He Finds A Way To "RePurpose" Over-Engineered Industrial "Waste"

He Finds A Way To RePurpose Over-Engineered Industrial Waste FARM HOME Miscellaneous If you can think of a use for used roofing insulation panels conveyer belting 275-gal liquid totes and 2500-psi flexible tubing Damon Carson wants you to call Dubbed the RePurpose Guy Carson is always on the lookout for what he calls over-engineered waste “Many industrial products are candidates for repurposing ” says Carson “But until someone buys it it’s just potential ” Carson likes to put customers together with over-engineered industrial waste Insulated roof panels are a good example of what Carson looks for Designed for use on large flat commercial roofs the thick sheets of PolyIso insulation are moisture-resistant When a leak develops in a small area the entire roof is usually replaced making large volumes of the high-tech insulation as well as the rubber roofing membrane that covers it available for salvage “The panel corners may be dinged or dented but I can sell it for a third the cost of new panels and it still provides good insulation ” says Carson “Its moisture-resistant properties make it ideal for insulating foundations or the walls of a shop or poultry building ” The roofing membrane gets used for everything from bunker silo covers to recovering older mobile home roofs or outbuilding “It would work as a weed barrier for landscaping and might even work as a pond liner ” says Carson “People keep coming up with new uses ” Carson recently took delivery of 750 ft of high-pressure hose used to power-clean municipal sewer lines The hose is designed to handle 2 500 psi but has to be replaced if the outside layer is roughed up “It no longer has a value to the municipalities for use at 2 500 psi but it may last another 20 years being used with 80 to 100 psi water or even air ” says Carson “You can plumb your shop with it to run 150 psi air ” Used 275-gal totes are another popular item One customer used some for an aquaponics farm while another used his in the back of a pickup to haul water “Some items are instant hits; others don’t go ” says Carson “In May I picked up 40 10 ft long 2 by 10-in lengths of solid rubber that had been used on the bottom of snowplow blades I only sold 15 of them One day someone will see them and it will solve a problem and they will want all I’ve got ” Carson has 20 000 potential customers on his e-newsletter list In a recent issue he offered free sheets of tapered PolyIso insulation 4-ft by 4-ft acoustical tile panels for $10 each originally $50/tile and super tough 6-ft by 10-ft filter cloths previously used in the brewing industry Other recycled materials included billboard tarps steel and plastic 55-gal drums climbing ropes and street sweeper brushes To receive the newsletter send your email address to: jessica@repurposedmaterialsinc com “The filter cloths would make great long-lasting tarps for cleaning up lawn and tree debris ” says Carson “The brushes often get used as cattle back scratchers We are always looking for new materials and new uses ” Carson uses his website to list current inventory and current uses He also solicits website visitors and newsletter readers to let him know about waste byproducts their companies produce or items to be replaced that are available for salvage He is always looking at new purposes for his inventory “Our customers are our R&D department ” he says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup RePurposed Materials Inc 5138 E 39th Ave Denver Colo 80207 ph 720 583-4873; www repurposedmaterialsinc com

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