First-ever U.S. Facility Transforms Unwanted Plastic Waste Into Concrete Additive
CRDC Global Opens RESIN8 Plant in York, PA
YORK, PA – October 21, 2022. CRDC Global, with support from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance), today announced the opening of a new factory capable of converting difficult-to-recycle plastic waste into an innovative new concrete additive called RESIN8™. The facility, the first in the US and the second of its kind in the world, uses a proven and propriety process to transform York’s unwanted plastic waste into RESIN8 at a rate of approximately one ton of plastic per hour.
City of York Mayor Michael Helfrich, speaking at the inauguration ceremony, welcomed the presence of CRDC Global to the local community: “We need the sort of innovation that CRDC brings, and we welcome any solution that makes our city more sustainable. I’m very proud of how our York community has embraced CRDC’s presence and has already started bringing their plastic waste directly to the factory. To facilitate the collection of this plastic waste, I’m pleased to announce that we’re establishing three sites for the collection of plastics in different areas of York.”
CRDC’s unique approach allows it to accept any type of plastic waste (resins 1-7) as raw material and transform it into RESIN8. Designed by and for the construction industry, the innovative building material has been extensively tested and shown to enhance the integrity of concrete and asphalt. As such, it creates a viable commercial solution for unwanted plastic waste, keeping it out of landfills and the environment.
The specific benefits of RESIN8 in concrete, such as improvements to insulation, strength, and fire resistance as well as reduction of weight, were highlighted by Donald Thomson, CEO of CRDC Global: “The greatest appeal of RESIN8 lies in its ability to provide both an environmental benefit and commercial benefit. So, while we’re helping to clean up plastic waste, we’re also providing a product that stands on its own in terms of its performance and commercial viability. RESIN8 has a positive impact on both the plastics and the construction industries as a functional example of zero waste. We spent years on research and development to ensure we have a process that can be rapidly scaled.”
The Alliance, a global non-profit organization with a mission to end plastic waste in the environment, has supported the scaling up of CRDC Global’s operations in the U.S. and Costa Rica since 2021. “The Alliance believes that plastic waste is a resource with value that can be unlocked with the right technologies and solutions. RESIN8™ is one such example with the potential to be replicated globally,” said Steve Sikra, Vice President and Head of the Americas at the Alliance. “From the time we began working with CRDC Global, they have made tremendous strides in improving their process and perfecting their new technology. We are proud to be journeying with them to scale up their technology around the world.”
Marc Forman, President of Georgia-Pacific Recycling, a partner of CRDC Global, remarked: “We are glad to see innovative solutions like RESIN8 move forward to help improve reuse of plastic waste and are happy to play a supporting role. At Georgia-Pacific, we actively engage in continuous improvement and exploration of innovative solutions that benefit society as part of our business strategy and success measures. Our partnership with CRDC Global to provide logistical support and plastic feedstock for their operations is a great example of how we do that.”
RESIN8 is suitable for numerous applications including concrete blocks and pavers, pre-cast concrete, ready-mix concrete, mortars, and even hot mix asphalt. The resultant material is up to 15% lighter or stronger depending on its usage, with up to 20% better insulation properties than traditional concrete. It has already been used by Habitat for Humanity to build social housing in Latin America.
