ERT signs licensing deal in United States

U.K.-based Environmental Recycling Technologies plc, which owns the patent rights to the Powder Impression Molding (PIM) process, has granted a nonexclusive license to Earth Enterprises Inc., Johnstown, Colorado, to market the product in the United States. The PIM process converts mixed waste plastics into what ERT says are commercially viable products.

Under terms of the license, Earth Enterprises, which operates as Waste-Not Recycling, will manufacture and sell flat sheet products in the United States. As part of the license, Earth Enterprises will pay ERT a license and knowledge transfer fee of $150,000. Additionally, Earth Enterprises will pay ERT an annual royalty based on the volume of products it sells in the United States.

The initial scale of Earth Enterprises’ PIM production plant will be 40,000 units per year with a built-in capacity that can be expanded as sales increase.

To help in the construction of the Colorado facility Earth Enterprises has secured a $933,000 grant from the state of Colorado to invest in machinery needed for the PIM process.

Commenting on the awarding of the license to Waste-Not Recycling, Lee Clayton, ERT’s managing director, says, “This is another positive step in the roll-out of our flat sheet capability in North America where our existing licensee is focused on engineered product for specific industrial applications. Earth Enterprises is known for its focus on new manufacturing opportunities for materials that are normally viewed as being unrecyclable. It is therefore fitting and we are very pleased that they should choose to license our proven PIM technology, which can convert mixed waste plastics into commercial product.”

Anita Comer, president and Todd Loose, vice president of Waste-Not Recycling, say, “We are very excited to partner with ERT to bring the PIM technology to the United States where we will turn scrap plastics into a variety of products. We strive to use innovative technologies to improve material value for our clients as well as increase the types and volumes of waste that we can recycle.”