Dive Brief:
- California-based Verdeco Recycling Inc. will open its second PET recycling facility in Terre Haute, Indiana this month.
- The company's $8 million facility will process 60 million pounds of material per year and employ about 30 people.
- Verdeco says its PET-M process creates material with higher physical and mechanical properties than standard PET. The product has been approved for food use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Dive Insight:
The PET-M process was developed by Verdeco's partner, Czech Republic-based PTP Group Inc. in 2002. It involves a silicon-based additive and doesn't require the high pressure or vacuums used in traditional PET recycling. The company says that PET-M has the same quality as virgin material and only differs in color.
Verdeco's expansion into the Midwest is a big step for the company and additional facilities are also planned for the future.
"By reducing shipping costs and increasing the company's capacity and reach across the region and the United States, Verdeco Recycling will effectively amplify distribution in a cost-effective, eco-friendly manner," Verdeco project manager Rick Blakeslee said in a press release.
While recycling commodities have fluctuated, there has been interest in using recycled PET for food packaging, clothing and other uses. Custom Synthetic Fibers will begin producing recycled polyester fiber for a variety of automotive and home uses at a new facility in Alabama starting next month.