Design and Manufacturing for post-use recovery

RainTube is designed for and manufactured with post-consumer recycled High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) feedstock. 95% of the materials used in the RainTube installations are HDPE and 100% are recyclable. HDPE has an extremely long useful life (over 2300 years) after which it may be recycled again and again with very little degradation. This durability combined with recyclability is why we chose to use this material for our RainTube product.

Manufacturing using HDPE is simple and straightforward. The machinery used is large a complex but the process involves only a few steps. Renewable electricity is used exclusively to power all machinery. A small amount of water is used in the process to help cool the machinery and product. This water is captured and recycled over and over in a closed system with very little loss to evaporation. The HDPE raw feedstock is melted, formed into shape, cooled, cut to size, bundled and loaded onto trucks with no product loss and zero waste.

RainTube is shipped and sold without packaging. Instead it is bundled together in groups of 10 tubes each and tied with HDPE twine made from scrap materials. The twine is collected after shipping and reused or recycled.

Installer training for post-use recovery

All installers of the RainTube product must complete 9 hours of material handling and other certification training. The certification training includes instruction on installation techniques that eliminate product waste and allow for ease of removal of the RainTube at the end of its useful life. RainTube is shipped without packaging and the Certified Installers are trained to recycle the twine use to tie the material in bundles.

RainTube is installed with no mechanical attachments to the structure making the initial installation and the subsequent removal quick and easy. The RainTube material does not degrade and has a long useful life. It comes with a factory lifetime warranty so there is little need to remove or replace the product.

Sales information for post-use recovery

RainTube is sold with detailed consumer educational information about HDPE and its recyclable characteristics. This information is available with the initial product sales literature and is also included on the website and with the post-sale leave-behind material. Consumers are educated before purchase about the RainTube removal process and encouraged to recycle the material if and when it is no longer needed.

De-Installation and recycling options and guidelines

RainTube provides consumers the following detailed information describing post-use recovery. This information is included on the written warranty and can also be found on our website www.raintube.com/reutilization.html.

1. RainTube post-use removal service: Contact any local installer listed on the www.raintube.com website and explain that you would like to participate in the RainTube Post-use Recovery Program. You will be provided with a quote for removal of the RainTube. Once removed, the Certified Installer will then deliver it to a recycling center at no charge.
   
   
2. Self removal: RainTube is best removed on warm sunny days as this allows the material to become softer, more pliable and easier to work with. Be sure that you have proper gear and safety equipment. Be careful of insects, especially wasps or hornets that may have nests built around the edges of the roofing system. Start the removal process at an outside end or corner by removing the end-cap and squeezing the tube while lifting it straight up out of the gutter. Do not pull on the RainTube if it becomes hung up as this may damage the roof or the gutter. Instead, compress the material as much as possible to free it up. Work around the perimeter of the home and remove any screws or metal fasteners at the corners. Lift the RainTube up to release it from the brackets. RainTube can usually be removed in full 13’ lengths. Cut the removed material into more manageable lengths of 2’-3’ for easy transportation. The removed material can be delivered to any recycling center that accepts colored HDPE materials (these are typically plastic food containers with this symbol on them. Do not place RainTube in the milk jug recycling area as this is reserved for non-colored HDPE material.