WASHINGTON (November 13, 2015) – Demilec Inc.,
The Recycling Partnership, and
Publix have been chosen by The American Chemistry Council (ACC) to receive the
2015 Award for Innovation in Plastics Recycling.
“Each of these organizations is a leader in recycling innovation,
and their contributions will likely inspire ongoing contributions to the
rapidly growing field of plastics recycling,” said
Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council. "We
are thrilled to recognize this year’s award recipients.”
The Innovation in Plastics Recycling Awards recognize nonprofits and companies
that successfully implement new initiatives, products, and technologies
to the marketplace and communities that show important advancements in
the recycling of plastics. The council announced the winners of the awards
today in acknowledgement of
America Recycles Day on November 15.
ACC’s Innovations in Plastics Recycling Awards contest is open to
all U.S. companies, nonprofits, individuals, and government bodies (including
schools) that collect or process plastics for recycling, promote plastics
recycling through education and infrastructure, manufacture equipment
used to collect or process plastics for recycling, or manufacture a new
product made in whole or part from recycled plastic.
The companies have received this prestigious award for the following contributions:
-
Demilec Inc. recycles scraps of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), turning them into
polyols that can be re-used in its spray high-performing foam insulation
products. In addition to the environmental benefits of recycling plastic
bottles, Demilec Inc.’s spray foam insulation has the added benefit
of dramatically increasing energy efficiency in buildings and homes. More
than 300 million plastic bottles have been recycled into spray foam insulation
in recent years, and the company projects that an excess of 35 million
plastic bottles will be recycled by the end of 2015.
-
The Recycling Partnership fosters public-private partnerships to boost curbside recycling programs.
TRP has provided 115,000 large recycling carts and improved public education
in four cities (Columbia, SC, Florence, AL, East Lansing, MI, and Richmond,
VA) over the past 15 months. Through the efforts of TRP, an additional
18,000 households can now access a recycling program that collects both
bottles and wide-mouth plastic containers. Over the next 10 years, these
efforts are cumulatively expected to recover an additional 22 million
pounds of plastics.
-
Publix-Super Markets With more than 1,100 stores and 9 distribution centers, Publix has established
itself as a leader in recycling rigid plastic packaging, including commercial-sized
polypropylene (PP) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) containers. Publix
optimized its back-of-store recycling stream through the use of a horizontal
and vertical baler, which produces large, dense bales of clean plastic
material for recycling. As a result, thousands of pounds of high-quality
plastics are sorted, baled, and made available to recyclers on a weekly basis.
Click here to learn more about the
ACC’s Innovations in Plastics Recycling Awards contest.