The new Indianapolis Polymer Center builds on the success of the Las Vegas facility and further strengthens Republic Services’ vertically integrated plastics recycling operations. The plant is designed to process pre-sorted plastics collected by Republic Services to recover PET and Polyolefins (PO). It will provide high-quality, food-grade recycled plastics for reuse in the production of new bottles, jugs, and containers.
The new Polymer Center was inaugurated with an official ceremony that included remarks by Jon Vander Ark, Republic Services President and CEO; Tim Oudman, Republic Services Senior Vice President, Sustainability Innovation; and Chris Nie, Republic Services Area President, and attended by Willi Stadler, CEO of the STADLER Group; Mat Everhart, CEO of Stadler America LLC; and Jürgen Berger, Head of International Sales at STADLER Anlagenbau GmbH.
"This new facility represents another major step forward in our plans for a nationwide network to close the loop on plastics recycling and help customers achieve a true plastics circular economy," said Pete Keller, Republic Services Vice President, Recycling and Sustainability. "With the addition of a second Polymer Center, we are expanding our processing capacity to produce high-quality recycled resins, contributing to a more sustainable future for packaging in the U.S.”
“The new Indianapolis Polymer Center is a testament to STADLER’s commitment to innovation and excellence in the U.S. recycling industry, contributing to the development of a plastics circular economy,” stated Jürgen Berger. “We are proud of the trust that Republic Services has placed in our company and in our collaborative efforts to drive positive change in the PET and Polyolefins markets in this country,” added Willi Stadler.
A State-of-the-art recycling process to close the plastics circular economy loop
The Republic Services Polymer Center in Indianapolis incorporates a cutting-edge dual-line system designed by STADLER. Bales of mixed plastics are opened using STADLER’s WireX machine for fully automated wire removal. The materials are fed into the facility and processed separately on two dedicated lines: one for PET and one for mixed plastics, with capacities of 5.5 and 5 tons per hour, respectively.
The process on the PET line begins with mechanical separation and cleaning to remove ferrous particles. A STADLER STT2000 ballistic separator then sorts materials into rigid, flexible, and fines fractions, which undergo near-infrared (NIR) sorting to further separate caps, rings, and labels. The 3D fractions go on to be processed through STADLER’s Label Remover and Label Separation Hood. Clear PET, caps, and rings are directed to the washing line for granulation and cleaning for reuse, while color PET is compacted into bales.
