Dive Brief:
- Atlanta-based Recleim announced earlier this month it will acquire an appliance recycling facility in Philadelphia, extending the company's footprint up the East Coast, according to a press statement. The company has other locations in South Carolina and Maryland.
- Recleim's "demanufacturing" service focuses on capturing and processing "ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases that are found in the foam lining of expired appliances."
- Recleim notes that Philadelphia is already a hub for its customers, however acquiring a facility in the city will now allow the company to reduce its carbon footprint from transporting items.
Dive Insight:
According to the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), the EPA has regulations for properly recycling or disposing of refrigerants including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). While some veteran companies like Appliance Recycling Centers of America already have a grand reputation for U.S. appliance recycling, Recleim is making waves as the new kid on the block. The company, which launched in 2012, claims to have a proprietary, closed-loop recycling process that exceeds all EPA standards and minimizes environmental impact of greenhouse gases — perfect for targeting a newer generation of sustainability-focused customers.
While appliances containing refrigerants have been the focus of some discussions around extended producer responsibilities (EPR), and some states have actually implemented specialized EPR laws for those appliances, there is currently no federal law governing product stewardship in the U.S. Companies like Recleim are crucial for ensuring appliances and other hard-to-recycle items get disposed of properly, therefore these types of acquisitions are landmark developments for the future of materials management.