What the industries think as waste that they find difficult to get rid of, Cosmos, a business, recycles them. The company is among the four businesses that are sharing the state grants funds.
The funds are given to develop markets for recycled products. Cosmos takes in what others think a waste to produce jobs and values.
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When it comes to getting rid of stuff which nobody wants and in a good way Donnie Hopp is the best man for this job.
That is the reason why, every week, you will find a semi-truck arriving at the Cosmos business to deliver 40,000 pounds of vinyl tape rolls. These end roles with a cardboard ring and a bit of vinyl tape which is not usable and is recycled off.
At the Hopp’s P.E.C.E Recycling LLC they separate the tape and cardboard rolls then shred it. The shredded vinyl is sent to a company in New York that makes strong vinyl hoses from it. The shredded pieces of cardboard are sent to the local farm for making livestock bedding from it.
The vinyl tape is stacked in polypropylene drums and is sent to the Cosmos, The workers and Hopp ensure that these are recycled too. The drums get recycled into granulated plastic for multiple use.
Thanks to the aid from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Hopp and his workers are more busier than ever.
Sharing the $400,000 grants, the P.E.C.E. Recycling LLC is one of the four businesses which gets recycling market grants in the state. The funds are given to companies for helping in innovative projects that help in increasing the market for recycled material and in creating jobs. This is what Laura Bishop, MPCA Commissioner, said to the reporters on Thursday in a conference call.
As per Bishop recycling contributes $15 billion in the economic activity of the state and also accounts for 36,000 indirect and direct jobs.
Thanks to the $91,165 grant and the various equipment that helps in getting the job done, Hopp anticipates creating 200 new jobs. It forms a part of $159,415 investment required for expanding operations.
P.E.C.E. employs individuals with special needs. They will be distributing the extra work in Southwest Minnesota to six locations. This would also provide employment to individuals with special needs.
This part which provides jobs to the people with special needs is very important for him, said Hopp.
Hopp is interested in the benefits which turn waste material into something which is valuable. Initially, the company which has been offering tape rolls to Cosmos has been incinerating them. Then they turned to Hopp for help. As the company’s owner will be able to make use of the material which is otherwise discarded. The vinyl siding is one of the materials he was able to recycle.
Now the company is expecting to get more semi trucks filled with end rolls of the vinyl tape. Recently, the company was contacted by an Ohio company who is interested in shipping their vinyl rolls to the company for recycling it.
All of the four recipients of the grants are located in Greater Minnesota. The MPCA has reported other recipients of the project are: Employment Enterprises Inc. which was awarded with a grant of $69,164. They convert glass to sandblast material.
Green Forest Recycling LLC was given $149,763 for the paper sorting system.
Northfield Curbside Compost Cooperative of Northfield was given $104,124 of the total amount to expand its production towards the organic waste collection, processing and availability.