Arco to Build Recycling Facility

Arco will build a $300-million manufacturing plant next to its Carson refinery to convert oil refinery waste products into usable plastic, the company said. The plant will manufacture 400 million pounds of polypropylene pellets, a recyclable plastic used in carpeting, upholstery, clothing, food containers, bottles, appliances and other products, said Arco spokesman Scott Loll. Up to 50 manufacturing and marketing jobs will be created. Construction will begin this summer and should be completed the first quarter of 1999, Loll said. Currently, almost all of the polypropylene used in manufacturing on the West Coast is shipped, primarily by rail, from the Gulf Coast. The Arco facility will be the first large-scale plant of its kind on the West Coast, Loll said. Global demand for polypropylene has grown more than 8% a year over the last 10 years, according to industry experts.