Advanced Trimwright Pioneers Unique PVC Recycling Program
East Taunton, MA - Advanced TrimWright (ATW), a leading, custom re-manufacturer of PVC exterior trim products for residential and commercial construction use, today announced the launch of a new, comprehensive, first-of-its-kind PVC recycling program.
The program is the creation of industry veteran Dan Andrade, founder and CEO of Advanced TrimWright (www.advancedtrimwright.com), who describes the program as a win-win for everyone. ATW is the leading re-manufacturer of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) trimboard, millwork and mouldings in the Northeast, and CEO Andrade created the recycling program to address a need in the industry.
According to the Philadelphia-based Clean Air Council (www.cleanair.org), over 7 billion pounds of PVC materials are thrown away each year; of that amount, only 18 million pounds (approximately ¼ of 1%) are recycled.
Andrade noted that, while they recycle PVC products at their facility and have for some time, his research did not show any significant PVC recycling efforts in the Northeast. "Often times, these products will end up in a landfill, and, similar to what you would expect from plastic, the components do not break down easily. To continue disposing without recycling will fill the landfills prematurely and does nothing to help re-use materials to create new products." He noted that there are a number of programs for recycling other materials, and thought that it was time for PVC to have a program of its own.
Under the program, ATW has created a signature recycling box, measuring 44" wide by 44" deep, capable of holding the equivalent of 52,000 16" water bottles. The company will provide these recycling boxes to each of their lumber yard distributors who are part of this program. In all, ATW distributes its PVC products to approximately 250 lumber yards throughout New England and the Northeast. "This makes the recycling very seamless for our distributors," said Andrade, who notes that ATW will drop off the containers, will add the lumber yard's logo to the box, and will return to pick up the containers when they are full and will swap them out for a new container.
The additional benefit to the lumber yard distributors, he notes, is that ATW is also prepared to provide additional containers for each lumber yard's largest contractor clients. "In essence, this is pickup and delivery for contractors and lumber yards," said Andrade, who anticipates that over 100 containers will be put into service by the end of 2012 and conceivably four or five times that many over the next few years.
All PVC material to be recycled will be picked up by ATW and transported to their East Taunton, MA facility, where Andrade has contracted with a recycler who will collect the material at the ATW facility and recycle it so that it can be used as new PVC product.
Andrade said that he will work with his lumber yard distributors to identify their key contractors, and additional boxes can be installed on particular job sites to further promote recycling.
In addition to the recycling advantages, Andrade sees opportunities for his lumber yard distributors. "For the lumber yards who serve as distributors for our PVC products, as well as the contractors who work on the projects, this is a great way to show their commitment to recycling, as well as being a billboard/advertisement for their companies. When a recycling box is at a job site for several months, or even in a lumber yard, it's great exposure for the company's name to be seen there day after day." He added, "We view it as free pickup and delivery as well as free advertising for the distributors."
The first ATW recycling boxes have been sent to a longtime distributor, Specialty Builders' Supply in Brewster (Cape Cod), MA. Owner Chris Dias has been a longtime supporter of recycling. ATW anticipates that the boxes will be in a number of outlets shortly.
SOURCE: Advanced TrimWright