Non-profit social enterprise Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes (OGL) is partnering with Ontario-based size reduction machinery maker Rotogran International Inc. to help repurpose donated goods collected from local communities.So far this year, Goodwill Industries OGL has collected more than 69 million pounds of donated items, with just over 45 million pounds sold for reuse, and another 14 million pounds to recycling, repurposing approximately 86 per cent of all goods received. However, Goodwill is striving to achieve zero waste, and hard plastics – like toys or large Tupperware items – have traditionally lacked a sustainable solution. “There wasn’t an aftermarket solution in place, so we needed to create one,” said John Quigley, circularity and sustainability specialist at Goodwill Industries OGL.The organization turned to Rotogran, which is headquartered in Bolton – and which built a custom granulator to meet Goodwill’s need to process inconsistent feedstock such as LDPE, HDPE, and more.“Rotogran put together a plan to custom-build a granulator based on our specific needs,” Quigley said. “The granulator is integral to this circular solution which will repurpose these plastics, keeping them in use.” The Rotogran system is a complete package, Quigley continued: a granulator, feed conveyor, and evacuation system.“We’re proud to work with Goodwill Industries OGL on their sustainability efforts,” said Rotogran president Mike Cyr. “This is a game-changing initiative that will divert plastics from landfill and help contribute to the Circular Economy in an impactful and meaningful way right here in Ontario. At Rotogran, we do things differently, such as building and selling to the application.”Rotogran was founded in 1982 and manufactures grinders, granulators, custom conveyors, and scrap handling systems for the plastics and recycling industry.The Rotogran system is expected to divert more than 600,000 pounds of plastic per year that would have previously gone to landfill, Goodwill Industries OGL said.Goodwill Industries OGL also partnered with plastic lumber maker GreenWell Plastics, headquartered in Barrie, Ont., in a project that converts Goodwill’s granulated plastic into dynamic lumber, outdoor furniture, and more.“There’s a lot of capacity to expand,” Quigley said. “We’re looking forward to seeing how this sustainability initiative continues to evolve and grow.”Goodwill Industries OGL says it plans to replicate this initiative, and is researching working with Rotogran and the business community across Ontario. (ICE TORONTO)

Fonte notizia: https://www.canplastics.com/