Pioneering facility one of the largest plastic recycling centers in the Northeast
Lancaster, Pennsylvania – (September 30, 2020) – Graham Packaging, an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Graham Recycling Company (GRC). The facility opened September 26, 1990, running only one line and one shift. It now operates three lines with three round-the-clock shifts.
“When the GRC began operations 30 years ago, Graham Packaging was well ahead of the industry regarding recycling best practices,” said Mike King, CEO, Graham Packaging. “Today, the company continues its innovative trajectory with investments that will further support and expand the capabilities of our recycling company.”
The benefits of having an in-house recycling plant are twofold. Not only has it helped Graham become one of the largest suppliers of bottle-grade recycled plastic containers in North America, but it’s also enabled the company to become more sustainable. By diverting plastic from landfills, the recycling facility helps save energy and natural resources, as well as substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2019, the GRC processed 41.1 million pounds of post-consumer material, all of which Graham uses to manufacture automotive and homecare products for Graham’s customers. The GRC creates about 167,000 pounds of finished product a day.
The process at the GRC starts with recycled material being brought to the plant. The bales are run through a sorting line to check for quality and any contamination, like PET bottles, tin cans, corrugate and more. The bottles are then washed and ground down before entering a float tank, which helps ensure only HDPE is captured since it floats to the top. The rHDPE grind is processed and finalized before eventually getting packaged into boxes or bulk trucks and shipped to Graham plants all over the country that manufacture HDPE bottles.
The plant is also extremely important to Graham’s mission to create a circular economy. Today, Graham is focused on expanding its sustainability efforts. Over the past 24 months, the company began securing ocean-bound plastics to be recycled at the GRC. It is also working to attain certification from the Association of Plastic Recyclers to validate and trace the origins of material it collects for recycling.
For more information on Graham Packaging’s sustainability efforts, visit https://www.grahampackaging.com/GRC.
About Graham Packaging
Graham Packaging is an industry-leading solutions provider for sustainable packaging and a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of technology-based, customized blow-molded plastic containers for a variety of branded markets, including food and beverage, household and automotive lubricants. Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with its flagship manufacturing facility in nearby York, Pennsylvania, Graham Packaging produces more than 16 billion container units annually at almost 70 plants in North America, Asia, Europe and South America. In 2011, Graham Packaging was acquired by Reynolds Group Holdings, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of consumer food and beverage packaging and storage products. For additional information on Graham Packaging, please visit https://www.grahampackaging.com/.
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