Resin distributor California Plastics has reached supply deals with four materials makers and is launching its own line of compounds with post-consumer and post-industrial recycled content.
All of these agreements will be in place by the end of the year, founder and owner Abby Khanna said in a recent interview. He added that with the supply deals and new products, his Irvine, Calif.-based firm is responding to requests from its customers.
In California, CP will have exclusive distribution regional supplier rights for sustainable additives made by Worry Free Plastics of Hilton Head Island, S.C. Officials said the materials eliminate microplastics in end-of-life scenarios through patented technology.
CP also is distributing materials for SK Chemicals of South Korea. In the fourth quarter, CP will begin distribution of materials made by thermoplastic elastomer maker United Soft Plastics of Lawrenceville, Ga., and PVC compounder Hoffman Plastic Compounds of Paramount, Calif.
In an email, USP President and CEO Benedict Herbst said working with CP "is an opportunity for both companies to continue their strong growth through a like-minded approach in product innovation and the support of our customers' needs."
Hoffman executive Frank Miller said CP "has brought on a number of new customers to Hoffman, and we look forward to future endeavors."
CP also soon will have recycled content compounds based on polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, nylon another resins available for customers. These materials will be toll compounded for CP by other firms.
Khanna said recent legislative challenges to plastics in California led his firm to increase the amount of sustainable products it carries. CP generates about two-thirds of its sales from its home state, where it employs five sales reps.
"California is trying to shift responsibility from plastic consumers to producers," Khanna said. "It can be challenging to operate here, but if you can find the right fit and the right niche, it doesn't matter where you are."
Khanna and his wife, Bianca, launched CP in 2019 after he had worked almost 10 years in the industry. The firm now distributes a wide range of engineering and commodity resins covering 20,000 grades.