You might not think of the venerable railroad tie as something ripe for innovation. But one composite products manufacturer in Louisiana sees things differently. In fact, it has big plans to bring the humble cross tie — the rectangular block that holds the steel rails locked into the ground — into the 21st century by making it from more durable materials.
Traditional railroad ties are made of either chemically treated wood or longer-lasting, more expensive concrete, according to Sarepta, Louisiana-based IntegriCo. The private equity-backed firm says a better and more environmentally friendly way to make rail links is to use plastic that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
IntegriCo says it works with recycling centers called Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to collect discarded recyclables such as ketchup bottles, yogurt containers, margarine tubs, meat trays, egg cartons and plastic cups and plates. . The company then uses a special “low-heat” process that preserves the properties of those source items to create a strong, composite material. The resulting “integrity” can extend the life of rail ties up to four times the lifespan of traditional wooden ties in areas of high decay, IntegriCo says.
Since inventing its recycling process in 2007, the company says it has diverted more than 80 million pounds of bonded plastic from landfills to make products like railroad ties.
