This September, Atlantic Wind and Solar announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, KB Industries (KBI) received notice that the firm has been selected as one of five manufacturers worldwide for inclusion into a State of California sponsored testing and evaluation program, as reported by Business Insider. The program is offered under the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) Feedstock Conversion Technical Assistance and Material Testing Services (FCS) and will evaluate and test a new KBI – engineered product designed as a better retaining wall for erosion control. These programs are designed to expand the demand for differentiated and higher value-added tire-derived products by providing an incentive to use at least five percent of California recycled tire rubber to partially replace virgin rubber, EPDM, plastic, or other raw material. and increase the sale of products that already contain crumb rubber. Some of the engineering tests that will be done will include horizontal pressure load limits, sound absorption characteristics, and maximum vertical wall loading.

Another test (passive nutrient removal) which logs how well KBI's Flexi®-Pave porous pavement system removes groundwater contaminants has already been well documented and will not need to be retested. Once all of the testing (which the State of CA is subsidizing) has been deemed successful and has been completed, KBI will be able to offer a certified erosion control solution that further strengthens its position as a leader in civil engineering infrastructure solutions.

Chairman and CEO Kevin Bagnall is ecstatic that CalRecycle selected KBI's new product technology, fully aware that the endorsement of CalRecycle will help accelerate the domestic and international demand for recycled tire rubber products and specifically the firm's yet to be released retaining wall solution. "Every civil engineer who has seen what is being developed has confirmed that this innovative solution will transform erosion control and retaining wall design as we currently know it. It's a very big and exciting step for us and will expand our proprietary Flexi®-Process recycled tire construction product range."

To learn more, please read the full article by Business Insider.