Upcycling from Water Bottles to Protective Coatings
A New Approach with New Performance – Part I
By Gary Spilman, Rick Tabor, Adam Emerson, Matt Brown, Michael Christy, Resinate Materials Group, Inc.; Debora Hense, Stonebridge Coatings Laboratory, Inc.; and Mike Jackson, Specialty Coating Services, Inc.
Reuse of thermoplastic materials is neither a new concept nor a new practice, however, according to the EPA,1 the recycling rate for municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2012 had climbed to only 34.5% for household waste, which does not include industrial, hazardous or construction waste. This rate was a substantial improvement from 1980 when less than 10% of MSW generated was recycled. At the same time, disposal waste going to the landfills has decreased from 89% of the amount generated in 1980 to under 54% of the MSW in 2012. Clearly there has been some recent awakening to the general benefits and overall need for reduced waste.