Problem explained
Leftover plastic and rejected parts are thrown away, though many jobs could mold them again.
How it works today
The plant molds plastic parts on 26 presses, machines that melt plastic and shoot it into a steel mold.
Each shot makes the parts and the leftover plastic that fed the mold.
That leftover plastic and any rejected parts go into a bin at the press, then into the dumpster.
Yet about half of the plastic runs on jobs whose customers allow regrind: plastic ground up and molded again.
What we saw and heard
- On our visit we saw these bins at presses in both aisles, and saw them tipped into the dumpster.
- We saw no grinder beside any press.
What it costs
- We estimate about 37,500 pounds per year could be molded again, about $56,300 of new plastic.
- After what the grinders cost to run, fixing this could save about $48,000 per year.
Illustrative sample. The plant, the walk and the footage are synthetic. Figures from our analysis are estimates made with AI, not guarantees.