Goodwill Industries of Ontario Great Lakes and Rotogran International announce collaboration

Goodwill purchased a Rotogran size reduction system to advance plastics recycling in the region.

a Rotogran granulator
A Rotogran size reduction system purchased by Goodwill.
Photo courtesy of Rotogran
Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes (OGL), headquartered in London, Ontario, has announced a collaboration with Rotogran International, the Ontario-based size reduction equipment manufacturer for the plastics and recycling industries.  

Goodwill is striving to achieve zero waste, and certain rigid plastics like large Tupperware or toys have lacked a sustainable solution. “There wasn’t an aftermarket solution in place, so we needed to create one,” says John Quigley, circularity and sustainability specialist at Goodwill. 

The company turned to Rotogran International to build a custom granulator to meet Goodwill’s need to process inconsistent feedstock such products made using low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and more. 

“Rotogran put together a plan to custom-build a granulator based on our specific needs,” Quigley says. “The granulator is integral to this circular solution, which will repurpose these plastics, keeping them in use.”  

Goodwill preferred to partner with a local recycling machine manufacturer, which factored into its decision to work with Rotogran, known as the Ontario-based custom machine builder. However, Quigley says what also set Rotogran apart were the fantastic reviews of the company’s equipment as well as recommendations from other industry partners.  

Rotogran worked with Goodwill to put together a complete package: a granulator, feed conveyor and evacuation system. 

Quigley says Rotogran’s customer service has been second to none. “It’s incredibly personal with their eagerness to check in,” he says. “They are fantastic at communicating, troubleshooting and just in general follow up to see how things are going. They have an incredible response to help find solutions.”  

Given the immediate impact and potential to help address end-of-life plastic in other regions, Goodwill plans to replicate this initiative and is researching working with Rotogran and the business community across Ontario.  

“We’re proud to work with Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes, on their sustainability efforts,” says Mike Cyr, president of Rotogran. “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,” Cyr says. “That’s what we do.” 

Goodwill Industries OGL also partnered with GreenWell Plastics, a Canadian remanufacturer that is converting Goodwill’s granulated plastic into plastic lumber, outdoor furniture and more.  

“There is a lot of capacity to expand,” Quigley says. “We’re looking forward to seeing how this sustainability initiative continues to evolve and grow.”