Troy's plastic plant leads global impact
- Travis Johnson
- 11 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Since 1981, the world’s largest plastics recycling plant has been located in Troy, Alabama. Now, the results of KW Plastics’ recycling efforts are in households all around the world.
Most consumers have probably used products from brands like Estee Lauder, Sherwin Williams and Toyota that contain resin from recycled plastics produced from KW Plastics.
Dennis Pilton, a reporter with AL.com, said KW Plastics in Troy takes in millions of pounds of used plastic containers every year and turns them into resin. These tiny plastic pellets can be heated and molded into just about anything from toothbrushes and makeup applicators to heavy duty storage tubs and car parts.
The increased amount of plastic waste dispersed across landfills in the United States prompted owners Kenny Campbell and Wiley Sanders to establish change by opening KW Plastics.
Campbell and Sanders’ mission was to process used automotive battery casings into polypropylene (PP) resin. This eventually led to collaborations with labs in the coastal California region which assisted the growth and quality of the company.
According to KWPlastics.com, on-site labs were packed with state-of-the-art equipment and innovative technology that ensured their products survived the highest quality testing. Their owners knew that investing in great labs with the right people and the right equipment was necessary for sustaining a quality recycled plastic product.
KW Plastics has a detailed process depicting how resin is made. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polypropylene (PP) plastics are bought in bulk from across the country, sanitized with solvents, processed through a filtration system and turned into resin pellets that companies buy back to use in essential everyday products.
The recycling industry is known to have a polarizing effect on the public’s perceptions, often dividing opinions based on the gap between its stated goals and the tangible results it delivers in reducing waste.
Stephanie Baker, the director of advocacy at KW Plastics, expanded on the apprehension and hesitancy some may encounter when they hear about recycling and sustainability.
“We are also members of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), and after years of trying to combat bad and negative media, there’s a lot of misinformation that’s out there about, ‘is recycling actually real; does it really make a difference?’” Baker said.
“APR came up with this idea for the Recycling in Action campaign during the month of May.
“They encouraged people like us (KW Plastics) to open our doors to allow the public to come in for tours and pull back the curtain on recycling.”
Tour attendees will be able to see and experience the process of how something as small as a milk carton or yogurt container can be recycled and reused in various high-demand industries.
KW Plastics is located at 279 Pike County Lake Road with office hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Guests are welcome to tour the facility and see the recycling process up close while also being exposed to the technological innovations that plastic waste can provide.