RPP Containers is getting new business out of old bulk containers.
The Cincinnati company recently added 15,000 square feet to its 30,000-square-foot facility and purchased a larger toll grinder as part of its bulk container and plastic pallet recycling operation. It also has seen increased business for its refurbished containers, said President Scott DeNoma in a May 11 telephone interview.
“What we're doing fits right into what a lot of the [bulk container manufacturers] are trying to do in increasing their recycled content,” he said.
RPP focuses solely on recycling heavy-duty plastic bulk containers and plastic pallets, typically used by the automotive and appliance industries to ship parts to original equipment manufacturers. It repairs and resells containers that can be fixed, he said, but also grinds containers at the end of their life. The resulting high density polyethylene regrind fits completely into the resin blend that bulk container molders use, since it comes solely from the same products. That gives molders a steady supply of dependable recycled resin, which allows them to cut costs and boost environmental credentials.
The expansion and new grinder allow RPP to recycle containers more quickly and safely, he said. Previously, it had two of its 10 employees assigned to cut down pallets and dunnage by hand to fit into smaller equipment.
At the same time, molders looking for ways to cut costs have been turning to RPP for its refurbished containers, giving the company another growing line of business, DeNoma said.