PPG Industries has installed a US$ 1.6M unit to recycle waste fiberglass at its plant in Hoogezand, Netherlands. The investment will enable the factory to recycle more than 90% of its waste fiberglass, enabling PPG to save on raw materials & avoid landfill costs. The facility recycles waste fiberglass through two melting furnaces at the manufacturing plant, according to Vicki Holt, PPG's senior vice president, glass & fiberglass. "PPG's investment in the recycling unit is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to the environment", Holt said. "The investment also reflects PPG's commitment to the fiberglass business. The recycling unit will enable us to reduce costs & strengthen our competitiveness in the global fiberglass industry". "The recycling system will lead to a significant reduction in our use of raw materials, which will preserve natural resources and reduce our transport costs. And it will help decrease the amount of waste disposed at landfills". The waste recycling unit is a prototype system for use at other PPG fiberglass plants around the world, Holt said. The Hoogezand plant is also a PPG fiberglass research and development center for thermoplastic fiberglass products and processes. PPG is one of the world's largest manufacturers of continuous-strand fiberglass, with 12 manufacturing facilities worldwide focused primarily on the electronics, thermoplastics, thermosets and general industrial markets.
