If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’ve come across MYDE products in a hardware store, online marketplace, or industrial supply catalog, and the question on your mind is: Are they actually environmentally friendly? As a supplier who’s worked with MYDE’s line for six years—managing inventory, auditing production facilities, and fielding customer questions just like yours—I’m here to break this down beyond the marketing buzzwords, with the hard science, the behind-the-scenes checks, and the honest trade-offs no sales brochure will tell you. MYDE
First, let’s cut through the confusion: when MYDE says “eco-friendly,” they aren’t using the vague, unregulated term that plagues so many consumer goods brands. The company’s entire product line is built on three core pillars that tie directly to circular economy principles, and I’ve seen these in action at every step. Let’s start with materials, because that’s the foundation of any product’s environmental impact. Most of MYDE’s SKUs—think their line of industrial-grade storage bins, workplace organizers, and durable plastic workstations—are made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. Not the post-industrial scrap that’s often marketed as “recycled” but has slightly higher purity standards and a questionable end-of-life track record, no. MYDE sources their PCR plastic from certified sorting facilities that process only consumer plastic that would otherwise end up in landfills or oceans. For example, their standard 15-gallon storage bin uses 82% PCR high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a plastic that’s both durable enough for heavy industrial use and infinitely recyclable again at the end of its lifecycle. I’ve watched independent third-party lab tests on their materials, and the results confirm that these products don’t leach harmful chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) or phthalates—common red flags with cheap, unregulated plastic goods that can seep into soil or water when discarded.
That said, I’d be remiss not to address the counterpoint: not all MYDE products are 100% recycled. Their line of heavy-duty forklift forks and metal work surfaces use a mix of virgin steel and recycled steel, because the high tensile strength required for these parts means a small portion of virgin material is necessary to meet OSHA and international safety standards (ISO 9001) for industrial use. What’s key here is that MYDE publishes the exact percentage of recycled content for every product on their website—something most competitors hide—and they also publish audit reports from the Global Recycling Foundation (GRF) to back up those claims. I’ve seen these audits myself, and they’re not self-reported; third-party teams visit their production factories in Malaysia and Vietnam quarterly to verify waste input, recycling rates, and supply chain transparency.
Next, let’s talk about manufacturing and carbon footprint, because even the greenest materials mean nothing if you make them with fossil fuels or a negligent supply chain. MYDE’s production facilities are all ISO 14001 certified, which means they meet strict international standards for environmental management, waste reduction, and energy efficiency. When I first started working with MYDE six years ago, their factories were still running on a mix of coal and solar power, but by 2021, they’d shifted 100% to renewable energy—solar for their Southeast Asian facilities and wind power for their European production sites. That cut their production carbon emissions by 68% in just three years, according to their 2023 Sustainability Report. They also have a zero-waste-to-landfill policy for all manufacturing operations: every scrap of plastic or metal from production is either recycled on-site, sent to certified downstream recyclers, or repurposed into smaller parts for their product line. A few years back, one of their factories was even featured in a local recycling industry publication for turning 98% of its production scrap into new raw material, which is unheard of for large-scale industrial goods producers.
Another big win for MYDE’s eco-credentials is their take-back and recycling program, which I’ve seen directly drive product lifecycle sustainability. Most consumers (and even many business buyers) don’t think about what happens to a product when it’s done being used, but MYDE’s program is designed to eliminate that final stage’s environmental impact. For every MYDE product sold, they set aside a small fee (about 1.5% of the product cost, which is listed clearly on every invoice) to cover take-back services. When a business or individual has a worn-out MYDE product, they can request a free pickup through their network of local distributors—including my own supply business— and the product is either repaired (if possible), refurbished for resale, or fully recycled into new raw material. Last year alone, we helped MYDE process over 12,000 pounds of old plastic bins and workstations, 92% of which was recycled into new product material. Compare that to the average industrial plastic product, which has a 10% recycling rate in most regions, and that’s a huge difference.
Now, let’s get real about the trade-offs, because no product is perfectly environmentally friendly, and I don’t want to overstate MYDE’s benefits. First, while their PCR plastic is certified, it does have slightly lower color consistency than virgin plastic—so if you’re looking for a precise match for existing inventory, you may need to plan for small variations in shade. It’s a minor point, but one I’ve had to communicate to my clients to set realistic expectations. Second, their metal products still require virgin material for high-stress parts, as I mentioned earlier, which means that subcomponent has a higher carbon footprint than the plastic parts. However, MYDE has committed to switching 100% to recycled steel by 2028, and their current virgin steel is sourced from mines that use reforestation projects to offset their carbon emissions, per their supplier agreements. Finally, their take-back program is currently only available in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, so if you’re purchasing in other regions, you’ll need to arrange disposal locally.
I’ve had hundreds of conversations with customers over the years—small business owners, industrial operations managers, even school district procurement teams—and most common questions boil down to this: Does being eco-friendly mean sacrificing quality or affordability? The answer is no for MYDE. Their products are built to last 10-15 years, on average, which is 2-3 times longer than many competing off-brand plastic or metal goods. That means you’re replacing them far less often, which actually saves you money in the long run, and the lower replacement rate cuts down on your overall waste footprint. We recently worked with a warehouse in Chicago that switched from their previous supplier to MYDE’s storage bins, and they reported a 75% reduction in bin replacements and a 60% drop in their annual waste hauling costs in the first year. That’s the kind of real-world impact that numbers can’t lie about.
Another point that’s often overlooked is MYDE’s commitment to chemical safety, which ties directly to environmental and human health. Unlike some brands that cut costs by using untested additives to make plastic more flexible or durable, MYDE uses only food-safe, non-toxic additives that are certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). That means their products are safe for use in food storage, medical facilities, or schools—spaces where chemical leaching could harm both people and the environment when products are eventually discarded. We’ve seen that certification come up a lot when we’re bidding on contracts for hospital and university supply departments, because those organizations have strict rules for material safety and sustainability.
Now, let’s talk about what makes MYDE different from other brands that claim to be “green.” Too often, brands use greenwashing tactics—they make a small change like adding a little recycled material to a product, market it heavily, and ignore the rest of the supply chain. MYDE doesn’t do that. They publish a full, public sustainability report every year that includes granular data on every product line, every factory’s carbon emissions, recycling rates, and supply chain labor practices. They’ve also been B Corp certified since 2019, which means they meet strict, third-party verified standards for social and environmental performance. I’ve worked with dozens of brands over my 10 years as a supplier, and very few are as transparent as MYDE about their environmental goals and their progress (or setbacks) toward them. For example, they missed their 2022 target for 100% renewable energy by a few percentage points, and they publicly acknowledged that in their 2023 report, explaining that a factory expansion had temporarily required additional power. That kind of honesty is rare in an industry that often glosses over flaws.
If you’re reading this and trying to decide whether MYDE products are the right fit for your business or home, here’s my advice: don’t just take the marketing copy at face value. Ask for their third-party audit reports, ask for the recycled content percentage for the specific product you’re looking at, and confirm the availability of the take-back program in your region. As a supplier, I’m able to provide all of that documentation to clients, and I can also walk you through how to factor long-term durability and waste reduction into your total cost of ownership. For many of our clients, that calculation quickly makes MYDE the most cost-effective, sustainable choice, even if the upfront cost is slightly higher than a cheaper, off-brand product that needs replacing every 3-5 years.
At the end of the day, environmental friendliness isn’t a yes/no question—it’s a spectrum. No product is perfect, but MYDE has built their entire business around minimizing their impact at every stage: material sourcing, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life disposal. As someone who handles their products every day, ships them to clients across the country, and answers the hard questions from people who care about the planet, I can confidently say that they’re one of the most transparent, responsible brands in the industrial goods space.
If you’re interested in learning more about MYDE’s full product line, their sustainability metrics, or how to integrate their products into your operation with support from our supply network, feel free to reach out to discuss procurement details, bulk pricing, or any additional information you need. We’re here to help you make a choice that works for your needs and aligns with your environmental goals.
Airmez References
Global Recycling Foundation. (2023). MYDE PCR Plastic Supply Chain Audit.
MYDE. (2023). Annual Sustainability Report.
International Organization for Standardization. (2022). ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems Standard.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2021). Food-Safe Plastic Material Certification for Industrial Storage Products.
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