In 2009, the company shed weight from its foam hot cup and plastic cold cup which reduced the amount of cup waste winding up in land fills by 4.6 million pounds per annum.

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In that cold, copper wire and plastic become brittle.

WSJ: Chicago Blaze Shows the Misery and Peril of Fire-Fighting in Cold Climes

Some old-school cleaners are so resistant to change that the company still stocks brass-handled squeegees, even though newer models made of plastic offer protection against cold temperatures.

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They were given a storage room to sleep in -- there were no windows, no electricity and just a plastic sheet on the cold, damp cement floor.

CNN: Syrian refugees in Lebanon facing bitter winter

There is a shortfall of 170, 000 high quality plastic sheets needed to improve protection from rain and snow in tents not designed to withstand the cold.

BBC: NEWS | South Asia | Quake survivors blankets appeal