BOCA RATON, FLA. (Feb. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET) — NextLife Enterprises LLC is partnering with supply chain management firm Havi Global Solutions to bring its post-consumer resins to the dinner table.
The partnership is aimed at bringing the materials — which include polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene blends — to the quick-service restaurant and food service markets.
The recycled resins can be used to make “basically anything”— from coffee cup lids to children's toys — and give companies a way to decrease their environmental impact in a tough economy, said NextLife CEO Ron Whaley in a phone interview.
Havi, based in
The company works with several high-traffic restaurant chains, including McDonalds, Donatos Pizzeria LLC and Panda Express.
On average, NextLife's resins have a carbon footprint that is 70 percent smaller than virgin resins, Whaley said.
“Companies are really seeing the need to move in the direction of recycled materials,” he said, adding that consumer demands and the possibility of government regulation are driving the change. “People are just trying to get ahead of the curve.”
NextLife, based in
In January, the company added a new line, increasing the plant's capacity by 15 million pounds annually. The company has plans to add two additional lines that will increase capacity by 50 million pounds annually. By the end of the year, the plant should be running at its fully capacity of 100 million pounds annually, Whaley said.
