CRDC turns plastic scrap into concrete additive at new Pennsylvania facility

CRDC Global, a Costa Rica-based building materials company, has announced the opening of its second state-of-the-art facility designed to process hard-to-recycle plastic waste into an aggregate called RESIN8 for use in the construction industry.

The new plant, located in York, Pennsylvania, offers a solution to challenges associated with plastic scrap by diverting unwanted industrial and household plastic away from the environment and landfills.

The facility marks CRDC Global’s first U.S.-based RESIN8 production operations, following the opening of a similar facility in Costa Rica in June. Located in San Jose, the original facility is capable of processing up to 90 tons of plastic scrap per day using a “proven and proprietary process” to produce RESIN8.

According to CRDC, RESIN8 is unique in that it can take any grade of plastic as raw material, without discernment or limitation on the type or quantity, to enhance the integrity of concrete or asphalt.

The global non-profit organization Alliance to End Plastic Waste has supported the scaling up of CRDC’s operations in Costa Rica and North America since 2021.

“The alliance believes that plastic [scrap] is a resource with value that can be unlocked with the right technologies and solutions. RESIN8 is one such example with the potential to be replicated globally,” says Jacob Duer, president and CEO of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, in a release announcing the opening of the Costa Rica facility. “We are proud to support CRDC Global to expand the technology globally. Together, we can contribute to enhancing the economic and social value of hard-to-recycle plastic ... and help to end it in the environment.”

Donald Thompson, chairman and founder of CRDC, adds, “We’re on a journey to deliver a scalable, regenerative and circular solution to end the world’s plastic waste problem once and for all. RESIN8 has a positive impact on both the plastics and the construction industries as a functional example of zero waste. We spent years on research and development to ensure we have a process that can be rapidly scaled.”

CRDC will be holding an open house and tour of the new facility Oct. 21. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Speakers including York Mayor Michael Helfrich, CRDC Chief Operating Officer Donald Thompson and CRDC Chief Operating Officer Ross Gibby will make remarks at the event.