Teel Plastics Launches New Recycling Initiative

Teel Plastics, a manufacturer of custom extruded and injection molded plastic products, is partnering with waste management company Industrial Recycling Services (IRS) to increase the amount of waste that will be recycled from Teel’s two main manufacturing facilities. IRS’s capabilities will allow Teel to reduce the waste it sends to landfills by an estimated 100 tons annually.

In 2018, Teel renovated its grinding area to allow more materials to be reused internally. In addition, Teel reduces waste by sourcing corrugated packaging with a high percentage of recycled content and collaborating with several customers for returnable and reusable packaging. Partnering with IRS will allow Teel to take the next step in reducing its environmental impact.

Bill Chmelka, Teel’s senior manager of supply chain and procurement, initiated the partnership. He says the move will help Teel meet its goal of “being a good environmental partner to the community, being a good environmental partner to our customers, being a good environmental partner to our suppliers.”

For years, Teel had difficulty finding a firm willing to recycle scrap from its Hitchcock Street facility, which includes mixed plastics, metal and cardboard with various contaminates like adhesives and tape residue. Teel invited IRS to examine the scrap and assess their capability to recycle it. IRS determined it could do so as part of a larger partnership with Teel that included handling the waste from the Teel Court facility as well. Teel felt the opportunity the partnership created for recycling more of its waste made it the right move. For the Hitchcock Street facility specifically, IRS’s services will reduce trash to landfill by an estimated 90%, with a goal of taking the facility to zero manufacturing waste to landfill.