When Enbridge Gas employees Tom Canellos and Graham Waller saw plastic polyethylene pipe left over from projects by Enbridge and its contractors, they didn’t just see pipe—they saw potential.
“It’s a super high-quality plastic that should breathe life into a new product,” Canellos told American Gas.
The pair, who became friends while working together in the construction group at Enbridge, took the initiative to meet with many recyclers before finally finding one that was familiar with and willing to tackle their vision for repurposing the pipes.
Now, the scrap plastic pipelines are gathered, stripped and ground into pellet form for industries that make lumber and other building supplies. They are also used to manufacture Muskoka chairs destined for Enbridge Gas facilities to help promote the program.
The utility recently expanded the effort to include a recycling bin at each of its operation centers throughout Ontario. Since the start of 2021, more than 200,000 pounds of plastic pipe has been recycled.
“I’m extremely proud and excited for where we can take the effort from here,” said Canellos, who noted that Enbridge’s program has been a good influence on industry partners that have expressed interest in taking part.
—Carolyn Kimmel