Sonoco investment expands recycling capability
The unit of Sonoco has added three sorting screens for corrugated cardboard and paper sorting, an optical sorter to retrieve plastic, and a glass crusher that allows the collection of whole and broken glass bottles, jugs and jars.
The Columbia, South Carolina site now accepts composite cans used in products such as coffee or Pringles containers, plastics #1-7, including yogurt cups and margarine tubes, milk crates and whole and broken glass bottles, jugs and jars.
Ray Howard, general manager, Sonoco Recycling, said: "We use recycled materials in our products, which are then recycled by the consumer and come back to us for processing. With this upgrade, we're now able to recycle even more of the packaging produced by Sonoco, in addition to the other items we collect that aren't produced by us."
The facility is unable to accept tissue paper, waxed cardboard, plastic bags and films, containers that have held toxic substances, metal lids on glass or plastic items, glass cups or plates.
