Plastic
Recycling Facility To Open in Salinas
A facility that will create 500 green jobs and
recycle more than 100 million pounds of agricultural plastic, annually, will soon open
in Salinas.
Command
Packaging, a US manufacturer of reusable shopping and restaurant bags, will open
Encore Recycling, a 130,000 square foot, agricultural plastic recycling
facility, is scheduled to begin operations in October 2013. The facility will turn the plastic into
reusable bags called smarterbags™ for the California grocery market. Command
Packaging is the first US company to adopt and implement this successful
European recycling model.
In
2014, the company will employ over 100 full-time workers, with plans to grow to a
staff of nearly 500 full-time employees. The facility will have the ability to
recycle more than 100 million pounds of plastic per year.
The
agricultural community in the Salinas Valley has embraced Encore Recycling’s
vision of ‘recycling with a purpose’. Some of the largest multi-national and
recognizable names such as, Dole, Driscoll, Pacific Gold Farms, Ramco, Red
Blossom Strawberries, as well as many independent growers, are working with
Encore Recycling to ensure that their plastic is collected, washed and recycled.
“We
at Dole Berry Company are exited about participating in Encore Recycling’s
agricultural plastic recycling program. It offers us the unique opportunity to
avoid sending approximately 135 tons of agricultural plastic to the landfill,”
said Thomas Flewell of Dole Berry Company. “Instead, Encore Recycling will
process the material for a new use. We anticipate that participating in the
program will result in significant cost savings.”
“Until
now, we've struggled to find a recycler large enough to handle the discarded
farm plastic we use every year in the Salinas Valley,” Casey Bassetti with Red
Blossom strawberries said. “Encore's new state-of-the-art plant is just what we
need to help us find a sustainable solution and improve our environment.”
"Encore
Recycling is leading the way to help California create the standard for a
sustainable and closed-loop recycling system throughout the US,” Pete Grande,
CEO of Command Packaging and Encore Recycling said. “Implementing a sustainable
recycling model that works for the consumer, the grocery store, and the
environment, is a win-win for all. People love plastic. It’s part of our
everyday lives. Instead of trying to eliminate it, we need to create a
"Smarter" plastic, and Encore is doing that.”
Labels: Aviv Halimi, Casey Bassetti, Command Packaging, Dole, Driscoll, Encore Recycling, Pacific Gold Farms, Pete Grande, Ramco, Red Blossom Strawberries, Salinas Plastic Recycling, Thomas Flewell