Alliance and CRDC partner to scale up conversion of hard-to-recycle plastic waste into concrete additive
Partnership will establish a new plant in Pennsylvania and ramp up production in Costa Rica to serve a growing market for sustainable construction
Pennsylvania, United States, September 14, 2021 – Global non-profit organisation, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance), and the Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC Global) today announced a partnership to scale up a solution to convert hard-to-recycle plastic waste into a concrete additive for building and construction applications. Through the collaboration, CRDC will expand its footprint in North America with the development of a 14,000 square foot production plant in York, Pennsylvania. The company will also scale up its existing production plant in Costa Rica, from small-scale commercial production to a full-scale commercial capacity of 90 tons per day when fully operational by mid-2022.
Combined, the two facilities will be able to process up to 24,000 metric tons of plastic waste per year. They will accept all types of mixed plastic waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill or be incinerated—to produce concrete additive, RESIN8. It is suitable for numerous applications including concrete blocks and pavers, pre-cast concrete and poured-in-place concrete. 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 housing in Latin America.
“CRDC Global is proud to partner with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste to put circularity to work by scaling up the production of RESIN8, a product that has a positive impact on both the plastics and the construction industries,” said Donald Thomson, Chairman & Founder of CRDC Global. “RESIN8 was designed by and for the construction industry as a functional step towards net-zero. We spent years on research and development to ensure we have a process that can be rapidly scaled to help resolve the waste plastic dilemma.”
“The Alliance is on a mission to end plastic waste in the environment—which means finding viable solutions to advance a circular economy and ensuring their ability to scale for impact. Together with CRDC, we can help drive environmental, economic and social value for hard-to-recycle plastics,” said Jacob Duer, President and CEO of the Alliance. “We’re excited to deliver this solution to the North and Central American markets, with the aim of bringing this to a global audience.”
"We are glad to see innovative solutions like RESIN8 move forward to help improve reuse of plastic waste," said Marc Forman, President of Georgia-Pacific Recycling, a partner of CRDC. "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. In this respect, we welcome the opportunity to work with this unique effort to produce building materials from mixed, hard-to-recycle plastic waste, and we’re looking forward to helping CRDC scale this initiative in the U.S.”
About CRDC Global
CRDC Global is a disruptive building materials company that creates appreciating value from the world’s plastic waste. Founded in 2018, the company has rapidly scaled operations from Costa Rica to the USA, South Africa, UK, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Samoa. CRDC Global’s patented low-carbon process accepts any type of plastic waste and converts it into a range of climate-resilient concrete additives and eco-aggregates. Marketed and produced under the RESIN8tm name, these versatile construction products meet or exceed internationally accepted ASTM standards. CRDC Global works with leading waste management and construction industry companies around the world, and partners with international organizations Habitat for Humanity, the UNDP, and The Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
About the Alliance to End Plastic Waste
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance) is a global non-profit organisation with the mission to end plastic waste in the environment. We develop, deploy and scale solutions across four strategic areas—infrastructure, innovation, education and engagement and cleanup. As of June 2021, our portfolio comprises over 30 projects across 60 cities worldwide.
Tackling plastic waste is a complex challenge that requires collective action. Since 2019, we have convened a global network of industry leaders across the plastics value chain, together with government, civil society, entrepreneurs and communities, to work towards advancing a circular economy for plastic waste.
