IntegriCo Accepts Plastic That China Will Not

China once received 70 percent of plastic waste from around the world, but in January 2018, the country imposed a ban that drastically decreased the amount of imports it accepted. As more and more plastic materials become waste around the globe, IntegriCo is one company working to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the United States.

“IntegriCo is proud to have diverted over 80 million pounds of plastic away from landfills,” said Brian Gaughan, the company’s vice president of business development, in a statement. “This plastic has been turned into our composite products including IntegriTies railroad ties and construction matting through IntegriCo’s innovative technology.”

More than 34 million metric tons of plastics are sent to a landfill or incinerated in both the U.S. and Canada each year. Plastic with the resin identification Nos. of 1, polyethylene terephthalate (PET(E)), and 2, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), are demanded the most from manufacturers using recycled plastic. This includes plastic bottles and jugs. Plastics Nos. 3-7 are more challenging. IntegriCo said it will accept these types of plastics, along with mixed rigid plastic like buckets, laundry baskets and crates.

Additionally, IntegriCo said it utilizes a low-temperature process that preserves the properties of plastic, while releasing less fumes, and its final products last longer than alternatives, producing less waste over time.

“IntegriCo is just one company closing the loop to prevent plastic waste by turning recycling plastic into new material that is long lasting,” added Gaughan. “As cities struggle for recycling solutions, we aim to keep increasing production of composite material, so this plastic does not go into landfills, or worse, our oceans.”