How To Get Paid For Used Poly Twine

How To Get Paid For Used Poly Twine BALE HANDLING Terry Van Kampen is helping farmers who use synthetic twine make money while taking care of a pesky problem Instead of burning burying or hauling it to a landfill customers send it to him to reprocess     “Synthetic twine can be reprocessed and used in other products ” says Van Kampen I-90 Reprocessing “We pelletize more than 100 000 lbs of used twine per week A lot of it goes into car parts like the inside of bumpers and such ”     Van Kampen and a co-worker got started reprocessing twine for a former employer who made twine They proposed using reprocessed twine in the twine-making process     “We were making twine that was about 30 percent recycled poly from used twine ” recalls Van Kampen     When the company was sold Van Kampen purchased the equipment and set up his own company Today he has 12 employees and a 30 000-sq ft facility     For synthetic twine to be reprocessed it has to be kept separate from sisal twine netting and other materials including ag plastic What makes it valuable for reprocessing is that synthetic twine is a single type of polypropylene     “There are as many as 1 000 different types of polypropylene being used ” says Van Kampen “We go after just one kind - synthetic twine Plastic netting is a polyethylene We can’t use it ”     Once the twine arrives it is chopped up washed dried and pelletized If contaminated it has to be picked over If there is too much non-synthetic twine it is sent to the landfill     To retain its value Van Kampen suggests saving the twine as it is removed from the bale It should be set aside in a container or at least stored off the ground     I-90 is currently paying about 8¢ per lb or more depending on the distance hauled Most of the twine Van Kampen receives is gathered within 500 miles of his plant     “Most people bring it in by the semi load 40 000 lbs at a crack ” says Van Kampen “We want more We often run out of pellets because we can’t get enough twine ”     He notes that there are a hundred million pounds of twine used every year and only 5 to 10 percent of it is collected and reprocessed “There is a great opportunity for people to make money and help reduce waste ” says Van Kampen “We are looking for people to collect twine in their area and bring it to us We are always looking for a steady source of used twine Our goal is to do 5 to 6 million lbs per year ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup I-90 Reprocessing Inc 24104 755th Ave Albert Lea Minn 56007 ph 507-391 4063

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