A Canadian company with an innovative

solution to recycling difficult to recycle

materials

Waste is a serious issue in Canada

• Canadians dispose of over 25 million tonnes of waste every year.

• Recycling has helped, but the proportion of packaging and “difficult-to-recycle” (DTR) plastics is increasing.

• Less than 11 percent of all plastics are recycled in Canada.

• Over half of all waste comes from non-residential sources (industrial, institutional and commercial sources).

Only 19.5% of Plastics Were Recycled Worldwide in 2015

• 25.5% was incinerated & 55% was discarded

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782.full

Some materials are routinely recycled

• Aluminum cans• Newspapers• Paper and cardboard• Tin cans• Drink containers

Others are not or cannot be recycled

• Paper and styrofoam cups

• Plastic utensils and drinking straws

• Household plastics and textiles

• Soft plastics, bags, etc.

“In 2010, Canadians used

an estimated 1.5 billion

disposable coffee cups,

equivalent to more than

half a million trees.”

– CBC News*

* http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-tim-hortons-starbucks-coffee-cups-recycling-1.3278648

Plastic Waste Produced by Type Globally

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782

Calls for action

• On June 4, 2018, a coalition of 33 environmental organizations called on the Canadian government to develop policies to achieve “zero plastic waste” in Canada by 2025.

• The Canadian government is using its G7 presidency to promote an international “zero-plastics-waste” charter.

• The Canadian plastics industry has committed to making 100% of plastic packaging recyclable or recoverable by 2030.

• China’s new policy could displace as much as 111 million metric tons of plastic waste by 2030.

https://environmentaldefence.ca/plasticsdeclarationhttps://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/canadian-plastics-and-chemistry-industries-set-ambitious-targets-to-re-use-recycle-or-recover-100-of-plastics-packaging-by-2040-684460321.htmlhttps://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/06/china-plastic-recycling-ban-solutions-science-environment/

Amount of Plastics Sent to China by Country (2016)

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/6/eaat0131

Displaced Plastic Previously Sent to China May Reach as High as 111 Million Tonnes

by 2030

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/6/eaat0131

ReGen Composites has a solution today

• ReGen Composites has developed an innovative technology that is capable of accepting difficult-to-recycle materials (plastics, mixed materials, recycled wood and other fibres) and fusing them into a wide range of valuable composite products.

ReGen’s Manufacturing Process

Source MaterialSorting

Material Shredding and Granulating

PolyMass Fusion Technology (Patent

Pending)

Commercial Goods

ReGen’s Renewable Building Block

• Made from recycled plastics and waste wood

• As strong as concrete (compression, flexural) but 30% lighter

• High insulation value (R-17)• Moisture and mold resistant• Fire resistant• Earthquake resistive• Easily installed• Sequesters carbon (eligible for

international carbon offset credits)

Current testing at Red River College

• ReGen has undertaken repeated rounds of block testing with engineering and architectural teams at Red River College’s Building Envelop Technology Access Centre.

ReGen’s Renewable Pallet Products

• High-compressive strength when compared to traditional wood products.

• Will not crack or split (a common weakness with wood components).

• Will not absorb water/disintegrate (a common weakness with sawdust blocks).

• Possess fire resistant, mold resistant, and bug resistant properties.

• Provides consistent nail-hold properties, without low risk of block splitting.

What other products can be made?

• ReGen Composite’s technology is capable of replacing both concrete and lumber in a range of product categories:– Bricks, blocks, paving stones, parking curbs, deck

blocks, piles, footings, etc.

– Benches, fence posts, structural members, pallets, landscape ties, railway ties, deck boards, docks, piers, cribs, etc.

What plastics can be used?

PET HDPE PVC LDPE PP PS Other

• Water and pop bottles

• Fleece garments

• Carpets• Upholstery stuffing

• Milk jugs• Laundry detergent bottles

• Shampoo bottles

• Toys

• Oil containers

• Toys• Drain pipes• Hoses• Window and door frames

• Food wrap• Dry cleaner bags

• Bread bags

• Squeeze bottles

• Disposable diapers

• Plastic bottle tops

• Yogurt containers

• Straws

• Plastic cutlery

• Coffee cup lids

• Take-out containers

• Egg cartons

• Poly-carbonate bottles

• Bisphenol A

• Baby bottles & sippy cups

23% 27% <1% <1% 3% <1% <1%

* Indicates estimated rates of recycling for each type of plastic.

* Only certain types of polystyrene (#6) can be used in the production of ReGen composite materials.

What types of recycled fibre can be used?

• Construction, demolition and renovation waste wood

• Commercial, industrial, forestry waste wood• Paper fibres (paper cups, consumer

packaging)• Biomass and agricultural waste (e.g. straw,

hemp, switchgrass)• Carpet fibres, textiles and clothing• Fiberglass

What types of fibres can be used?

Current Projects• ReGen Composites is beginning to work with educational

institutions, sports arenas, and restaurants in order to turn their waste into products, such as benches, to show consumers in a highly visible way that their waste is being recycled and not going to landfill.

Thank you!If you have any further questions or inquiries please email: mgowdar@regencomposites.com