PLASTICS USED IN

bright agrotech products

BRIGHT
www.zipgrow.com
Bright Agrotech 2016
 PLASTICS WE USE
What are ZipGrow Towers made of? Its a common question posed by dozens and dozens
of conscious consumers and farmers around the world. Many are concerned about how
plastics interact with their hydroponic or aquaponic system. We understand these concerns
and believe that the materials used in our products should be common knowledge.

Since one of the core values of Bright Agrotech is transparency, we have put together this
short resource to inform our customers of what materials are in ZipGrow Towers. Lets start
with the ZipGrow Towers housing, the Matrix Media, and irrigation tubing.

ZipGrow Tower Housing

ZipGrow Towers are manufactured from pure, USA-made,

virgin (not recycled), rigid PVC. (The gutters and end caps
that are used in our ZipGrow Green Wall and ZipFarm
are also constructed of virgin USA-made PVC or HDPE.) The
chemical name of this material is polyvinyl chloride (C2H3Cl).
This material is used in a wide variety of applications from
ZipGrow Towers, to heart bypass tubing.

PVC is used in two forms: Rigid and softened. It is important

to understand the differences.

Other products using soft PVC, such as raincoats, are

softened using chemicals like phthalates or Bisphenol A
(BPA) to increase flexibility. Both of these softeners are
known to be hazardous to human health. BPA is mostly
used in polycarbonates. Phthalates for softening PVC can
function as endocrine disruptors (estrogen mimickers) or use
heavy metals (80s and 90s era PVC from China). This is why
Bright Agrotech sources all PVC material from the US and
uses only rigid PVC. In the US the EPA regulates plastics for
human health and safety. Most consumer contact with soft
PVC comes through plastic wraps and shrink-wrapped food
from the grocery store. Consumers are exposed to more
phthalates from these types of wraps directly contacting
food products than they will from a lifetime of using ZipGrow
Towers. Bright Agrotech sources our rigid, virgin PVC from
reputable American manufacturers to ensure that our
consumers have the ability to use a durable, long-lasting
product that also protects their health.
ZipGrow Matrix Media
Our Matrix Media is made from a recycled PET-1 (a type of
polyester from made from recycled plastic water bottles) and
is coated with a silicone oxide binder to prevent degradation.
Its designed to last a long time while effectively harboring a
multitude of beneficial microbial communities.

Matrix Media is 93% air space which allows for good water
movement and high biological surface area (BSA). The dark
color provides some algae control. Easily removed and reusable
with a 1 year warranty, an insert can last up to seven years
based on your crop selection.

What exactly is PET-1?

PET-1, or polyethylene terephthalate (C10H8O4)n, is a commonly
used plastic in most food and drink packaging. It is a plastic
that is internationally recognized as a safe material for food and
drink storage. There are thousands of applications of PET that
come into contact with our food and drinks every day with no
adverse affects.

Irrigation Tubing
It is safe to say that ZipGrow Towers are made exclusively from materials that are
recognized as being safe for use in food applications. To lay your fears to rest even
further, we wanted to share with you exactly what our irrigation hoses, such as the
lines used in our ZipGrow Green Walls or selected for greenhouse use by your local
Upstart Farmer, are comprised of.

The common name for the irrigation lines is poly tubing. This is a polyethylene (C2H4)
nH2 tubing that is commonly used for hydroponic, aquaponic, and soil irrigation. There
are many different forms of polyethylene but the name of the material for this specific
type of poly is known as FINGERPRINT resin. This resin is made by the DOW chemical
company and comprises the irrigation lines that we use in our own farm here in
Laramie. We have attached links below, which will describe FINGERPRINT resin in far
greater detail.

More Resources

ZipGrow Tower ZipGrow Matrix Irrigation Tubing

Housing Media Have other
Fingerprint questions?
PVC info Resins Visit us at
PET for Food zipgrow.com or
Fingerpring
ToxNet Index Packaging contact us.
Polyethylene
Resins