Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has announced that Placon Corp., a plastics recycling company in Fitchburg, Wis., will receive $250,000 in tax credits from the state’s Economic Development Tax Credit Program from the Department of Commerce to construct and equip a new recycling facility in Dane County, Wis.
“Our commitment to the environment and recycling not only conserves resources, but is good for our local community, too,” says Dan Mohs, Placon’s CEO. “Placon is dedicated to bringing new plastics technology providing local green jobs, as well as streamlining production to create high-quality packaging with the smallest possible carbon footprint.”
Placon’s facility will be a closed-loop recycling facility that will grind and wash post-consumer bottles and thermoforms. The material will then be recycled into EcoStar sheet products.
“Our EcoStar sheet now requires less total energy to produce and will further help our customers meet their sustainability goals. We’re excited to bring bottle cleaning and sheet production together in a continuous process loop. Our customers expect consistent, high-quality packaging with the smallest possible carbon footprint. Our factory design will streamline operations while delivering the recycled sheet products the market requires,” Mohs adds.
While Placon has extruded sheet for internal use for 20 years, this marks the first time it will sell their EcoStar branded sheet on the open market. “Over the last ten years we have developed a number of unique polyester based sheet products to address the challenges our customers faced with recycled materials. Our customers have requested that we not only support them with thermoforms but also plastic sheet in order to fulfill their changing production requirements.”
In addition to EcoStar post-consumer recycled PET, the facility will produce LNO (letter of non-object) flake allowing food contact with recycled material. Placon has also commercialized an RF sealable R-PET grade of material (EcoStar HS 1000) to address customers’ bar sealing requirements for PET. With only minor process adjustments, this material is a direct replacement for PVC sealing applications.
The recycling facility will be completed in two phases. In phase one, Placon will be adding an additional extruder for its EcoStar rollstock. This will be completed in the third quarter of 2010. Phase two will be the addition of the bottle washing equipment, which is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2011 with plans for additional extruders to follow.
Placon’s expansion project will include constructing and equipping a new recycling facility. Total project cost is $8 million.
Placon designs, manufactures and markets plastic containers for food, retail and medical products.