CHICAGO (July 10, 2:25 p.m. EDT) — Easton, Pa.-based Nicos Polymers and Grinding Inc. announced it has entered the automotive recycling business, but pointed out the need for an industry standard in the tubes, hoses and connectors of engines to make recycling less costly.
"These hoses are not the same from manufacturer to manufacturer. There´s no need for one guy to use one type of material and another to use different stuff," said President James Knicos during NPE 2000. "We need to standardize."
The hoses used in engines can be made from synthetic or natural rubbers and a variety of different types of thermoplastics. Knicos said the variety of materials make separation difficult, and some parts are simply not cost-efficient to recycle.
But hoses aren´t the only automotive parts the company — which also recycles carpet and other types of hoses — has begun to recycle in the past six months. Door panels and dashboards also are being chewed up at the company´s new 180,000-square-foot facility in Easton. Knico said the company is courting the automotive manufacturers to buy the material to go back into new dashboards and panels, but he did not want to reveal specific clients.
Nicos reported $7 million in sales last year and employs 60.