Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
      • 2023 winners
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • Bioplastics Live
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Resin Prices Overview
    • Commodity Thermoplastics
    • High Temperature Thermoplastics
    • Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Thermosets
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. The Plastics Blog
February 21, 2019 01:00 AM

Turning leftover pellets into love and comfort

Don Loepp
Editor
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Conair Group
    Learning about the blanket-making process are (left to right) Heidi McCumsey, Leann Lafferty, and Sage Martin, as Phyllis Renner moves material to another work area.

    When a charitable group sought plastic pellets, they got a half-ton of help from IPEG's Conair Group

    Weighted blankets are used as a therapeutic tool, an effective nondrug therapy for people suffering from anxiety, sleep loss, or an inability to relax and comfort themselves normally. A weighted blanket is simply a blanket or “lap pad” filled with pellets that equals about 10 percent of body weight, plus a pound or two. Blankets for children or young teens require between 6 and 20 pounds of pellets, while lap pads contain 3-5 pounds.

    Research with young people who have Autism Spectrum Disorder show that these blankets and pads provide deep pressure touch stimulation, causing their bodies to produce the neurotransmitter serotonin, which positively influences mood, appetite, sleep, and memory. Many parents find that draping a weighted blanket across the lap or shoulders of a child with autism helps provide a feeling of security and calm during the day and more restful sleep at night.

    Conair Group

    Colorful lap “turtles” weighted with plastic pellets bring smiles, calm, and comfort to young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These gifts were made by caring volunteers from the Church of Christ (Zelienople, Pa.) and filled with pellets donated by Conair Group in nearby Cranberry.

    Recently, Brian Dowler, Conair Group's vice president of aftermarket services, heard that a group from the Zelienople Church of Christ planned to make and donate weighted blankets and lap-pad “turtles” for local children. However, the blanket makers found that purchasing plastic pellets – priced at $1.50 per pound plus shipping – was prohibitive, far more than the cost of fleece and other materials.

    So, he had an idea: “I spoke with Jacob Grimm in the Conair lab in Cranberry, and he showed me a Gaylord box containing 1,200 pounds of pellets – unwanted leftovers from a customer blending test – that were slated for disposal. He offered to let me have them.

    “A few evenings later, with the help of some generous friends, we bagged the pellets into lots of 25 to 30 pounds and donated them to the blanket makers.”

    Conair Group

    Completing a “Reach for the Stars” weighted blanket are Lisa Martin (right) and Joyce Gladman.

    The gift was deeply appreciated. Becky Krivak, who heads the blanket-making group said, “I had a teacher request 10 weighted lap blankets for her school a couple of weeks ago. I delivered seven to her this week and was down to six pounds of pellets. I was hoping my friend Brian would have connections and could get me a discount on an order. He just called… Conair has more than 1,000 pounds of pellets for free! I have tears in my eyes! ONE THOUSANDS POUNDS! FREE!”

    “It is a great thing that this leftover material can be put to a great use,” said Dowler. “Our ‘junk pellets' will save this team of women about $1,800. More important, many families of special-needs children will benefit from IPEG's generosity.”

    Conair Group

    Becky Krivak (right foreground), reviews blanket-making patterns with Phyllis Renner, Amy McCumsey, and Jenny Lafferty. In the background (right), another blanketeer, Debbie Holdren, is busy at work.

    Thanks to Conair Group for sending this feel-good story about the plastics industry helping out in the community.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Redesigned resin prices page gives PN readers more information
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Kickstart: Paper bags, 'paper' bottles
    2
    Resin Prices
    3
    Treaty talks end with plans for a draft agreement, but hurdles remain
    4
    PP recycler PureCycle sees Ohio plant as springboard for growth
    5
    WL Plastics building $40M MDPE pipe plant in Texas
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
          • 2023 winners
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • Bioplastics Live
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Resin Prices Overview
      • Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temperature Thermoplastics
      • Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Recycled Plastics
      • Thermosets
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified