can help pave the way to a greener future.

Are you ready to start reducing your facility’s carbon footprint? Check out this eBook, Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, from us at Scranton Products.

10 Reasons You Need HDPE Lockers in Your School

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Are you looking to perform some much-needed renovations in your school? While repainting the walls or having the HVAC system inspected can be useful, what about replacing your lockers with a better material? Schools all across the country have been installing HDPE (high-density polyethylene) lockers throughout their school’s halls and corridors, and have been met with great results. So, here’s a list of the 10 reasons why you need HDPE lockers in your school…

1. Nicer Aesthetics

HDPE comes in homogenous color patterns that you can choose from. They can be tailored to match any design that you’re going for with your school. While lockers can be painted over, do you really want to go through the painstaking task of painting each individual locker in your school?

2. Noise Reduction

The pang of a metal locker slamming shut is enough to remind anyone of their days at school. However, HDPE lockers have a much softer sound. During a test using both an HDPE locker and a metal locker, the sound of an HDPE locker closing was three times softer than that of a metal locker’s sound. The lack of the sharp smack will be more pleasant to the ears of both students and faculty.

3. Durability

While metal lockers have a strong structure, they’re susceptible to a variety of cosmetic damages like scratches and dents. HDPE lockers, on the other hand, are made into a solid plastic construction. They’re highly durable and can take an impact without resulting in exterior damages or scratching.

4. HDPE Doesn’t Rust

A common problem that affects metal lockers is rust. Humidity and moisture can build up, especially near the end of the school year, and sooner or later, the lockers will begin to rust. This is a looming problem in locker rooms, due to the numerous sources of water. HDPE doesn’t absorb moisture, so it won’t rust or sprout mold.

5. Improve Your Air Quality

As we mentioned before, HDPE doesn’t rust, and it can repel humidity and moisture. It won’t sprout mold, which would have a negative effect on your school’s air quality. HDPE also doesn’t need to be repainted, which reduces the risk of VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions from contaminating your school’s air.

6. Easy Installation

Metal lockers require a lot of care and attention when they’re being installed. HDPE lockers, on the other hand, are a quick and simple setup that won’t require a lot of time and effort. By comparison, it takes less time to install HDPE lockers than metal ones.

7. More Secure Storage

Another major benefit to HDPE lockers is that they’re more secure. Metal lockers do have their weaknesses, and students will figure out those weaknesses to gain entry to a locker that isn’t theirs. HDPE lockers have a built-in lock, and you also have options of what type of lock you want, with either inset combination locks or hasps being easily configured into the locker, providing a secure storage compartment for students.

8. Low Cost Maintenance

One of the biggest advantages of choosing HDPE lockers over metal is the lack of serious maintenance that you’ll have to do. Because of their durability, HDPE lockers don’t require extensive repairs. In fact, they just need a simple cleaning every now and again. A simple wipe can even remove unwanted graffiti.

9. Big Return on Investment

On the surface, HDPE lockers may seem like a pricier option. However, due to their strong construction and low maintenance, they simply pay for themselves. Within two years, HDPE lockers will be less expensive than metal lockers, due to the constant maintenance that metal lockers require. They’ll even outlast metal lockers, so you won’t have to worry about a replacement for at least 20 years.

10. Sustainability

Did you know that HDPE plastic is made from recycled materials? Because of the post-consumer materials, and their durability and lifespan, HDPE lockers are 100% sustainable. If you’re considering going greener, or becoming LEED Certified, choosing HDPE lockers is a huge step in the right direction.
Want to hear about more reasons why you should get HDPE lockers for your school? Check out Duralife Lockers now!

Why Schools Are Choosing HDPE Over Traditional School Lockers

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The sound of metal lockers slamming shut can make anyone have a flashback to when they were back in school. Traditional lockers have been used in almost every school due to their reliable nature and durability. However, many schools have begun choosing HDPE (high-density polyethylene) over the traditional metal lockers, citing it as a much better alternative. We’ll gladly explain why schools are making the jump from metal to HDPE.

The Drawbacks of Traditional Metal Lockers

Metal lockers have been the standard for many years. They allow students to store their books and materials during the day with the benefit of a secure lock to protect their valuables. However, despite the long history of schools implementing metal lockers, there are a few drawbacks to sticking with the old standard.

While it’s more noticeable in actual locker rooms, metal lockers don’t necessarily stand up to humidity and moisture. With enough exposure, your colorful metal lockers will soon begin to rust, and the rust removal process can be meticulous and expensive. Not to mention, if left unchecked, an entire replacement may be required.

A common misconception about metal lockers is that they’re highly durable. In fact, they can incur a wide array of damage to their structure, as well as the aesthetics. They’re easily dented, and considering that slamming the locker is pretty much common practice, keeping up with the damage isn’t the easiest process. Graffiti is another issue that metal lockers face, because the removal of graffiti requires paint.

Why HDPE Is the Superior Material

Many schools have begun installing HDPE plastic instead of metal lockers for a variety of reasons. Due to the solid plastic construction, HDPE offers a strength and durability that thin steel and metal lockers can’t compete with. The plastic is impact-resistant, and given the students’ preferred method of closing their lockers, the HDPE can take the hits and show no sign of damage. They even emit a softer sound than the loud metal clang provided by traditional lockers.

Because HDPE is a more durable material, and endures very little damage, it doesn’t require extensive repairs. Its solid construction doesn’t rust and won’t absorb moisture. Another great advantage to HDPE school lockers is that they’re resistant to graffiti. Any sign of unwanted artwork can be simply wiped away without having to repaint the piece and adding unwanted VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions into the air.

But what may be the biggest advantage that HDPE has over traditional lockers is the maintenance, or lack thereof. HDPE doesn’t require the constant maintenance and upkeep that metal lockers need in order to last. Instead, HDPE needs a simple cleaning every once in a while, making this material a low-maintenance and low-cost alternative to traditional metal lockers.

Are you looking to make the jump from traditional lockers to HDPE? Download this eBook, The Ultimate Guide to HDPE Plastic Lockers, from your friends at Scranton Products.