USG sells granulator to Ky. recycling firm
SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Smithfield-based United States Granulator Corp. has sold a high-capacity granulator to Champion Polymer Recycling, which supplies its parent company, Infiltrator Systems Inc., with material.
Infiltrator and Champion are both in Winchester, Ky. Infiltrator injection molds large underground chambers for septic tanks and storm water disposal. Champion reprocesses 100 million pounds of polyethylene and polypropylene a year.
USG said Champion replaced four smaller granulators with a model USG 2454 granulator, which runs at an average rate of 12,000 pounds an hour. Depending on the material, Champion is running at 10,000-16,000 pounds an hour.
USG, a sister company of auxiliary equipment maker Maguire Products Inc. of Media, Pa., was founded in 1994 to remanufacture granulators. The company began building new machines in 1997.
EnviroWood installs fourth extrusion line
AUBURN, ALA. — EnviroWood Products Inc. expanded its plastic lumber capacity by adding an automated extrusion system from Group Deco Inc. of Kendallville, Ind.
The Auburn firm can produce 5 million linear feet annually in cross sections as large as 12 by 12 inches, said EnviroWood President Nevil Garrett. The new line is its fourth and EnviroWood is considering further expansion, Garrett said in a telephone interview. He did not disclose the cost of the recent purchase.
EnviroWood mainly uses curbside-collected post-consumer thermoplastics from municipalities, Garrett said. The firm reprocesses bottles, food containers and plastic wrap. He said its main customers are pallet and shipping crate manufacturers and builders of docks and landscapes.
Garrett and partner Bob Adams started recycling plastics more than a year ago, after 10 years in paper and metals recycling. He said their operation represents about a $3 million investment.
Timber Energy bought by investors, workers
TUSCALOOSA, ALA. — A group of investors and employees recently bought post-consumer film recycler Timber Energy Plastics Recycling Co. and changed its name to MSW Plastic Recycling Inc.
The investors paid $300,000 in cash and notes for the Tuscaloosa-based company. MSW stands for managing solid waste.
The company operates washing and extrusion lines in a 40,000-square-foot facility, while grinding and baling are in a separate, 30,000-square-foot building. The firm runs two extrusion lines and one washing line that handle 12 million to 18 million pounds per year, depending on demand.
Frontier Recycling Inc., also based in Tuscaloosa, buys all of MSW's raw material and acts as a brokerage firm, selling the pellets.
MSW obtains the low and linear low density polyethylene and stretch wrap mainly from the southeastern United States. The company employs 30.
Waste exchange rate rises 30% in Canada
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO — The Environment and Plastics Industry Council said Canada's waste exchanges are diverting a growing amount of plastic from landfills.
Waste exchanges in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec are the most successful among Canada's eight exchanges, according to EPIC, a council of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association of Mississauga. EPIC program director Cathy Cirko said the council reported waste exchange activity increased 30 percent to 1.7 million pounds for the quarter ended in June vs. the previous quarter.
Ontario's exchange was the largest. It helped link buyers and sellers of about 1.3 million pounds of plastics in the quarter. Ontario's total during its 18-month exchange reached 83.6 million pounds.
British Columbia's exchange involved 213,400 pounds, and Quebec's dealt with 134,200 pounds.
