Centre Dufferin’s Co-op Corner

Student: Jordan Bryan

Placement: Blue Mountain Plastics

This week Jordan Bryan from Centre Dufferin District High School shares a little bit about his experience and how Blue Mountain Plastics is contributing to our community's future.

Blue Mountain Plastics, also known as Ice River Springs, is a closed loop recycling facility. The way closed loop recycling works is that they collect 85% of PET recycled material that comes in from Ontario's Blue Box system. They buy this blue bin material from municipalities purchased in bales which get separated and sorted. After separation and sorting they grind the plastic into flakes, wash and purify them. We end up with different colours of food grade plastic pellets that they use to make new containers and their Ice River Spring water bottles which are recycled and returned to their factories in the never ending loop. Other types of recycled  plastics are also used to create products like Muskoka chairs and tables. 

As a co-op student I have been a Can Sorter. Duties I perform are sorting through recycled material and separating cans into different types and  keeping the work space clean. I have also had an opportunity to shadow the Maintenance and Millwright staff. Some of the other jobs that this placement could lead to are Production Operator, Project Electrician,  Office Financial Planner and Analyst and even Truck Drivers.

Blue Mountain Plastics has been very active in the local community charities and global organizations. They contribute to the Shelburne Firefighters Toy Drive, Orangeville and Shelburne Food Banks, they donate thousands of cases of water for special event sponsorship and even natural disasters. They are contributors to the Tim Horton's Camp, the Tim Horton's Golf Charity and the Tim Horton's Children's Foundation. Globally they are part of Water for Water putting wells in Kenya and a Pollution Probe Member dedicated to the great lakes clean up.