There are a lot of things our company values when it comes to doing business, but being environmentally friendly is at the top of our priorities. Going green is a growing trend that’s proven to benefit more than just the environment. It has showed that the greener an industry is, the faster its employment growth becomes. In the US, Manufacturing has the lead when it comes to green jobs. With numerous ways for companies to make their manufacturing more eco-friendly, the opportunities for jobs in this area are also diverse.
Vantage Plastics made the decision to start operating at a more eco-friendly manner and opened Edge Materials Management in 2016. The focus of Edge is industrial recycling and managing the afterlife of recyclable plastic products. With excess material, scrap parts, damaged products and other recyclable material throughout the facility, Vantage Plastics knew Edge was the perfect opportunity to pursue and a way to positively impact the environment in which they were working. Recently, Vantage Plastics has implemented a guaranteed buy-back program for their clients. Stating that once a company has finished their use of our products, we will buy them back to recycle and be reused again. We know the importance of recycling and we are taking every step we can to improve the way our plant operates.
When products and material arrive at the Edge Materials Management facility, it is first analyzed and sorted by the type of material it is. It is put in an extrusion plastometer, where we do a melt test to determine the melt grade and the type of material it is. Edge currently works with multiple different types of materials. Once the material is tested and sorted accordingly, it is then put through a shredder. The shredder breaks the material in big chunks and starts the grinding process. After the shredder the material goes through the granulator, Edge currently has a 24 x 56 inch granulator that we use. After the material is grinded to the correct size it is then ready for the washing and drying phase. This cleans and dries the material so it is at the correct standards for production. The plastic regrind pellets are then sent to Vantage Plastics for use. We offer all of our clients the option to use our regrind pellets for production in the sheet when it is extruded. Using this recycled material not only helps with costs, but it also helps positively effect our environment.
Practicing sustainability within our company is something we are constantly finding ways to improve on and have made lots of progress over the years. We have joined the Great Lakes Bay Zero Waste Consortium to continue our efforts and collaborate with other businesses on their practices. We have began implementing recycling habits within our workforce and educating our employees on ways they can make a positive impact as well.
We highly encourage nearly any manufacturing company to go green in at least one way. Even if your company isn’t utilizing green practices right now, you may be able to help move them in this direction. Implementing green processes, such as using energy-saving devices, not only saves the environment, it also saves money. Sealing a plant against leaks, installing automatic lights, or reusing waste products are all financially beneficial. With the right changes, you can put a greener spin on any manufacturing firm.
