Contact: Tracy Hartman/Aloft Group, Inc.
978.462.0002 Ext. 103
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2008
SPE Names Recipients of GPEC ® 2008 Achievement Awards
Awards recognizing environmental leadership and excellence will be
presented at March conference.
Brookfield, CT – The Plastics Environmental Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers
(SPE) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Global Plastics Environmental Conference
(GPEC®) 2008 Achievement Awards, recognizing “Sustainability and Recycling for a Greener
Environment.”
The conference takes place March 11-12 in Orlando, Florida, at the Florida Hotel & Convention
Center. The awards will be presented at a banquet on March 12.
Through these awards, SPE’s Plastics Environmental Division recognizes corporations and other
institutions that have demonstrated environmental leadership and excellence through significant
achievements in a variety of categories.
The recipients of the 2008 GPEC ® Awards:
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Interface, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia, for “Emerging Technologies in Materials, Processes
and Applications” – for developing technologies to separate and purify carpets,
particularly nylon 6,6 based carpets, recovery and purification of the nylon, making new
fibers and new carpets.
-
Nextek Limited & Waste and Resource Action Program (WRAP) of London, United
Kingdom, for “Plastic Recycling Technologies and Applications” – Nextek and WRAP
proved that post-consumer milk bottles could be safely recycled back into food-contactquality milk-bottle applications on a commercial scale, through use of the latest
developments in polymer decontamination.
-
Cascade Engineering Container Group of Grand Rapids, Michigan, for “New
Technologies in Process” – Cascade Engineering Container Group launched EcoCart™
large multilayer containers with high (30%-50%) post-consumer resin content. The
company developed and optimized the specific coinjection technology that enabled the
containers to provide superior performance, comparable to that of containers made from
virgin HDPE resin.
-continued-
-
Soliant LLC of Lancaster, South Carolina, for "Enabling Technologies in Processes and
Procedures" - for developing Soliant Fluorex® bright film, a sustainable, recyclable
alternative to chrome plating. It eliminates the use of plating chemicals and processes,
offers weight savings which improves fuel economy, can be used on many plastic
substrates and is 100% recyclable.
-
Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan, and Lear Corporation of Southfield,
Michigan, for “Plastic Materials From Renewable Sources and Applications” – for their
development, implementation, and commercialization in production vehicles of the first
polyurethane molded-foam seating utilizing polyols made from soy oil, a renewable raw
material.
-
TieTek, LLC of Houston, Texas, for “New Environmental Technologies in Conventional
Plastic Materials” – for developing a technology to produce high-performance and
environmentally attractive railroad ties based on low-end, recycled high-density
polyethylene. The product has proven effective in freight and passenger service and has
become commercially successful.
-
Tandus of Dalton, Georgia, for “Design for Sustainability” – Tandus designed and
commercialized C&A’s ethos™, a non-chlorinated, high -performance backing for
commercial carpet utilizing recovered polyvinyl butyral (PVB) bonding film obtained by
recycling of used automobile windshields.
-
Hewlett-Packard Company of Corvallis, Oregon, is the recipient of the “Dan
Eberhardt Environmental Stewardship Award” – Hewlett Packard has shown leadership
in closed-loop plastics recycling and improvement of the environment for more than a
decade. In particular, it has established an elegant system for recovering used ink
cartridges, and has been exemplary in involving other companies as partners in the
process.
Criteria
To be considered for the GPEC® 2008 Achievement Awards, an entry had to meet the following
criteria:
1. Must involve plastics.
2. Must contribute to environmental improvement.
3. Must have been commercially adopted or accepted in 2007.
4. Must promote leadership in environmental areas.
5. Contribution should be verifiable.
6. Should facilitate innovation, standards, regulations, etc.
7. Must demonstrate leadership in a specific area—technology, marketing, legislation,
education, community, etc.
8. Must demonstrate creativity and originality.
9. Must have significant impact, showing value for its intended purpose.
About SPE
The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) is the premier source of peer-reviewed technical
information for plastics professionals. Founded in 1942, SPE takes action every day to help
companies in the plastics industry succeed by spreading knowledge, strengthening skills, and
promoting plastics. Employing these vital strategies, SPE has helped the plastics industry thrive
for over 60 years. SPE has become the recognized medium of communication among scientists,
engineers, and technical personnel engaged in the development, conversion, and application of
plastics. For more information, please visit www.4spe.org.
###
2008 Environmental Award Winners
Emerging Technologies in Materials, Processes &
Applications
Interface, Inc.
Interface Leads Industry, Pioneers Post-Consumer Nylon 6,6 Recycling
Industry estimates say that five billion pounds of carpet end up in landfills
each year. The commercial carpet industry has long struggled to develop an
economically and technologically viable method to recycle Nylon 6,6 fiber, the
most widely used fiber in commercial manufacturing. Numerous approaches
to the problem have been attempted, but most were short lived. Meanwhile,
the carpet industry embraced the concept of sustainability and committed to
diverting both carpet and manufacturing waste from landfills. As such, a glut
of old, reclaimed carpet was being stockpiled in warehouses waiting for a
viable recycling solution to come along.
In 2007, Interface became the first carpet manufacturer to implement a
process and install machinery for recycling post-consumer Nylon 6,6 fiber. The
company estimates it can process more than 30 million pounds of carpet
annually through this first machine, and aims to install up to 20 machines
across the U.S. in the next five years. This new process completes a missing
piece in the carpet industry’s recycling process, creating the industry’s first
completely closed loop carpet recycling system – fiber into new carpet fiber,
and backing into new carpet backing. The first products containing postconsumer Nylon 6,6 were introduced in 2007.
Plastics Recycling Technologies and Applications
Nextek Limited & Waste and Resource Action
Program (WRAP)
Recycling of post consumer HDPE milk Bottles to Milk Bottles on a
commercial basis.
This project, (funded by the Waste and Resource Action Program
(WRAP) in the UK ) proved that post-consumer milk bottles could be
safely recycled back into food-contact quality milk bottle
applications on a commercial scale. The WRAP process technology
was developed at a commercial scale by Nextek Limited through the
application of the latest developments in polymer decontamination
from leading companies in this field from the EU and converted to
milk bottles at up to 50% recycled content by Nampak Plastics,
filled with milk by Dairy Crest and put on supermarket shelves by
Marks and Spencer after extensive testing by UK and EU testing
laboratories. The recycling technology addressed the fate of over 3
billion HDPE bottles representing a potential waste stream of 130,000 tonnes. The process has gained a letter of
non- objection from the US Food and Drug Administration as producing materials suitable for milk packaging.
2008 Environmental Award Winners
New Technologies in Processes
Cascade Engineering Container Group
The EcoCart™
In 2007, Cascade Engineering launched an eco-responsible solid waste
and recycling container under the brand EcoCart™. The EcoCart™ is
made with an injection molding process called co-injection, which allows
the layering of recycled material (post consumer resin) in between two
layers of virgin HDPE. The co-injection process enables a container to
be produced with a high recycled content, yet one that is as durable as
its virgin counterpart. A simple blend of PCR and virgin resin results in a
container with decreased long term performance and durability because
of inferior cold impact and flex modulus properties.
Co-Injection also enables us to take back post consumer resin at the
end of its useful life and co-inject it into residential solid waste and
recycling containers. We are therefore able to divert post consumer
resin from the landfill, lessen the amount of virgin material used and
reduce our carbon footprint.
The innovation of a product that uses 30-50% post consumer resin
content without impacting the finish or durability of the container is good
for the solid waste and recycling industry and also good for our environment. At Cascade Engineering we strive to
achieve sustainable innovation and we believe that the EcoCart™ is an excellent example of such an innovation.
Enabling Technologies in Processes & Procedures
Soliant LLC
Soliant Fluorex® Bright Film
Soliant Fluorex® bright film is a sustainable, recyclable alternative to chrome
plating. It eliminates the use of plating chemicals and processes, offers
weight savings which improves fuel economy, can be used on many plastic
substrates and is 100% recyclable. As new permits for chrome plating are
becoming more difficult to obtain, this technology is very timely. It is a
solution for manufacturers to provide the appealing, marketable look of
chrome on plastic components while being environmentally compliant and
responsible. Using Fluorex® bright film with plastics eliminates the use of
metal components resulting in lighter weight vehicles for better fuel
economy. Fluorex® bright film is used with a variety of plastics including
TPO, ABS, PC, PVC, and PC/ABS. It is used in thermoforming, injection
molding, insert injection molding, compression molding and extrusion
applications. Fluorex® bright film significantly reduces the amount of VOCs
generated as compared to chrome plating. This leads to a "greener"
environment as air quality is improved. Using Fluorex® bright film also uses
less energy and consumes less water. Fluorex® bright film is very durable
and is weather, chemical and chip resistant. There are numerous applications for bright film including automotive,
light truck, heavy truck, marine, consumer electronics, construction, apparel and home furnishings.
For more info about Soliant's Fluorex® bright film product see www.paintfilm.com
2008 Environmental Award Winners
Plastic Materials from Renewable Sources &
Applications
Ford Motor Company and Lear Corporation
Development and Implementation of Soy-based Foam on Mustang Seats
Ford Motor Company and Lear Corporation have implemented an industry
first use of functionalized soybean oil in the manufacture of flexible,
polyurethane foam for automotive seating. This project embodies our
corporate visions of utilizing sustainable technologies, reducing
environmental footprints and promoting "green" or bio-materials in
vehicles. Soy foam offers reduced carbon dioxide emissions, decreased
dependency on foreign oil, and increased utilization of renewable
commodities. Through technical innovations, this team has developed
new foam formulations to maximize the mechanical and processing
performance of soy-based foams to meet the stringent mechanical
requirements of automotive seating. We addressed key technical
challenges inherent to soy materials such as odor, fogging and green
strength. Our team has successfully scaled up the processing of soybased foams while maintaining key performance properties. After
completing numerous processing trials on seating applications, we
implemented soy-based foam on seat backs and seat cushions on the 2008 Ford Mustang. In this program, Ford
Motor Company now utilizes 110,000 pounds of soy oil annually in replacement of petroleum oil. Life cycle
analysis shows a net decrease of 5.5 pounds of carbon dioxide per pound of soy polyol used, resulting in a net
decrease of 605,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually for the Mustang program.
New Environmental Technologies in Conventional
Plastic Materials
TieTek, LLC.
Plastic Composite Railroad Crossties
TieTek has developed a plastic composite railroad tie that replaces
creosote-treated hardwood ties in heavy freight and transit track. The
TieTek™ tie is produced from recycled High Density Polyethylene
combined with reinforcing fillers and fibers to provide required
stiffness, compression strength, impact tolerance and fastener
holding power. This innovative polymer product has several beneficial
environmental impacts: uses 50 million pounds of recycled HDPE
annually; consumes rubber from 1 million recycled tires annually;
preserves 75,000 mature hardwood trees annually; avoids the need
for toxic wood preservatives; product is recyclable at end of useful life.
Continuous production requires technology in compounding, extrusion and molding, surface treatment and quality
assurance. The initial compounding step uses an intensive mixer to produce a homogeneous and very viscous fluid
from a combination of plastic pellets, flakes, ground parts, and densified film with a wide range of melt flows,
combined with rubber particles, fiber and minerals. The resultant compounded material is extruded into an
automated molding/cooling process where the ties are formed, cooled, extracted and quality assurance testing.
The TieTek™ composite tie is a product innovation that uses recycled plastic, plastics technology, plastics
equipment and the cooperation of many companies in our industry to make a real difference in creating a greener
environment.
Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc.
Promoting the Scientific and Engineering Knowledge of Plastics
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPE Plastics Environmental Division
800-798-1241
706-238-9101
-----------------------------
P.O. Box 441
Lindale, GA 30147
www.sperecycling.org
GPEC® 2008 AWARD WINNERS
Presented annually by the SPE Plastics Environmental Division
To be presented during the Global Plastics Environmental Conference, March 12, 2008 at the
awards dinner - Florida Hotel & Conference Center, Orlando, Florida
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN MATERIALS, PROCESSES AND APPLICATIONS
AWARD
Interface, Inc.
2859 Paces Ferry Road, Suite 2000
Atlanta, GA 30339
706/812-6147
Contact: Stuart Jones, Vice President of Research
[email protected]
PLASTICS RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS AWARD
Nextek Limited & Waste and Resource Action Program (WRAP)
25c Elgin Crescent Notting Hill
London, UK W11 2JD
+44 7904 528 187
Contacts: Edward Kosior
[email protected]
Paul Davidson
[email protected]
NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN PROCESSES
Cascade Engineering Container Group
4950 37th Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
616/254-4254
Contact: Samia Brown, Director of Marketing
[email protected]
ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES IN PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES
Soliant LLC
1872 Highway 9 Bypass
Lancaster, SC 29720
803/313-8337
Contact: Jeffrey J. Bailey, Vice President of Operations
[email protected]
Page Two – GPEC ® 2008 Award Winners
PLASTIC MATERIALS FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES AND APPLICATIONS
Ford Motor Company
Research & Innovation Center
Room 2215, MD 3182
2101 Village Road
Dearborn, MI 48124
313/317-7538
Contact: Dr. Cynthia Flanigan, Technical Specialist
[email protected]
Lear Corporation
21557 Telegraph Road
Southfield, MI 48033
248/447-1651
Contact: Contact: Andrea Puchalsky, Director of Corporate Communications
[email protected]
NEW ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES IN CONVENTIONAL PLASTIC MATERIALS
TieTek, LLC
2010 North Loop West, Suite 110
Houston, TX 77018
281/433-4854
Contact: Henry Sullivan, Founder
[email protected]
DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Tandus
311 Smith Industrial Blvd.
Dalton, GA 30721
706/259-2601
Contact: Dawn McAbee, Manager Public Relations
[email protected]
DAN EBERHARDT ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Hewlett-Packard Company
1000 NE Circle Boulevard
MS1022
Corvallis, OR 97330-4239
541/715-0319
Contact: Scott Canonico,
[email protected]
2008 Environmental Award Winners
Design for Sustainability
Tandus
Floor covering solutions and Ethos™
Tandus creates floor covering solutions that enhance spaces for
learning, working, healing, and living through inspired design, leadingedge technology, unprecedented achievement toward sustainability,
and an absolute commitment to continued leadership. Drawing upon
each brand’s individual strengths- Monterey, C&A and CrossleyTandus offers its customers single-source innovative product design
and technology, comprehensive services, and environmental
leadership. For more than 40 years, Tandus has been examining all
the ways to be a better corporate citizen and environmental steward —
and then taking actions that lead to demonstrable, meaningful, quantifiable results. Based in Dalton, GA, Tandus
can be found online at www.tandus.com.
C&A’s ethos™, is an evolutionary carpet backing. Ethos™ is a non-chlorinated, high-performance backing for
commercial carpet that provides all of the durability attributes of PVC. Moreover, Ethos™ is made from an
abundant waste source - the polyvinyl butyral (PVB) film that is recovered when automotive windshields are
recycled. Until now, there has been no commercial use for this material that accounts for millions of pounds of
landfill waste. Ethos™ represents an exciting alternative to PVC, EVA, polyurethane, and polyolefin carpet backings.
Tandus’ recycling program is NOT based on future expectations or future capabilities. Tandus not only can recycle
100% of the product today but can also recycle it back into new carpeting.
Dan Eberhardt Environmental Stewardship
Hewlett-Packard Company
Recovering used ink cartridges
Hewlett Packard, in partnership with key recycling suppliers,
Butler MacDonald and The Lavergne Group, has developed a
closed loop plastic recycling program, utilizing plastic material
retrieved from ink-jet cartridge Product Take Back (PTB) material
and manufacturing scrap, pooled with Recycled Bottle Resin
(RBR). These two base materials are combined with a
compounding additive package to create a material called
Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (RPET) that performs as a
drop-in replacement for virgin PET in the manufacture of Original
HP Inkjet cartridges. This closed loop recycling alliance provides
HP with the highest value use for returned cartridge plastic, and
facilitates environmental messaging. It is the culmination of a
multi-year effort, initiated in 2000, requiring innovation in: multiphase initial recycling processes; multi-phase contaminant
removal of the plastic output stream; resin formulation to
replicate virgin material performance and quality. After several
years of pilot sized efforts, HP expanded the program in 2007,
using more than five million pounds of recycled plastic in HP
inkjet cartridges. HP is forecasting usage greater than 10 million pounds in 2008. In November of 2007, HP
passed a manufacturing milestone, building the 200 millionth pen utilizing the RPET resin. With this program, HP
has again demonstrated that partnering with innovative suppliers, and seeking to find cost effective environmental
solutions can result in providing the customers with additional value, and reasons to choose HP.