Geosynthetics April/May 2022 - 21

directly into continuous filament, which
Kaytech lays down and needlepunches to
produce the finished geotextile. This not
only helps reduce the amount of waste
going into landfills, it creates a significant
number of income-generating opportunities
for the people involved with bottle
collection. Kaytech has extended its
efforts into professional enterprise and
transport/distribution development, as
well as social programs intended to provide
job and earning opportunities and to
support educational programs.
At Geofabrics Australasia Pty. Ltd.,
headquartered in Braeside, Australia, a
similar approach is used to divert PET
bottles from landfills and, more importantly,
from the stream of plastic contamination
in the environment, waterways
and oceans. In the January 2021
webinar, Dennis Grech, CEO and managing
director of Geofabrics Australasia,
reported that 11 million bottles were
used in geotextile manufacture in the
first 12-month period of the program.
Grech said, " Using waste plastic that was
otherwise destined for landfill[s] not only
reduces the cost of road repair and construction,
but also increases the strength
and durability of our roads. . . . Our mission
is to provide smarter infrastructure
solutions for our clients, and by using this
new technology[,] we can revolutionize
the way we look at recycled plastic. . . .
There is no doubt in my mind that there
is momentum building for Australian
manufacturers to increasingly use recycled
materials. . . . We must move from
a make, use, dispose model to a make,
use, reuse, repair, and recycle model "
(Figure 6).
A more common approach is used by
several geosynthetics companies related
to packaging. A less complex, first step
toward recycling is a take-back program
for packaging, overwraps, slings and
other materials supplied with the geosynthetic
materials for identification and
transport. In these cases, the manufacturing
company has much more control
over the packaging content of the materials.
This is supported by mandates from
engineering and general contractors to
not leave any waste materials associated
with geosynthetics on construction sites
for disposal.
Steve Thaxton, former geosynthetics
business leader at Owens Corning,
headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, spoke
about the company's efforts in this arena
during the January 2021 webinar. Owens
Corning operates a material take-back
program to recycle returned materials
into finished product.
" We can utilize that [returned feed
stream] in other products where it won't
hamper the performance of the materials,
especially temporary or disposable
type applications, " Thaxton said. This
is an important point, contrary to the
objection to the use of recycled materials
as detrimental to the performance of
geosynthetics as compared to " prime/
virgin " grades. Intelligent use, as less
critical components, and in less critical
www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com
21
FIGURE 6 Production of a geosynthetic
drain system made from recycled
materials. Photograph courtesy Geofabrics
Australasia Pty. Ltd.
http://www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com
Geosynthetics April/May 2022

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