PRI explores ‘largely untapped’ polystyrene stream

United States – Plastic Recycling Inc. (PRI) in the USA is planning to open a facility specifically for recycling post-consumer foam cups, foam take-out containers and other used polystyrene materials collected nationwide in partnership with packaging company Dart Container.

The new plant in Indianapolis will boast an annual capacity of 25 million pounds (11 300 tonnes), will employ 25 workers and is scheduled to be fully operational by spring 2015.

It is claimed that the project will ′greatly enhance′ the ability of local governments to launch recycling efforts to remove both rigid polystyrene and expanded polystyrene – or Styrofoam – from the waste stream and generate revenue. The facility′s design supports future growth while rail access will reduce the environmental impacts of shipping, according to PRI.

′We currently recycle about 60 million pounds of foam and rigid polystyrene materials annually but we have the capacity to do so much more,′ notes PRI′s owner Alan Shaw. ′The residential recycling stream has been largely untapped by our competitors.′

For more information, visit: www.plastic-recycling.net