BINGHAMTON, NY – A Binghamton startup is looking to take unwanted recyclable materials and turn it into something needed by the concrete industry.

KLAW Industries plans to take recyclable glass that is considered too contaminated for other uses and purify and process it into a cement replacement for concrete manufacturers.

Founded almost 2 years ago, KLAW has an office in the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator and has established a prototype facility in a garage in the city’s First Ward.

As purity standards for recycled materials have become more strict, trash haulers have had a hard time finding buyers for it and have had to charge customers and municipalities more to cover the cost of landfilling it.

Conversely, concrete manufacturers have seen other sources of cement alternative dry up as coal-fired power plants and steel foundries in this country close.

“Just in Broome County alone, there’s something close to about 3,200 tons of glass that we could utilize. Throughout the country, that number goes up to somewhere around 7.7 million tons of glass that’s currently being sent to the landfill that we can use,” says Kumpon.

Kumpon says KLAW has been working closely with Taylor Garbage and concrete maker Barney and Dickenson in developing their plan.

The next steps are to settle on a location for a pilot plant and secure purchase orders from area concrete companies.

The goal is to get the pilot plant running this spring taking in all of Broome County’s recycled glass.

Once the pilot proves that the business model is successful, a larger plant would be built to take in glass from across the region.