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To the untrained eye, Republic Services’ new plastic recycling complex on Hanna Avenue looks a bit like an indoor jungle gym.
Experts, however, say the brightly colored walkways and stairs give employees access to a serious state-of-the-art technology with a unique feature: the ability to break down plastic water bottles and laundry detergent containers and turn them back into reusable plastic flakes. That differs from more typical recycling processes that “downcycle,” turning plastics into carpet, clothing or construction pipe—materials that have few options for further recycling.
The new $180 million complex, which celebrated its opening Tuesday, spans two buildings at 1002 W. Hanna Ave. One building, called the Polymer Center, is dedicated to plastic recycling. The other, called Blue Polymers, will be used for plastic manufacturing. The operation totaling 300,000 square feet can separate, grind down and sanitize plastic waste and then shape it into recyclable food-grade containers such as milk jugs or water bottles.
The facilities are designed to work together to produce more than 175 million pounds annually of recycled plastic products.
Republic Services owns and operates the complex. Blue Polymers is a joint venture between Republic and Ravago Holdings Americas, a Luxembourg-based polymer distributor. Republic opened its first facility of this kind in Las Vegas in late 2023. Two similar facilities are in the works: one in Buckeye, Arizona, scheduled to open later this year, and another planned for the northeastern U.S.
While the recycling facility is already operational, the Blue Polymers facility next door will begin churning out products in the next few months. The upgraded facilities are expected to create 125 permanent, highly-skilled jobs.
The opening of the facility comes as Indianapolis has re-upped the vision of universal curbside recycling, which is set to begin in 2028. Currently, only about 11% of Indianapolis residents subscribe to a private recycling service, giving Marion County the distinction of having one of the lowest recycling rates in the state.
However, it is unclear whether those additional materials will make it to this facility. Indianapolis has chosen WM (formerly Waste Management) as its go-to recycling processor through a bidding process. Still, WM will need to sell the recycled materials to vendors, which might include Republic.
The bulk of the recyclables the facility processes will be from Republic Service’s 75 recycling centers across the country, Republic Senior Vice President of Sustainability Innovation Tim Oudman said. If the materials from curbside recycling make it back to the facility, Oudman said that “completes the sustainability story.”
The facility can take materials from the curb and return them to a store shelf in as little as 120 days, Republic officials estimate.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management contributed a $2 million grant to the facility. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has committed up to $2 million in incentive-based tax credits and up to $100,000 in workforce-training grants to Republic Services, based on the company’s investment and job- creation plans.
The IEDC had also committed up to $4 million in Hoosier Business Investment tax credits, which are designed to help companies invest in smart manufacturing and new technologies, according to Republic Services.
Indianapolis development officials also granted the project about $10 million in tax credits last year.
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please tell me they can recycle plastic bags now?
Plastic bags are much harder to recycle, though some grocery stores do have recycling bins for plastic bags (Republic and Waste Management don’t accept them). The better option is to STOP USING THEM! Reusable bags work great! We have WAY too many plastic bags littering our communities, washing into the oceans, etc. Let’s all do our part to cut down on single-use plastic bags.
Can anybody confirm if Republic will accept glass in curbside pickup containers in Indianapolis?
Yes it will
Thank you, Lisa!
So, last week the City announces new trash and recycling vendors, not Republic. This week Republic opens a new high tech recycling facility with state and city incentives, all In Indianapolis, and they have no local recycling contracts. Pure logic, Indy style!
Republic well knew that the City’s waste contracts were all expiring (they in fact held City contracts), so they knew that they had to compete for new contracts and, therefore, they could be unsuccessful. Republic is a sophisticated global company so I’m sure weighed all of this when deciding to invest in Indy. So your snarky remark about Indy is misplaced.
Republic is the new sole recycling provider in Fishers
Two different businesses. This is a facility that will be fed by recyclable material from all around the country. Marion County would likely comprise only a small portion of the material. And, as the story points out, Waste Management will need to sell its material to someone, somewhere. They can sell it to Republic.
Republic has the recycling contract for Noblesville. I don’t know about other towns outside of Marion County.
And even if Republic had the contract for Marion County, that part of Republic would still be selling its material to the Republic division that operates the recycling facility. Separate businesses under the family name, but still have to account for the goods sold and purchased, and revenue flows.
It’s always appreciated when you respond to comments in a fair, very informative and mature manner. Well stated Tim!
And just a bit more, while trying to live up to Kevin P’s praise…
A CDL truck driver can drive up to 11 hours a day before stopping for a mandatory rest period. 11 hours of driving would get a driver who started near Minneapolis, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, BIrmingham, AL, Detroit, St. Louis, Columbus OH, and a lot of other towns and cities to Indy. There’s a reason Central Indiana and Indianapolis were known (during the days of trains) as the Crossroads of America. With the Interstate system, East to West and North to South are pretty easy, and readily get a truckload of about anything to Indy.
In all, good decision by Republic to site that plant here…
And who knows, maybe someday we’ll rebuild the rails, and then Indy becomes an even better decision.
Maybe if we ban plastic soda and water bottles (that’s most of what the recyclers are dealing with) then the micro plastics and waste goes away. Republic can switch from plastic to aluminum and glass which is much more lucrative to recycle.
And, soda from a plastic bottle really does not taste all that good.