West Atlanta Industrial By-Product Recovery Network – A Demonstration Project

P2AD is conducting a demonstration project in the West Atlanta area to establish an industrial by-products recycling network. The project is centered around the heavily industrialized Bolton Road and Fulton Industrial Boulevard area. Initial efforts involved surveying major industries to determine waste streams being generated, current recycling efforts, and raw material (feedstock) needs. After the survey information is compiled, P2AD will identify potential matches between industries that have waste streams that may serve as feedstocks for other industries. These companies will be contacted to determine their interest in making the match. Additionally, assistance will be provided to form collaborative arrangements between businesses to combine their waste streams. The greater volumes of industrial by-products may provide an incentive for secondary material processors to relocate to the area.

Information on existing recyclers will also be compiled to assist companies who recycle common waste streams such as cardboard and wood waste. For the more difficult to manage industrial by-products, recycling market voids and market expansion opportunities will be identified. New secondary material processors and end-users will be actively recruited to fill identified recycling market needs.

This project is being funded by a Jobs Through Recycling (JTR) grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The objective of EPA’s JTR program is to create economic and employment opportunities for businesses involved in by-product recovery. Other organizations participating in the demonstration project include: the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Georgia Tech’s Economic Development Institute, and the University of Georgia’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.