Waste Recycling Solution for HDPE

Denton Plastics in Portland, Oregon will be the second major recycler of plastics in the United States to invest in a wash line to recycle and process high density polyethylene (HDPE).

The investment, which includes grinding and washing equipment and a 40,000-square-foot building space, is expected to cost between four and five million dollars. The new infrastructure will allow Denton to handle bulky rigids such as crates, buckets, carts, baskets, lawn furniture, and toys. The launch is schedule for spring 2013 and will take 18 months to reach maximum operation.

Currently, the other large-scale HDPE wash line in the U.S. is at KW Plastics in Troy, Alabama which has the capacity to recycle between 10 and 12 million pounds of HDPE monthly.

Denton is in negotiations with material recovery facilities and grocery chains for sourcing a steady stream of HDPE containers. This opportunity presents a major cost savings for supermarkets who can now recycle their back-room containers instead of paying for waste disposal and landfill costs. It is estimated at over 354 millions pounds of HDPE materials are used annually at supermarket chains in bakery, seafood, and prepared food departments.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If your business uses HDPE plastics, now is the time to look into recycling opportunities. You’ll save money by switching from waste disposal to waste recycling!