Paktech to Pavement
WE ARE COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY IN THE BREWING INDUSTRY
PakTech To Pavement Recycling
All Thorn Brewing locations now collect 4-pack and 6-pack PakTech toppers! Bring in your used can toppers and we will send them directly to a processor where they will be recycled into asphalt that’s better for the environment and less expensive than traditional asphalt.
This initiative was started because of our participation in the founding and continued growth of the San Diego Brewcycling Cooperative. The SDBC is a group of like-minded beverage makers in San Diego interested in finding new and more efficient ways to improve sustainability within the San Diego brewing community. For more info on SDBC or to connect with a member about joining the cause, email sdbrewcycling@gmail.com. You can also learn more by checking out their linktr.ee here.
LIST OF LOCATIONS THAT ACCEPT PAKTECH TOPPERS ALONG WITH THORN:
Jimbo’s Natrually (4 locations)
The Brewer’s Tap Room (Encinitas)
Rincon Reservation Road Brewery
Here is some more information on the program:
Q – Will we take only Thorn stickered PakTechs or all PakTechs?
A – All PakTechs! If you’ve got them, we want them no matter where you bought the beverages from.
Q – Will we take other types of #2hdpe plastic?
A – No, at this point we only take PakTechs. Our program can only utilize specific materials and most plastics don’t qualify.
Q – Whats wrong with people putting PakTechs in their general recycling bin at home?
A – The type of recycling you do at home is called multi-stream recycling, meaning multiple types of recycling are mixed together and sorted later at a facility. Due to the size and shape of PakTechs, many of them aren’t recognized as recyclable by the filtering process so they end up in a landfill with the trash. By separating them from other types of recycling, ie. single stream recycling, you skip the filtering mechanism and guarantee they make it through the next step of processing.
Q – What is going to happen to the PakTechs we collect?
A- We will be sending them to MacRuber in Vista, CA. They will be granulated and mixed with a wax-like substance then added as a bonding compound in asphalt.
Q- Why is that good?
A- The plastic/wax combination replaces crude oil creating four main benefits over conventional asphalt:
- Higher quality
- Less expensive
- Cuts out reliance on fossil fuels
- Offers end of life for plastic instead of landfill