Alsip Now Two Years Accident Free
The recycling industry is dangerous. There are hazards everywhere – tractor-trailers coming and going, forklifts darting about with containers and baled materials, stacked bales, compactors, “guillotine” roll cutters, and a host of other dangers.
Which makes our Alsip plant’s announcement even more amazing – this week the Chicago-area facility reached TWO YEARS without an OSHA-reportable injury!
“As a manager, working in this industry, it’s the fear you have every day – that one of your employees will be injured or worse,” said John Danker, General Manager of the Alsip plant, “especially when we’re running 24 hours a day.”
Our industry is the fifth most dangerous in America, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For a recycling plant to reach the two year accident-free milestone is an incredible achievement. So how does it happen?
“It’s all about keeping your plant organized and clean, and having a culture of safety,” Danker says. “If your plant is a disaster, it’s not safe. You could put anyone out there, and they’d have an accident sooner or later.”
“And our workers are seasoned. They’ve been in this industry for a while, they know their surroundings, they know the job, and they know what it takes to avoid injuries,” Danker pointed out. “That and a culture of safety at every level – it doesn’t take a manager walking the floor. Everyone watches out for safety – their own and others.”
What are the keys to a safe recycling plant?
- Safety checklists
- Paying attention to your surroundings
- Worker’s suggestions on safe operations
- A dedicated Safety Manager
- Lockout/tagout and other safety procedures
“Quincy Recycle is different than others in the industry. There are multiple people watching that you’re wearing glasses and vests, that trailers are locked out – it’s not just when someone from corporate is in town,” Danker said. “This is something every one of us takes seriously. We all want to go home safe.”
How does this culture of safety benefit our customers?
“Suppliers and buyers trust us with their materials when they know we’re running a safe operation,” Danker said. “It comes down to efficiencies and competence. A safe plant is one they want to work with.”
And at the end of the day that’s why we’re here. To solve waste stream problems for manufacturers – and then go home safely to our families.
Employee Spotlight: Josh Hall
Influence, Impact, and Accountability. That’s Josh Hall in a nutshell. Influence because he is persistent in finishing difficult jobs. Impact because he consistently performs at a high level. Accountability because he acknowledges when he doesn’t have the answer, & seeks to find it. When you ask Brian Lansing, GM of Quincy Exact Solutions, you can hear the excitement as he says, “I have challenged Josh for the last couple of months on a difficult production line build. It has been a project where if it could go wrong, it did. When it seemed like there was no end to the project insight, he would continue to push and seek solutions to the problems that arose. He has always been committed to his work and a person the rest of the QES team can rely on.”
When did you start with Quincy Recycle?
2020
What was your job title when you started?
Maintenance Technician
What is your current title?
Maintenance Technician
If you had to pick one, which Core Value is your favorite?
What was the most challenging thing to learn in your roles?
The most challenging thing to learn as a Tech is troubleshooting complex machinery issues, this involves identifying and diagnosing problems, understanding the root causes, and finding effective solutions to get the machinery back up and running quickly but can be very rewarding.
What was the most surprising or fun thing to learn?
I was surprised with the training and level of automation. Training in automation can be a lot fun.
What’s your favorite part about working at Quincy Recycle?
My favorite part about working at Quincy recycle is the large network of support we have from our surrounding plants.
What would you like prospective employees to know about Quincy Recycle?
Safety is a top priority at Quincy recycle, we have high level of teamwork and collaboration in a fast paced environment.
What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
I enjoy activities with my family, 3d printing and flying drones.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever read or received?
Never sacrifice quality for speed, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have both.
If you had to pick a song to portray the culture of Quincy Recycle, what would it be and why?
“Eye of the Tiger” because of the fast pace positive energy.
Your Partner in Recycling Commingled Plastic Loads
The waste and recycling industry is constantly evolving and innovating new ways to recycle materials. One area that has been gaining more attention in recent years is the handling of commingled plastic loads.
But what exactly are commingled plastic loads, and how can we properly recycle them?
In this blog post, we’ll answer those questions and explain how Quincy Recycle can help you properly dispose of your commingled plastic waste.
What is Commingled Plastic?
A commingled plastic load is when two or more types of plastic are mixed together in one bale. Bales can contain different types of plastic, such as HDPE, PET, PVC, or polypropylene.
Mixed plastic waste can be difficult to recycle because it is an unsorted bundle of different types of plastics, making it hard to separate and process. However, it is important to recycle commingled plastic waste as it keeps the material out of landfills and reduces our impact on the environment.
How Quincy Recycles Handles Commingled Plastic Loads
At Quincy Recycle, we accept commingled plastic loads that are within industry specs. Our state-of-the-art plant can handle hundreds of tons of commingled plastic waste every month and has the technology and processes in place to properly recycle them. We take these processes seriously. We are dedicated to sustainability and minimizing waste through proper recycling procedures.
Our recycling process begins with sorting the plastic into different types of plastics. Our trained staff oversees the process, ensuring that we get the best quality materials for recycling. Once the sorting process is complete, we then grind or shred the plastic into smaller pieces and prepare it for sale to manufacturers.
One key benefit of recycling commingled plastic loads through Quincy Recycle is that it allows customers to dispose of their waste in a cost-effective and efficient way.
Rather than having to sort through their waste themselves, customers can simply dispose of their commingled plastic loads and trust that we will handle the rest. We also offer pickup services to make the process even more convenient for our customers.
Our customers can make the process easier for us, too. While we offer top market value for loads, there are a few things that can cause loads to be downgraded. These include:
- Contaminated loads with too many plastic bags, paper, or mixed rigid plastics
- Contaminated loads with other prohibitives, like tin and aluminum cans
- Cherry-picked loads with valuable plastics removed, such as #2 HDPE
In short, the more “hands-on” we have to be to manually sort through the loads, the less valuable they will be. Commingled loads with solely post-consumer, #1 to #7 plastic containers will usually yield the most value.
Industries We Commonly Work With
A considerable number of industries produce commingled plastic loads that need recycling.
The food and beverage industry, for example, generates large amounts of commingled plastic waste from bottles and packaging materials. The retail industry produces excess plastic bags, product packaging, and storage materials. The beauty industry produces waste from packaging materials like shampoo and conditioner bottles and containers.
Quincy Recycle understands that large amounts of plastic waste are a problem. We offer recycling services that specifically target commingled plastic loads from various industries.
The End Goal
Quincy Recycle has extensive experience in recycling plastic waste. The recycling process can be complicated for commingled plastic, but we have the expertise, equipment, and resources to make it happen.
Companies that choose to work with us can rest assured that they are working with a partner who cares about the environment and can help them achieve their sustainability goals. By recycling commingled plastic loads, you help reduce landfill pollution, conserve resources, and minimize the impact on the environment.
We are committed to doing our best to help manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint. Reach out to us or call us today at 800.311.6097 to recycle your commingled plastic loads. Let’s help build a brighter future for our planet.
Employee Spotlight: Nathan Boyer
When it comes to being a team player, others may be as good but no one does it better than Nathan Boyer at Quincy Farm Products. According to Operations Manager Stephen Jones, “Nathan is everything great about QFP, an awesome family man and a really hard worker. He cares about all of our people deeply and wants to provide a safe and fun work environment. We are truly lucky to have him on our team.” Jones also added, “Nathan embodies ‘Be Courageous and Try It‘. He’s willing to try anything that makes the business better and is ok if it fails to pick the pieces up and try again. It’s easy to see why Nathan is such a valued member of our team.
When did you start with Quincy Recycle?
October 2016
What was your job title when you started?
Plant Manager
What is your current title?
Plant Manager
If you had to pick one, which Core Value is your favorite?
What was the most challenging thing to learn in your roles?
The different feed ingredients and their applications
What was the most surprising or fun thing to learn?
The business as a whole
What’s your favorite part about working at Quincy Recycle?
The passion our team has for the business
What would you like prospective employees to know about Quincy Recycle?
To know that our employees matter we take their safety and wellbeing very seriously
What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
Hunting Fishing and most important my grandson Bronson
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever read or received?
Are you a cow or a buffalo will you run from the storm or face it head on
If you had to pick a song to portray the culture of Quincy Recycle, what would it be and why?
House of Pain (Jump Around), just because its a fun song have fun with your job