ORPET, a partnership between private investors headed by Dennis Denton and Tom Leaptrott and the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, a statewide industry cooperative and Oregon’s predominant administrator of the Bottle Bill.and the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC), the predominant administrator of Oregon’s Bottle Bill, has announced plans for a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle recycling facility near St. Helens, Ore. The plant will be operational in the second quarter of 2010, creating 50 local jobs, according to a press release from the company.
The facility will convert the PET bottles collected through Oregon’s Bottle Bill into raw material for manufacturing, construction and packaging. ORPET says it plans to market these products to a variety of Northwest companies, providing a local supply for regional businesses and eliminating the carbon footprint associated with the current practice of exporting PET bottles to foreign countries.
“This is a very exciting and innovative project that will immediately bring green, living wage jobs to the area,” says Tom Leaptrott, organizing group partner. “We have received great cooperation and support from everyone we have approached and look forward to opening the facility as soon as possible.”
Denton, organizing group partner of ORPET and founder of Denton Plastics, based in Portland, Ore., says, “Oregon’s innovative Bottle Bill and the public’s commitment to recycling can benefit both the environment and our region’s economy. Rather than ship these materials overseas, we can put them to work right here in the Northwest, with zero negative environmental impact.”
According to ORPET, its business model leverages a management team with more than 25 years of experience in recycling and materials management as well as OBRC’s expertise with Oregon’s Bottle Bill. Today, OBRC manages more than 95 percent of the recyclable containers collected through the Bottle Bill, which in 2009 was expanded to include PET water bottles. Collection of PET water bottles has increased significantly since their addition to the program, providing a consistent supply of bottles for the facility, ORPET reports.
“ORPET is positioned to play an integral role in Oregon’s recycling infrastructure,” says John Andersen, OBRC president. “This project magnifies the impact of the Bottle Bill by supporting the increase in PET bottle collections, while simultaneously stimulating our economy and reducing our carbon footprint. It’s a win for Oregon, and our environment.”
In planning and constructing the facility, ORPET says it will pursue the U.S. Green Building Council’s prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification. Plans for the facility include rainwater harvesting, rooftop solar panels, building materials containing recycled content and a variety of features to conserve energy.