PureCycle Technologies is setting out to rethink the way plastic is reused and recycled. Augusta is now a key factor in their mission.
The plastics recycler is commercializing a technology developed by Proctor & Gamble and embarking on a mission to cleanse plastic waste of all color and contaminants in order to create polypropylene pellets that can be reused in a variety of ways. Polypropylene is considered one of the safer plastics, according to WebMD. It is a soft, flexible plastic used to make food containers and other items. It is also used for medical purposes as well as for manufacturing items such as rugs for both indoor and outdoor uses.
“Under 1% of polypropylene in the world is recycled right now,” said Adrianna Sekula, chief of staff for PureCycle Technologies, or PCT. “On a global scale, we want to communicate that plastics aren’t necessarily a bad thing. We can use these plastics and make the process sustainable.”
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The recycling plant will be located off Mike Padgett Highway in the Augusta Corporate Park, where a Starbucks facility is already operating.
Selecting Augusta as the site of the $440 million investment involved a rigorous process.
“We’re very excited that Augusta came to the top of the list. We were targeting the Southeast as a prime location for us, and the factors that went into that process were wide-ranging,” Sekula said. “Some of those factors were environmental, engineering, supply chain, and the city and state’s economic development. This community is really dedicated to business. It’s ideal for our first cluster facility.”
A cluster facility is the term for the multi-pronged operation planned for the area. The initial agreement is for one processing facility in Augusta — and 80 jobs — but the overarching plans are to expand the operation as time goes on.
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“The plan is to expand into several buildings and processing lines on their 200-acre site over the course of the next few years,” said Cal Wray, president of the Augusta Economic Development Authority.
And PureCycle likely won’t be the last large-scale operation to select Augusta as a partner.
“PureCycle considered 60 sites in 12 states, and other operations are doing a similar process. Augusta is in the top three of multiple projects,” Wray said.
PCT is currently operating in and building out its first facility in Ironton, Ohio. It’s the research and development headquarters of PCT and also has a sort of mini-plant that can run their recycling process on a smaller scale. The plant side will be fully operational by the end of 2022.
In terms of transporting “feed stock,” or the discarded plastic products that PCT can process, it’s collected and transported to PCT sites by truck or train. There will be a rail spur built to the PCT facility in Augusta.
A wide variety of products can be used for feed stock. Lids, tops and bottle caps are common uses, as are textiles and packaging for detergents, toiletries or condiments.
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“A common example would be small tubs and lids, like a yogurt container. We break it down and cleanse it of all color and all contaminants,” Sekula said. “We can take discarded carpet, a makeup container… really anything that was made from polypropylene. We can cleanse it and make it again or make something totally new.”
Sekula said shovel should meet dirt on the Augusta facility before this year is out.
“Our permitting is on track. We’re looking toward beginning construction around Q4 of 2021 or Q1 of 2022,” said Sekula.
In terms of operating the facility, the PCT facilities aim to use less carbon than they create. They’ll power their plant through as many non-carbon means as possible, according to Wray.
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“Our company is built around improving our planet’s environmental footprint. It shows up in both simple and complex ways, whether that’s ensuring we dispose of all our own recyclable waste properly or designing super-efficient transportation systems to cut down on our use of fossil fuels,” said Dustin Olsen, chief manufacturing officer at PCT.
Cal Wray said PureCycle’s plan is to churn out one billion pounds of recycled polypropylene by 2025. Augustans are going to help them get there.
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com.
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