Seems like Dr. Saurabh Naik was ahead of his time in this whole circular economy proposition. He started looking for markets for recycled post-industrial scrap back in the 1980s. In 1978, he earned his Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from U-Mass Lowell, then spent some time with Martin Marietta and International Paper doing R&D work on incorporating mica as a filler in the thermoplastic formulation. Today, Naik is the founder and CEO of Niche Polymer LLC, One of its product lines is called PoliPCR, made from post-consumer reclaim for applications that include automotive interior trim, under-hood components, lighting, window profiles, flooring, wall coverings, and consumer durables such as furniture and appliances. PoliPCR is based on PP, nylon 6, nylon 66, PC, ABS, and PBT. Says Sunny Naik, son of the founder and v.p. operations for Niche Polymer, “We believe in proactive support for sustainability through collaboration with resin suppliers, molders, and OEMs to divert plastic waste from the environment, increase recycling and incorporate post-consumer recycled content in value-added products. Ethical sourcing of our material streams is our social responsibility. Sustainability is our ability to repeat the process at a consistent rate.”