Command Packaging Encore Recycling Facility

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Name:

Command Packaging Encore Recycling Facility

Location:

Salinas, California, United States of America

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Encore, the recycling unit of Command Packaging, is constructing a new agricultural plastic waste recycling facility in Salinas Valley, California, US. The facility will begin operations in October 2013. The cooperative will initially invest about $8m in the facility. It will further invest $40m to expand the facility. The Salinas facility will create about 40 manufacturing jobs at the time of opening. It is expected to create about 100 and 200 additional jobs by 2014 and 2015 respectively.The facility will have an annual recycling capacity of 100 million pounds (45,000t) of agricultural plastic waste. Details of the Encore Recycling Facility at Salinas The new recycling facility at Salinas will cover an area of 130,000ft² (12,100m²). It will recycle agricultural plastic waste, such as irrigation drip tape, almond film plastic, high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic grape covers and greenhouse film plastic.The recycled materials will be used to manufacture reusable grocery shopping bags, branded as 'smarterbags'. The bags will be 2.25mm thick and can handle up to 22 pounds of weight.The facility will start manufacturing the reusable bags in 2014. The facility will be equipped with high tech machinery and equipment to process plastic waste material. The agricultural plastic waste will be properly sorted, shredded, washed and pelletised by using advance technology methods.The pellets will be sent to Command Packaging's manufacturing plant at Los Angeles, US. The plant will manufacture the Smarterbags from the pellets.The facility will implement a European closed-loop recycling system, which will recycle the agricultural plastic waste into reusable plastic bags. The bags, once disposed of, will be recycled again to form new plastic materials. Contractors involved with Command Packaging's facility Encore selected the Yolo County Landfill to collect agricultural irrigation tubes and plastic films for plastic recycling.The Yolo County Department of Planning & Public Works Integrated Waste Management Division partnered with Encore Farming Solutions to provide an environmental and economically sustainable way of recycling the plastic at the plant. Command Packaging, based in the US, is a manufacturer of reusable shopping and restaurant bags. Encore is a unit of Command Packaging, providing plastic manufacturing services for the last 24 years. It employs about 300 people. The co-operative also operates a 200,000ft² recycling and manufacturing facility in Vernon, California. The Encore™ post consumer recycled plastic bags are eco-friendly and biodegradable. The bags can be recycled, are non-toxic and easy to afford. More than 100 million pounds of agricultural plastic is currently being disposed of in Californian landfills. Encore Recycling will partner with a number of companies, such as Dole, Driscoll, Pacific Gold Farms, Ramco, Red Blossom Strawberries and independent California growers to collect, clean, wash and recycle the agricultural plastic waste. http://www.recyclingtoday.com/Article.aspx?article_id=144550 Project Name Command Packaging Encore Recycling Facility Location Salinas, California, United States of America Commence 2013 Completion -NA- Estimated Investment $8m USD Capacity -NA- Key Players Command Packaging