IntegriCo accepts plastic that China will not

Plastics Today | Clare Goldsberry

China’s ban on imported plastic waste has put many U.S. companies in a bind. Given that globally more than 90% of plastic becomes waste, finding an optimal way to get rid of it other than landfilling has been difficult. IntegriCo (Sarepta, LA), a manufacturer of composite railway products, is one company rising to the challenge to reduce the amount of waste plastics in the United States.

“IntegriCo is proud to have diverted over 80 million pounds of plastic away from landfills,” said Brian Gaughan, Vice President of Business Development. “This plastic has been turned into our composite products, including IntegriTies railroad ties and construction matting through IntegriCo’s innovative technology.”

Once recycling is collected from a consumer’s curbside, it is delivered to a material recovery facility (MRF). Items are sorted, baled, and then bought by both foreign and domestic companies to be turned into various materials. The bales vary in consistency, and plastic bales are sometimes contaminated or contain low-value plastics that can’t be sold. Instead, they are sent to landfills throughout the country, IntegriCo explained.