During our End Markets and Operations Committee meeting on October 9th, Chair Will Hancock welcomed Tom Vaughn, a longtime friend of the CDRA and CEO of Advanced Polymer Recycling, to discuss the market for plastics, including LDPE, polypropylene, and PVC. Tom believes that his firm can help CDRA members sell more and find new markets to keep materials out of landfills. Tom also updated us on the progress that the Polymeric Exterior Products Association (PEPA) has made with their Revinylize Recycling Cooperative initiative.
The meeting discussed the operations and end markets for Advanced Polymer Recycling, which has sales offices in multiple states. They manage both post-industrial and post-consumer materials. Tom highlighted the processing facilities they work with and logistics services. Advanced Polymers has a processing facility in Atlanta and plans to add more facilities through acquisitions. The company has interest in various materials including plastic, cardboard, and e-waste, and all with a significant North American focus. Tom is proud of their work in processing plastics into usable forms, as well as managing large volumes of cardboard (an often-overlooked market), and effectively dealing with e-waste through the use of R2 V3 Certification which involves safety programs, maintenance programs, and quality checks.
Aggregating material has resulted in better pricing for the company. And the potential for haulers to increase their revenue streams by diversifying into new waste streams was emphasized. Tom highlighted a three-month project with one of their customers that involved the use of QR codes and video to certify destruction. The benefits of rail shipping and roll-off dumpsters were mentioned, as well as techniques for handling mixed loads. Tom also stressed the benefits of segregating materials at the source, the need to develop better battery detection systems within waste streams, and not discounting the potential uses for plastics such as PVC, milk jugs and film plastic in various colors. Even cable wrappings, mixed plastic containers and non-woven polypropylene can find a home in new markets following processing. Alternative fuels may also be a potential market for products.
Tom closed his presentation by suggesting that working with local communities and municipalities to accumulate material for loads can limit shipping costs and maximize profit, and noted that his company is willing to work with suppliers nationwide. CDRA committee members also discussed future meeting topics and potential presentations with a focus on both end markets and operational matters. Among the materials mentioned were PVC, automobile parts, C&D wood, and flat glass. Optical sorters, battery detection technologies, or non-ferrous and eddy current separation technologies could also be interesting topics to cover in future meetings. As always, member companies are encouraged to share their needs and experience with the committee. We hope to see you at our next committee meeting on December 11th!