end markets

Tony Moucachen, founder and President of Merlin Plastics Group, and Emmie Leung, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Emterra Group, have taken another step forward in the development of their plastics recycling company by naming the business ReVital Polymers Inc. and launching a new website, RevitalPolymers.com.

Leung and Moucachen formed a partnership last summer to purchase the assets of Entropex, a Sarnia-based recycling company that went into receivership in July 2016. The partners acquired the company’s recycling equipment and a 180,000-square-foot facility with the aim of developing a new business, which would recover both consumer and industrial plastics to process them into different types of resins.

Choosing the brand

The company chose the name ReVital Polymers because it signifies regeneration, which is a key theme in the transition to a more circular economy, said Paulina Leung, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Business Development.

“When we were developing the brand, we wanted a meaningful and current company name that embodied a sense of energy and action. As we went through the creative process, all of the words that kept coming to mind had the prefix ‘re’ in it – words like regenerate, restore and revitalize,” Leung said. “We agreed that we liked the word revitalize, and shortened it to ReVital to represent our company’s mission to recover and recycle plastics into products that can support growth in Ontario’s circular economy.”

The business objective

A core component of increasing waste diversion in Ontario is the creation of sustainable end-markets for recycled products, Leung said. “ReVital’s business model is to establish steady, local demand for recycled plastics that are generated right here in Ontario. We’re investing millions of dollars into our facility to increase its efficiency and produce high-quality, end-use products that remain in demand despite fluctuations in the global economy.”

ReVital Polymers is well-positioned for success given the record and experience of its founders, Leung said. “Both Emmie and Tony are serious entrepreneurs. They can see the potential of people, assets and locations when others can only see risk.”

The business record

The two partners have identified and seized opportunities to develop new business before, most notably in British Columbia with the launch of a joint-venture, Green by Nature EPR, which includes Merlin Group, Emterra Group and Cascades Recovery.

GBN receives, transfers, processes and markets printed paper and packaging (PPP) in B.C. under Recycle BC (previously known as Multi-Material BC). B.C. is the first jurisdiction in North America to have a full extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for PPP.

“Canada’s geography and population density makes recycling collection and processing much different than in Europe,” Leung said. “To be able to efficiently manage printed paper and packaging across such a wide region like B.C. is a real accomplishment and positions us well in Ontario to provide the same level of service.”

Leung said that the upgrades and improvements on ReVital Polymers’ facility are about 75% done, and the company should be ready to begin operations within the coming months.