Manufacturer adopts green processes and stewardship

By Barbara Ernster

Vinyl manufacturer Vintex Inc., Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada, has gone to great lengths to adopt green processes and green stewardship in its plant and recycle its vinyl products, while remaining competitive against cheaper offshore products. Several years ago Vintex developed a recycling operation that could shred vinyl-coated polyester edge trim scrap and extrude it into pellets suitable for injection molding. As a demonstration project, these pellets were used to make anti-fatigue, slip-resistant floor mats. The recycling technology has been sold to a separate company, which uses Vintex edge trim waste as a raw material. When scale-up development is complete, Vintex hopes to divert all of its edge trim waste to this process, and away from landfills.

Barbara Ernster is a freelance writer based in St. Paul, Minn.