
As reported by Products Finishing Online in their article, “Reduced, Reused and Recycled Powder Coatings Are the Future,” powder coating—a popular finishing process—is gaining recognition for its environmental benefits. However, a significant portion of powder coatings still ends up as waste. Surplus Coatings, Innovakote, and Eagle Environmental are leading efforts to address this challenge through innovative recycling solutions.
Surplus Coatings, under the leadership of Dwayne Behrens, focuses on recycling powder coatings from manufacturing overruns, incorrect color formulations, and obsolete products. Collaborating with Brian Spicer and Matt Johnson, they launched Innovakote, a company dedicated to recycling 100% of waste powder coatings. This effort significantly reduces environmental impact by creating a closed-loop system where powder waste is transformed into usable powder products. Not only does this lower disposal costs, but it also cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions and raw material extraction.
One of the key challenges in this process is ensuring proper segregation of waste streams. Certain contaminants or mixed colors can complicate recycling efforts, but Innovakote advises customers to separate waste by color for accurate reformulation. Despite these challenges, the recycled powder coatings can often meet customer specifications at a lower cost, contributing to sustainability goals.
Eagle Environmental, led by Chris Sutton, takes a different approach by processing non-hazardous powder coatings into fuel for industrial furnaces or repurposing the materials for chemical spill absorbents. With a focus on smaller manufacturers, Eagle Environmental processes around 800,000 pounds of materials monthly, finding innovative ways to recycle powder coatings and prevent waste from reaching landfills.
The efforts by companies like Surplus Coatings, Innovakote, and Eagle Environmental demonstrate the growing potential for recycled powder coatings in reducing industrial waste. As the industry continues to develop sustainable practices, powder coating recycling could play a crucial role in minimizing environmental impact.
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Article with all rights reserved, courtesy of pfonline.com.