Tripledge Recyclable Windshield Wipers
In 2009, 10 million new cars were sold and 14 million cars were scrapped (www.Earth-policy.org). Now, if each of these cars has at least two wiper blades, that’s 48 million rubber wiper blades bound for a landfill somewhere. Not good. But you can’t drive around without wiper blades. It’s just not practical, nor is it safe. So what’s a good green samaritan to do?
Jamak Fabrication, one of the largest manufacturers of wiper blades, has created the Tripledge GREEN Wiper Blade – the first ever 100% fully recyclable wiper blade. The Tripledge GREEN Wiper Blade is a high-quality, durable, silicone blade produced so that all components can be recycled. Silicone is not a petroleum-based product; therefore it is easily recyclable, unlike organic rubber squeegees. Jamak has created a unique technology which can repolymerize the silicone blade 100% back into a raw polymer product and make new silicone products immediately. No landfill. No partial recycling.
The packaging the wipers come in is 100% biodegradable and recyclable. The metal from from the wipers can be put in your recycling bin and the silicone can be returned to Jamak to be reclaimed and made into new automotive parts. If you do mail them back for recyling, you wil receive a 25% discount on any new blade product.
Why would you want a recyclable blade? Consider this – the annual amount of petroleum wiper waste from organic rubber wipers is equivalent to 2 football fields covered in 1 foot of petroleum wiper waste in the U.S. alone, nearly 6 football fields worldwide.
And if you’re worried about how the Tripledge GREEN blade works, don’t. I’ve got a set on my car, which replaced a standard set that had called it quits on me. The Tripledge works just as well or better than the standard set did when it was new. No streaks (which, for some reason, tend to give me problems with almost all other wipers), and they handle the pouring rain very well. Can’t wait to try them out in the snow this winter!
great post, i think that this is a great breakthrough, even if they degrade faster it can save on a lot of waste.
That’s great that even wipe blades can be eco-friendly! Let’s go green!
Awesome facility. It really makes for a good substitute to rubber. It is so difficult to dispose of rubber! This is an ideal solution for the usual wipers. But I am concerned with the prices. Like the usual eco-friendly products, is the price of this too very high?
Interesting. A lot more car parts need to qualify as biodegradable too. Body panels and tires, for example. Were those figures global or American statistics? GD
I am always interested in ways to make my footprint upon the Earth less dramatically negative.
These blades certainly fill the bill.
I also purchase from Green stores, or at least vendors who are doing everything they can to minimize the effect of commerce on the planet.
Thanks for making me aware of this product. I will be sure to order today.
Leone
Sam, not at all! For example, the total cost for two wipers for my car is $16.48.
The entire eco-friendly concept does sound interesting. But my obvious question is will the pricing for such facilities be cost-effective? Bi-degradable and recyclable substances are always welcomed by us humans. Hope this actually turns out to be productive.
Sounds like a good idea! Another tip for windscreen wipers is to lift them off the windscreen in hot weather. If you ever visit Thailand, you will see rows of cars parked like this, looks weird! Lifting them off the windscreen prevents the heat-aging of the polymer and thus extends the life of the wiper blade.
This is an idea that I am surprised wasn’t developed sooner. Though they may wear quicker than regular blades, the price is very realistic for the product. Now let’s find a solution for tires.
Actually, this brand has a lifetime warranty, so I wouldn’t expect them to wear out more quickly than regular blades.
I honestly never thought about how much waste wiper blades create. They’re so small that you don’t think about it, but in reality they create a lot of garbage. I’m interested in the recycled ones.
Put these on one of those new Toyota Prius with the solar panels on the roof and you’re really driving green!
That is really great news! I have always been concerned about waste that comes from used tires, mud flaps and wipers. Glad there is some progress in creating less landfill!
That is good news, hopefully one day (as it doesn’t look like the motor car will ever go away) 100% of motors will be recylable! In this day and age we have the technology and capability to do this as well as many many other beneficial and environmentally friendly concerns yet progress is so slow.