Entrepreneurs Attack Plastics Recycling

A company from California that manufactures industrial grade plastic pallets from recycled plastic bottles is planning to expand its business to upstate New York. Mountainsong Enterprises is in talks with Dean Koyanagi, Cornell University’s sustainability coordinator, to create a facility in the Ithaca area that mirrors their California plant.

The current problem with recycling plastics stems from the inability of recycling companies to process plastics designated #3 and above. The Mountainsongs’ process is apparently fit for all designations of plastic, along with several, such as plastic wrap, that are not considered recyclable at all.

After the plastics are shredded and ground, they are heated to between 180 and 200 degrees Celsius and mixed to form bricks in a process called thermokinetic bonding.

Because the plastics in question are not washed, and are amalgamations of several different varieties of plastic, it is not possible to produce “food-safe” plastics using the Mountainsongs’ machine.

While the lack of purity and the prohibitive thickness of the materials prevent the Mountainsongs from making a run on the plastic food-ware industry, they are able to produce industrial grade plastic products.

Find locations to recycle plastics in your area, use Earth 911′s recycling locator.