A sports shoe includes an upper wherein a majority by weight of the upper is made from a thermoplastic base material and a sole wherein a majority by weight of the sole is made from the same thermoplastic base material. The sole and the upper are individually fabricated and joined to each other. The thermoplastic base material includes at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane TPU, polyamide PA, polyethylene terephthalate PET, or polybutylene terephthalate PBT.

Methods of producing particles of fiber and resin from fiber-resin composite materials are disclosed. The particles may be combined with a resin system and optionally combined with fillers, binders or reinforcements to produce new cured solid composite products.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament that includes providing a polymer melt and separating the polymer melt from the extruder into at least eight streams. The multiple streams are exposed to a chamber pressure within a chamber that is below approximately 25 millibars, or another predetermined pressure. The streams are recombined into a single polymer stream. Polymer from the polymer stream is then formed into bulked continuous carpet filament.

Fossil-fuel and rubber-derived waste stream conversion to composite lumber substitutes or barrier members; the composites having material properties and uses of greater value than the solid waste stream components separately or together. Preferred combinations including waste materials derived from waste carpet, waste tires, and waste bituminous roofing shingles, all enormous problems for landfill disposal. In a range of formulation ratios, when combined with a binder, new and marketable products are made from solid waste. Improved resistance to rot, to water, and to weathering is exhibited in synergy with improved compressive and flexural strength, enabling production of a wide variety of useful and environmentally-friendly structural products, for example. Product weight and strength can be engineered to suit and may be structural members for architectural, engineering or agricultural use. Advantageously, the new products themselves can be re-used—by an end-of-life process for making more new products, achieving the capacity to make and remake multigenerational products from solid wastes and to reduce loading of landfills.

Blends of recycled plastic materials and plastic products made therefrom are provided. The blends combine a high fraction of recycled medical waste with mixed recycled plastics, such as polyolefins or carpet waste. Also provided are methods for processing a heterogeneous waste stream such as medical waste to yield a homogenous material capable of blending with other materials and extrusion to form useful plastic products such as structural materials and consumer articles.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) adding one or more color concentrates to the flakes; (E) passing the group of flakes through an extrusion system while maintaining the pressure within the extrusion system below about 25 millibars; (F) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (G) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

The present invention relates to a process for recycling waste high density polyethylene (HDPE) materials, which is carried out by thermofusion. Through this recycling process, products having particular qualities are obtained, and laminated products or products in the form of a molded block may be obtained. Said products, in addition to representing a benefit for the environment, exhibit particularities that make them different from virgin raw material products and recycled products, representing a surprising and unexpected technical advantage over those currently available.

A sports shoe includes an upper wherein a majority by weight of the upper is made from a thermoplastic base material and a sole wherein a majority by weight of the sole is made from the same thermoplastic base material. The sole and the upper are individually fabricated and joined to each other. The thermoplastic base material includes at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane TPU, polyamide PA, polyethylene terephthalate PET, or polybutylene terephthalate PBT.

Blends of recycled plastic materials and plastic products made therefrom are provided. The blends combine a high fraction of recycled medical waste with mixed recycled plastics, such as polyolefins or carpet waste. Also provided are methods for processing a heterogeneous waste stream such as medical waste to yield a homogenous material capable of blending with other materials and extrusion to form useful plastic products such as structural materials and consumer articles.

A system for fusing plastic materials without bonding agents, such as adhesives, etc., is disclosed. A heat press is used to apply heat and pressure to plastic material sandwiched between heat resistant material. A flatbed heat press, a rotary heat press, or other similar type of thermal roller system may be used. Heat is applied to at least one side of the sandwich and may be applied to both sides of the sandwich simultaneously with equal pressure for a given amount of time. Dual thermostats may be used for application of different beat levels on opposite sides of the sandwich. Reinforcement materials, such as mesh or reinforcement fibers, may be integrated within the layers of plastic prior to fusion to enhance the integrity and/or aesthetic qualities of the fused end product. The plastic may be subjected to multiple applications of heat and pressure to optimize the fusion process.