Abstract: An illustrative embodiment disclosed herein is a method including receiving, by a waste diversion system and from a source, waste materials, inserting, by the waste diversion system and into the waste materials, one or more markers, generating, by the waste diversion system, finished goods including a portion of the waste materials, and detecting, by the waste diversion system, a portion of the one or more markers corresponding to the portion of the waste materials in the finished goods.

Abstract: In accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure, a method producing a composite board comprising plastic and cellulose is described. The method includes transmitting a first signal to a pair of opposing hot-platens, receipt of the first signal causing the pair of opposing hot-platens to compress and heat a composite mat; transmitting a second signal to the pair of opposing hot-platens, receipt of the second signal causing the pair of opposing hot-platens to heat and compress the composite mat at substantially a first pressure for a first time period; transmitting a third signal to the pair of opposing hot-platens, receipt of the third signal causing the pair of opposing hot-platens to release the composite mat from the first pressure; and transmitting a fourth signal to a pair of opposing cold-platens, receipt of the fourth signal causing the pair of opposing cold-platens to compress and cool the composite mat.

Abstract: In accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure, a system is disclosed. The system provides a non-destructive and non-contact test to quantify the cellulose and/or plastic content in a given composite material board sample by the use of capacitive sensors. The system includes a ground plate and a capacitive sensor probe system with programmed instructions to calibrate to a predetermined dielectric, determine, in a composite board placed in between the capacitive sensor and the ground plate, an equivalent thickness of material emitting the predetermined dielectric, and convert the equivalent thickness into a weight percentage of the material in the board.

Abstract: Provided herein are composite materials comprising at least 70 wt. % thermally consolidated recovered paper and plastic fragments and less than 5,000 ng water-soluble endotoxin per gram of composite materials, as well as methods of preparing said composite materials and methods of sanitizing recovered waste materials.

Abstract: An illustrative embodiment disclosed herein is a method including receiving, by a waste diversion system and from a source, waste materials, inserting, by the waste diversion system and into the waste materials, one or more markers, generating, by the waste diversion system, finished goods including a portion of the waste materials, and detecting, by the waste diversion system, a portion of the one or more markers corresponding to the portion of the waste materials in the finished goods.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing an improved cover board product with a panel. In some embodiments, the method includes preparing fragments into an assembly; mixing the fragments and an adhesive into a blended core furnish; applying the adhesive to a top side of a bottom layer fabric in the assembly; forming a core mat of the blended core furnish on top of the adhesive; applying the adhesive to a top side of the core mat; applying a surface layer fabric on the top side of the adhesive; pressing the assembly; and cutting and trimming the assembly to form panels.

Abstract: An improved cover board product with a panel comprised of three discrete layers: a top surface layer comprised of either paper or a fiberglass web, a bottom surface layer comprised of either paper or a fiberglass web, and a core layer comprised of discrete paper fragments and polypropylene fragments, which are connected by use of a thermoplastic bonding resin, including polyethylene. The bonding resin is generally attached in a random pattern to less than 100% of the paper fragment and polypropylene fragment surface area. The paper fragments are generally shaped as irregular plates. The polypropylene fragments can have multiple shape types. The two different fragment types are randomly distributed in the core layer relative to each other. The core layer includes small voids in and around the particles, which improves flexibility. The core layer is attached to the top and bottom surface layers by use of a thermoplastic adhesive, including polyethylene.

Abstract: An improved cover board product with a panel comprised of three discrete layers: a top surface layer comprised of either paper or a fiberglass web, a bottom surface layer comprised of either paper or a fiberglass web, and a core layer comprised of discrete paper fragments and polypropylene fragments, which are connected by use of a thermoplastic bonding resin, including polyethylene. The bonding resin is generally attached in a random pattern to less than 100% of the paper fragment and polypropylene fragment surface area. The paper fragments are generally shaped as irregular plates. The polypropylene fragments can have multiple shape types. The two different fragment types are randomly distributed in the core layer relative to each other. The core layer includes small voids in and around the particles, which improves flexibility. The core layer is attached to the top and bottom surface layers by use of a thermoplastic adhesive, including polyethylene.

Abstract: A method of processing municipal solid waste includes extracting food waste, inert materials, and ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the municipal solid waste, shredding the municipal solid waste and thereby generating a product feed comprising at least 99.7% by volume cellulose-based materials and plastic. The product feed is conveyed to a forming system and a manufacturing product is created out of the product feed with the forming system.