Vinyl Sustainability Council adds metals recycling firm

The Washington-based Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), an organization that says it is dedicated to advancing sustainability in the vinyl industry, has announced the Imperial Group as its newest member.

Founded in 1962 and based in Chicago, Imperial is engaged in metals recycling and trading. Its Imperial Recycling business unit was listed as one of 10 companies in Illinois with specialized wire and cable recycling operations on the Recycling Today 2023 Wire Chopping Installations List.

Also included within the Imperial Group’s portfolio of seven companies are wire and cable processing firms Exeon Processors LLC of Jonesboro, Indiana, and Midwest Industrial Metals of Northlake, Illinois.

“We are proud to welcome the Imperial Group into the VSC,” says Jay Thomas, executive director of that organization. “Imperial Group’s expertise in recycling vinyl from wire and cable provides a much-needed capability to reduce the quantity of this material going to landfill. We look forward to Imperial bringing their unique skill set and perspective to our V-Cycle recycling task force.”

Metals recycling companies and equipment suppliers have for several decades invested in automated, high-volume systems to process scrap wire and cable, with the focus on preparing the copper and aluminum within for melt shops.

The exterior jackets and cladding of wire and cable, however, have proven more difficult to recycle, with the material viewed most often as a waste disposal issue rather than a high-value market.

Zach Spellman, president of the Imperial Group, indicates he sees opportunities in recycling the PVC his firm encounters. “We are excited to tap into this network of sustainable companies as we grow our PVC recycling operations,” he remarks. “We look forward to the educational and networking opportunities associated with the VSC.”

VSC says its membership has grown by eight companies or organizations in 2024, following the enlistment of 15 new members in 2023.

The organization was founded in 2016 in partnership with the Vinyl Institute and refers to itself as a collaborative platform for companies, organizations and other industry stakeholders to advance the U.S. vinyl industry’s contribution to sustainable development.

In addition to Imperial Recycling, Exeon and Midwest Industrial Metals, the Imperial Group’s other portfolio companies are Kormet Metals, a scrap processing firm in Skokie, Illinois, and metals producers Imperial Alloys, Imperial Aluminum and Imperial Zinc.