Manufacturing with Recycled Materials

November 6, 2012

Ever wonder what happens to your recyclables? Many people don't realize the size and extent of the recycling marketplace. Some materials get shipped to other parts of the country or overseas to be processed further or incorporated into new products. However, much of what we divert for recycling in the Northeast stays right here in the Northeast. The New York Recycling Markets Database includes more than 230 facilities that use recovered materials to make products.

Recycling is indeed integral to our regional economy. Here are just a few examples:

Washington Mills Electro Minerals, Inc. in Niagara Falls, New York uses more than 24,000 pounds of recycled aluminum oxide each year to make new aluminum oxide products.

IceStone in Brooklyn, New York manufactures durable surfaces for countertops, bathroom vanities, conference tables, and wall and floor coverings using 100% recycled glass and concrete.

A-Turf, Inc. in Cheektowaga, New York builds athleticfieldsfor locations all over theU.S., using recycled rubber.

Andela Products, Ltd., Richfield Springs, New York, converts sorted and mixed glassbottles and cullet into sandblast media and landscaping/crafting material, diverting more than 1,000 tons of glass each month from the waste stream for use in these value-added applications.

GreenFiber in Hagaman, New York manufactures insulation, fire, and sound products from 85% recycled paper fiber.

FiberCel Packaging, LLC in Portville, New York manufactures a lightweight and cost-effective alternative to other packaging materials, using 100% recycled cardboard.

Manufacturers looking for recovered materials can find suppliers of the materials they need on this searchable, up-to-date and comprehensive database too. You can search for specific recyclables collected by Material Recovery Facilities or materials processors. The database includes seventeen primary material categories, ranging from batteries to wood. Each primary material type is further subdivided into secondary material categories to allow for refined searches. There are more than 150 secondary categories on the database.

End users as well as recycling service providers are encouraged to be listed on the Recycling Markets Database. There is no cost to be listed or to use the database. And, no matter what role you play in the recycling process, each listing includes material specifications that define exactly what the recycler or the end user is looking for.

The Database includes listings for recycling, reuse, and composting businesses and organizations from all around the Northeast and other parts of the country. The database is housed on the New York Empire State Development website. For more information contact Athena Lee Bradley, NERC's Projects Manager.