EcoGlobal - creating value from waste plastics
EcoGlobal, LLC is focused on the strategic and sustainable expansion of Compression Upcycling Technology™ into the United States and Canada. The manufacturing process directly converts problematic, post-consumer, landfill-bound plastic film and flexible packaging into value-added, multi-life products and applications. Dramatically extending the life of former single use plastics, and offering cost, performance, carbon and environmental benefits over concrete, asphalt, and wood.
EcoGlobal Middlebury
While Vermont might not come to mind as an obvious location for repurposing post consumer plastics, we know and respect its people, culture, values and environmental reputation. As a rail-centered company, Vermont’s rail infrastructure provides ready access to U.S. and Canadian markets.
As part of our due diligence process in 2013 and early 2014, support and interest from a variety of State officials, business and community leaders solidified our desire to headquarter in Vermont, and focus on production expansion elsewhere. After considering a dozen communities with rail access, Vermont Rail System encouraged us to consider Middlebury in the spring of 2014. They recognized that rail-accessible parcels owned by the College could provide sufficient space for the sizable rail infrastructure required to support our movement, storage, and rail-serviced production and sales needs.
And thanks to an existing economic development partnership between the Town and the College, we received critical early support for feasibility planning, product development, in-market research and our commercialization strategy. We continued our journey across the global ecosystem of single use plastics for several years. Ongoing encouragement from the Town and College crystallized our understanding of how Middlebury could support and advance our objective to create a flagship center for demonstration and education.
The design for EcoGlobal Middlebury is a four-line facility with co-located headquarters and conference center, and surrounded by housing, daycare, and other infrastructure needed to support and sustain our workforce needs. Varied utilization of the four lines enables us to model and demonstrate the scalability and diversity of production outcomes to support and speed expansion to other U.S. and Canadian locations. Providing municipal, corporate, military and other visitors to EcoGlobal Middlebury, an opportunity to learn about the process, our material, and ESM methodology (Environmental Stewardship of Material™).
Providing a variety of feedstock conversion examples speeds our ability to work with partners on production planning for other regions of the U.S. and Canada. The four production lines provide diverse revenue streams, including commercial products, contract production, sponsored research, carbon offsets and plastic credits. And the value of our revenue streams is strengthened and magnified by the sustainability infrastructure and impact outcomes surrounding the manufacturing process. A rail-accessible factory, education center and related campus infrastructure offers an integrated, carbon-centric approach for product diversification and geographic market development.
Subject to receiving support from the College, Town, Community and State, an overview of our goals for EcoGlobal Middlebury:
EcoGlobal Middlebury Overview – one page pdf
EcoGlobal Middlebury Site Video - aerial overview (-4 minutes)
EcoGlobal Middlebury Site Map - one page pdf
USDA Feasibility Report and Market Analysis
Company Overview
Michael Kountze ‘82, describes the business and mission: EcoGlobal Company Overview - (4+ minutes video)
Host Tabitha Jayne interviews Caleb Rick ‘82, CEO about the plastics ecosystem: Sustainability Podcast - Finding New Uses for Plastic Waste - (1 hour+ audio interview)
Opened spring 2021, the 3rd generation production facility has an annual capacity to repurpose 66+ million pounds of plastic film and flexible packaging. Manufacturing process - (1+ minute video)
Ekopolimer Material and Product Examples
Overview of our material: Ekopolimer is a game changer - (4+ minutes video)
Ground protection mat product made from landfill bound agricultural film: Ekomats: Many uses, Save time + money - (1+ minute video) Ekomats: Performance, Specs, and Adaptation - (1+ minute video)
Adaptation to improve recreational access and lower costs: Parsons Marsh Trail - Lenox, MA - (7+ minutes) video
Field results from use as target backing: Ballistics testing on piece of Ekomats - (-1 minute video)
Winter test as temporary walkway: Ekomat: Walkway use - (2+ minutes video)
Coupled mats for boom trucks: Ekotrax Testing - (3 minutes video)
Additional Background
Our team views the technology through the framework of circular economy, carbon-centric, multi-life, market competitive uses and applications.
EcoGlobal Company overview - (two page pdf)
Industry experts who informed our plastics journey - (one page pdf)
Description of process and plastic waste we can repurpose - (one page pdf)
Our competitive advantage over other choices - (one page pdf)