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Opinion: IRG recycling plant will be good for the planet – and Erie’s eastside

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Opinion: IRG recycling plant will be good for the planet – and Erie’s eastside

Andre Horton
 |  Your Turn

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Erie’s International Recycling Group recently secured a conditional loan commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to bring cutting-edge recycling technology currently used in Japan and Europe to the United States.

This is great news for my community and the region. I support the development of the IRG project. I spoke with DOE representatives last year to express the same. Right now, less than 10% of plastics are recycled in the United States, while in Europe and Japan the plastics recycling figure is over 40%.

‘Groundbreaking opportunity’

IRG’s technology offers a way to utilize the half of waste plastic that is hard to recycle to decarbonize steel production; replacing coal and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The steel industry accounts for 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, much of it in our region. In my view, this is a groundbreaking opportunity to turn what was once waste into a source of cleaner energy, reducing the environmental impact on one of our most essential industries in the region.

Faculty members from the polymer sciences department at Penn State Behrend have studied the project closely and found that sorting and recycling plastic at the IRG facility could save up to 2,570 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) per ton of mixed plastic waste. This is because recycled plastic reduces the need to produce new, virgin plastic made from drilled fossil fuels. Additionally, their new steel industry material can cut CO2 emissions from the iron production process by up to 67% when used as a substitute for coke in blast furnaces.

I learned, from doing my due diligence, that blast furnaces do not burn plastic. Instead, the material is volatilized in a non-oxygen environment at high temperatures, and this eliminates the possibility that carcinogenic agents can be produced or released into the atmosphere.

Widespread local support

Erie stands to gain a lot from this project, especially the eastside of Erie, where the recycling facility will be built. This is a chance to breathe new life into a neighborhood that has suffered from decades of disinvestment. IRG’s investment will create desperately needed manufacturing jobs at a union-equivalent wage. That is why, the local NAACP, the Great Lakes Building Trades Council, every single state and federal elected official representing Erie and Erie’s environmental justice organizations all fully support it.

Erie’s environmental justice community is smart and so are the residents who live on the eastside. So are the elected officials, Great Lakes construction trades and many other stakeholders. We do our homework and we don’t need or want people who are not from this community speaking for us, like we need their protection. The IRG project is not just about recycling plastics, it is also about creating opportunities.

A chance to transform the Hammermill site

The site where the facility will be constructed is the long-abandoned Hammermill Paper plant, which has stood as a symbol of decline for far too long. For over 22 years, that site has been a reminder of the lost jobs and lost opportunities. I believe this project is a chance to transform it into a hub of innovation, environmental stewardship, and community development.

The project includes plans for training programs in advanced careers like Mechantronics, offering pathways for local youth and underemployed adults to gain valuable skills and secure stable good-paying jobs.

IRG has actively engaged with our community, working to get kids involved in recycling through their NewBin effort for curbside recycling. NewBin instills a sense of environmental responsibility in our youth and fosters a culture of stewardship that we can all be proud of.

The emphasis on youth involvement has already sparked a sense of hope and pride in our community that we must continue to nurture. In my view, the IRG development positions our community at the forefront of green technology, while ensuring that our environment, both locally and regionally, benefits from a significant reduction in greenhouse gases.

Project is something to celebrate

The last time I checked, recycling was a good thing. We still teach our children to recycle in our schools. I don’t believe those opposed to this project propose alternatives or solutions. We should not allow others to cloud our judgment. They do not know us. They do not live among us. They do not understand our struggles and they should not, must not be allowed to dictate our future.

More: Government loan promise gives Erie’s International Recycling Group $182 million boost

IRG has found a way to recycle plastics that reduces waste to our landfills, creates jobs, avoids incineration, and cleans the air we breathe. We should be celebrating this achievement. This is our moment to stand strong and embrace a future that is greener, more prosperous, and more hopeful.

Andre Horton is a resident of Erie’s lower eastside and an Erie County Council member representing District 2.

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