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Commitment to Sustainability “Cutting Die Recycling Article in AICC”

Central Package & Display’s production and lean teams have been instrumental in bringing cutting die recycling to Minnesota. CP&D was the first Minnesota company to fully participate in a sustainability program and successfully establish a billable process.

As a leading partner with Triangle Dies of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and the Great River Energy Resource Recovery Plant in Elk River, Minnesota, Central Package & Display began its die recycling efforts in June 2012. As CP&D’s “lean enterprise manager,” I was on-site for this trail-blazing effort—to see firsthand how the process worked. This initial effort was also captured on film by Triangle Die for the purpose of marketing this program throughout Minnesota. The photo shoot of the recycling process at Great River Energy detailed the dismantling and repurposing of the dies.

To date, CP&D has recycled more than 2,000 dies—more than 33 tons’ worth. With the successful marketing of the program by Triangle, 191 tons, or a total of 11,938 cutting dies, were 100 percent recycled statewide to date and not added to landfills.

In the recycling process, equipment is used to grind the wood, rubber, plastic, and steel. The steel is magnetically separated out of the load, and 100 percent of it is recycled in smelters. The wood, rubber, and plastic are processed differently, depending on current markets. The wood is either used for mulch or by waste energy plants for fuel. The rubber and plastic are either used to manufacture recycled products or provide fuel for producing energy.