Most businesses today are concerned about their "green" image. Making real, measurable changes that reduce harm to the environment can improve their reputation, please investors, and increase sales. One of the items currently on the green hot list is plastic. What can a company do quickly to improve their green image? Use plastic bags and other packaging materials made with processes that limit energy consumption, reduce harmful emissions and protect the public. However, if consumers get the impression that "environmentally-friendly" advertisements and publicity campaigns are disingenuous, a company's image can significantly suffer along with its profits.

Consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in assessing the 'green' reality: Misleading words, ambiguous green claims, deceptive product graphics, overstatements and lack of pertinent environmental information don't go unnoticed.

Companies looking to help the environment and improve their image would be wise to use Environmentally Preferred Rating (EPR) accredited plastic bags, poly bags and other plastic packaging materials. EPR accreditation ensures manufacturing facilities meet the guidelines created by state and federal laws and the best practices set for the industry. The EPR program provides strategies for plastic bags and other plastic packaging manufactures to lower airborne and waterway pollution by reducing air emissions, recycling content, and using heavy metal free additives.

The EPR seal of approval informs buyers that their plastic bags and packaging supplier has taken tangible steps to substantially reduce or eliminate negative impact on the environment, and more and more consumers are looking for the EPR logo on products they purchase.

PolyPAK America, an innovative company in the plastic bag and flexible packaging industry for more that 35 years, is one of the prominent plastic bag and packaging manufacturers to meet the EPR standards and received the seal of approval. PolyPAK provides packaging with quality graphics for numerous industries including lawn and garden, food packaging, agriculture, and retailers, and supplies Internet companies with shipping envelopes and mailers.

An innovator in the food packaging industry as well, PolyPAK adheres to the strict standards of the American Institute of Baking (AIB) and received an "excellent" rating for their management system, operations methods, personnel practices, pest control and housekeeping.

PolyPAK's plastic bags and other packaging products don't contain heavy metals and can include post consumer recycled plastic. The company also protects the environment by incinerating 98.5% of all volatile organic chemicals used during the printing process and participating in Operation Clean Sweep. Operation Clean Sweep aims to prevent plastic pellets from entering waterways and ending up in the ocean and harming ocean species.

Some environmentally-friendly changes can be expensive and time consuming propositions. However, using EPR accredited plastic bags, poly bags and other types of plastic packaging materials can make a significant and positive difference in a company's impact on the environment and their green image.