Upcycling select remnants of carbon fiber and leather to make coasters

www.realcarbon.com

At Real Carbon no matter how hard we try we generate some carbon fiber which does not end up in the finished product we are manufacturing.

Most of the extraneous material is created when we cut the plies needed for a specific part, on our automated ply cutter.

We nest as efficiently as we can but inevitably create some “select remnants” a term we stole from one of our golf customers.

Macdonald Leather Goods is creating select remnants when they cut patterns for a golf bag or head cover from a roll of leather.

We’ll be developing a number of products using the finest leather and carbon fiber, and helping reduce landfill mass, whilst we do it!

EPA Data

According to the EPA, this is some date (up to 2018) about Landfills.

National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling | US EPA

EPA began collecting and reporting data on the generation and disposition of waste in the United States more than 35 years ago. The Agency uses this information to measure the success of materials management programs across the country and to characterize the national waste stream. These Facts and Figures are current through calendar year 2018.

The total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2018 was 292.4 million tons (U.S. short tons, unless specified) or 4.9 pounds per person per day. Of the MSW generated, approximately 69 million tons were recycled, and 25 million tons were composted. Together, almost 94 million tons of MSW were recycled and composted, equivalent to a 32.1 percent recycling and composting rate. An additional 17.7 million tons of food were managed by other methods. Other food management includes the following management pathways: animal feed, bio-based materials/biochemical processing, co-digestion/anaerobic digestion, donation, land application and sewer/wastewater treatment. For more information on food management, check out Food: Material-Specific Data. In addition, nearly 35 million tons of MSW (11.8 percent) were combusted with energy recovery and more than 146 million tons of MSW (50 percent) were landfilled.

At Real Carbon we’re doing our best to help, and to quote a famous band, “with a little help from our friends.”

Oh, and I better mention one of the friends is my wife, former owner of Evergreen Dance Academy, who has a serious coaster collection problem!

Happy Wife, Happy Planet!