Eco Friendly Laptop Sleeve: About the Guff
The eco-geeks in each of us were pretty excited to learn about the Eco Friendly Laptop Sleeve on the Daily Guff today! These laptop sleeves come to us from GreenSmart, the cool company that’s making neogreene (the green version of neoprene) products of all types.
GreenSmart was founded in 2006 by Tom Larsen and Debbie Wililams. Prior to then they were a company making bags the same ol’ way that everyone else in the world was doing it. We’re impressed with their ability to take a new look at their business and move it towards more sustainable practices. They say, “We are just beginning. Our primary objective with every product and material we make or use is eco-progress. There is no eco-perfect and we are not perfect either. We plan to continue to improve.” And we’re eager to see the improvements they make to their already great products!
Some info on Neogreene…
Neogreene is the GreenSmart trade name for the collection of products made from a proprietary formulation of thermoplastic elastomer foam. TPE-G2 foams provide the unique physical properties of traditional rubber foam products but with the processing efficiency of plastics. TPE plastics have long been used in automotive, electrical, and toy industries however, a TPE foam suitable for sportswear application had yet to be introduced. Our neogreene formulation has been modified to also match the Shore A value (a hardness test method) similar to SBR, rubber, and CR neoprene foam. This modification opens up the opportunity to offer the performance and environmental benefits of neogreene for bags.
Environmental: Aside from the compression and elastic benefits of neogreene, it first offers a clear environmental advantage in comparison to neoprene and rubber foams. Neogreene is considered Toxic-Free because there are no phthalates, VOCs, chlorine, nor metals that are traditionally comprised in neoprene (see reports on this page). Neoprene is also vulcanized in production while neogreene is not. Neogreene can, at the raw material level, be reformed and reused. Specific to neoprene, neogreene consumes 25% less energy to manufacture and 25% less petroleum to produce. These two comparisons are conservative relative to the assorted manufacturing techniques and chemistries found for chloroprene/SBR rubber, etc. all considered neoprene in the market. In many cases the environmental benefit of neogreene is substantially higher than this data for many versions of neoprene offered in the marketplace.
Water-Based Lamination: Neogreene packages (foam plus the fabrics glued to it) are only constructed using water-based adhesives. This eliminates the dependence on solvent based adhesives, which generally contain toluene and dimethyl formaldehyde. No neoprene supplier, that we have found, has yet to find an alternative lamination method for fabrics to neoprene rubber other than solvent based adhesives. In many cases, it is these adhesives that contain the VOCs which off-gas the distinctive odor popularly associated with neoprene.
Lightweight: Since TPE Foams are injected with Hydrogen in the foaming process, it results in a material 50% lighter than neoprene by volume. This benefit appears in the transportation costs of neogreene vs. neoprene.
Durability: TPE foams were first created to replace rubber in automotive applications because of its high-resiliency to both extreme hot and cold conditions. This resilience allows for neogreene to provide a greater range of temperatures where it will continue to provide cushion and elastic properties.
Insulation and waterproof claims: Neogreene has a closed cell structure similar to neoprene (sponges are open cell foam). Neogreene has a superior Clo Value to that of neoprene. The Clo Value is a measurement of intrinsic thermal resistance. Neogreene provides approximately double the insulation properties of traditional neoprene. The closed cell structure makes neogreene fully waterproof.
Hygienic: Because neogreene is a closed-cell structure it does not absorb water. This benefit means that when the laminated fabrics get wet, it is the fabric that dries, not the entire package, as a sponge with fabric would, eliminating the potential for mold or mildew to form in a wet foam layer.
Whew! We just wanted to make sure we explained this great material to you…the laptop sleeve comes in a wide range of sizes to accommodate most laptops. Get yours on the Daily Guff: http://guffly.com
Related posts:
- Sexy Eco-friendly Lingerie Set: About the Guff ...
- Eco-Friendly Products: The Top 5 Style-Friendly Ways Stay Green ...
- Toggery Louis Pashmina: About the Guff ...
- Kristine Recycled Change Purse: About the Guff ...
- Recycled Plastic Bag Wallet: About the Guff ...
