agle Performance Plastics, Inc. has partnered with Convergen Energy to repurpose plastic waste into fuel pellets, marking a major shift in the company’s waste management strategy.

Starting August 2024, Eagle Performance Plastics began delivering waste to Convergen Energy, initiating a program that aims to divert approximately 80% of their waste from landfills. This translates to nearly 200 tons of waste annually being repurposed into fuel pellets and, ultimately, electricity.

The initiative addresses a long-standing challenge in the plastics industry: the disposal of mixed plastic shavings generated from machining customer parts. These shavings, comprising various plastic types, have traditionally been difficult to recycle due to their mixed composition.

“For years, we’ve been searching for a solution to manage our plastic shavings,” said a spokesperson for Eagle Performance Plastics. “Traditional recyclers won’t accept them due to the mixed materials, and as a manufacturer working with various plastic materials, sorting the shavings by type is impractical.”

The breakthrough came in 2023 when Eagle Performance Plastics connected with Convergen Energy through events hosted by the Green Bay Innovation Group (GBIG). Convergen Energy specializes in converting mixed waste into fuel pellets, utilizing uncontaminated paper materials and plastics that would otherwise end up in landfills.

These fuel pellets are incinerated in industrial boilers at high temperatures, employing advanced technologies like dry sorbent injection to ensure clean emissions that comply with EPA regulations. This process offers a more environmentally responsible solution compared to traditional waste disposal methods.

To implement this new waste stream initiative, Eagle Performance Plastics has installed a trash compactor on-site to compact plastic shavings for shipment to Convergen. They’ve also introduced a color-coded waste separation system to differentiate between Convergen-bound and landfill-bound waste.

While acknowledging the challenges and costs associated with this change, Eagle Performance Plastics views it as a crucial step in their commitment to environmental stewardship and community responsibility.