Pozzotive Happening in Beacon Falls!

State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria toured Beacon Falls’ newest manufacturer for a first-hand look at their new, state-of-the-art facility that turns glass bottles into “Pozzotive,” an environmentally friendly component used to make concrete.

The company, Urban Mining Northeast, which selected the Beacon Falls site after an extensive four-state regional search, built the first-of-its-kind plant that uses locally sourced waste glass to help create better performing and stronger concrete. According to the company, Pozzotive is a  “Ground Glass Pozzolan made from 100% recycled glass” that is safer for the environment and a better performing material that “dramatically reduces embodied CO2 emissions in concrete.” Cement and concrete are not the same; Concrete is made up of several aggregates bound by cement and “supplementary cementitious materials” like Pozzotive.

“The Naugatuck Valley has always been home to manufacturing innovation that has helped define our state and drive the country forward, and Pozzotive’s state-of-the-art recycling and manufacturing facility continues that trend well into the foreseeable future,” Rep. Klarides-Ditria said. “Pozzotive’s ability to reengineer building products that perform better as structural materials while also reducing the impact on our environment underscores the need for the state to continue to invest in programs that foster interest and continued education in both the sciences and manufacturing sectors.”

During the tour, Bill Stanley, v.p. for O&G Industries, explained the intricate and proprietary process that begins as a pile of broken glass bottles and after extensive cleaning and processing eventually becomes the finished Pozzolan substance.  He said to make one ton of concrete using traditional methods produces a ton of CO2 emissions, whereas substituting their product reduces that figure by 95%.  The concrete produced with their product also exceeds all state and federal chlorine resistance standards which is important in New England states that treat the roads during the winter months, he said.

Company Principal Patrick Grasso said cement is only about 10-15% of concrete’s mass yet contributes 80% to its CO2 footprint, noting that 12 million tons of post consumer glass is generated annually in the US.  Only one-third gets recycled, the other two-thirds goes into landfills. Being able to harvest 100% of post-consumer glass, even glass deemed unusable by bottle manufacturers, their process will have a dramatic impact on the environment, he said.

More information on the company and their innovative product can be found on their website.