March 25, 2017 – Paul Morden, The Observer – Owners of the former Entropex facility in Sarnia announced their plastics recycling company has been named ReVital Polymers Inc.
Partners Emmie Leung and Tony Moucachen purchased the assets of plastics recycler Entropex after the Sarnia business went into receivership last summer, putting 155 people out of work.
Leung is founder and CEO of Emterra Group and Moucachen is founder and president of Merlin Plastics Group.
They acquired the assets of Entropex, including its 180,000-square foot recycling facility on Lougar Street in Sarnia, and formed the plastic packaging recycling company, now named ReVital Polymers.
Along with the name, the partnership unveiled a company website, revitalpolymers.com.
Since the partnership took over the Entropex assets, “we’ve made significant investments to the equipment and technology in the plant,” said vice-president Paulina Leung.
“We’re doing installation and testing, and following that we’re going to be doing dry runs and the commissioning process.”
Approximately 75 per cent of the work needed to begin production has been completed, Leung said.
“Once we start production, we’re going to slowly ramp that up.”
Leung said decisions haven’t been made yet on how many workers will be needed, or when they will be hired.
“It also depends on the amount of customers we bring online, what are their product specifications, and how does our new equipment meet those needs,” she said.
“There’s going to be a period when we’re actively going to be doing adjustments, and improvements every day.”
The company is “not far off” from having all its new equipment installed and commissioned, she said.
“We’re getting pretty excited.”
Post-consumer and industrial plastics will be the raw material the company will process into resins, tailored to specific customers.
The plastic is expected to come from recycling programs around Ontario, Quebec and the U.S., and well as post-industrial sources, Leung said.
“We want to be recycling things that come from businesses, and also from residences.”
ReVital Polymers will be doing work at the Sarnia site that is similar to the previous operation, Leung said.
“What is different is what we do with that material,” she added.
“How efficient are we going to process it, the quality of our end product, and then expanding our customers who will buy this recycled resin.”
Merlin Plastics and Emterra Group are also business partners in a venture that processes and markets recyclable materials collected in British Columbia.
“It’s to recover recyclables at their end of life, and then convert it into something that has value, and that can be made into a new product,” Leung said about what ReVital Polymers will be doing in Sarnia.
“That plastic can be reused over and over again, and never goes to landfill.”
pmorden@postmedia.com
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