Recycling

Creating a Circular Economy for Plastics

The circular economy is an economic system based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products, especially as a means of continuing production while eliminating waste. Named one of the largest plastic recyclers in North America by U.S. Plastics News in 2024, ADS plays a vital role in creating a circular economy for plastics. In Fiscal 2024, ADS purchased 540 million pounds of recycled plastic for use in our products. ADS products are designed to last for decades, significantly extending the life of single use plastics. Not only does ADS create a solution for plastic waste, using recycled plastic reduces our carbon impact by over 70%.

One of North America’s largest plastics recyclers

2024 Highlights

33%

of the recycled pigmented HDPE bottles in the US were consumed by ADS

540 Million

pounds of recycled materials processed

54%

of pipe revenue derived from recycled products

61%

of recycled plastics consumed in our products are internally reprocessed

660 Million

pound reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions from the amount of recycled plastic we consumed, which amounts to taking 63,000 cars off the road

9 Recycling Facilities

operated across the country

Our Recycling Process

In Fiscal 2024, we consumed 33% of the recycled pigmented HDPE bottles in the United States.

These bottles as well as other plastics and recyclable materials are picked up through curbside recycling programs and taken to recycling centers.

At the recycling centers, materials are sorted and packed into bales. The bales are then taken to our recycling facilities.

We sort, shred and wash the material, turning it into clean plastic flakes. We test all plastic material for quality assurance.

Flake may be further pelletized and is then used in the manufacturing process.

ADS pipe products are installed in stormwater systems that are designed to last decades.

Making Progress to 1 Billion Pounds

ADS has set an ambitious target of utilizing 1 billion pounds of recycled materials annually by 2032. To propel progress towards this objective, we are significantly enhancing our recycling infrastructure. In Fiscal 2024, ADS approved $36 million across our recycling facilities, targeting various projects geared towards streamlining operations. These initiatives focus on transitioning to bulk handling for pellets, simplifying blending processes, and enhancing material quality – all pivotal steps towards realizing our billion-pound goal.

540 million pounds

1 billion pound goal

The Recycling Partnership

The ADS Foundation continued to be a funding partner to The Recycling Partnership in Fiscal 2024 to help advance polypropylene collection and recycling. The recycling process is complex and not all plastics are accepted for reprocessing despite the inherit value to companies like ADS. The Recycling Partnership is critical to increasing the amount of post-consumer recycled plastic available in the United States to help ADS achieve our long-term recycling goals.