The plastic recycling industry has a recovery problem because it has a market problem.
Triton Ties can be a big part of the solution.
THERE IS A GAP IN CALIFORNIA’S SB 54
California is building a system to recover more plastic. But recovery alone doesn’t create a circular economy. Without stable end markets, recycled material has nowhere to go.
Across the US, recycling plants have been struggling to be profitable, and many have been forced to close. Triton Group has been a leader in developing solutions to reverse these trends.
One way we are addressing this challenge is by creating a stable end market through the manufacturing of Triton Composite Rail Ties — a best-in-class rail tie solution. Triton Ties are stronger than traditional hardwood ties and can last up to five times longer in high-decay environments, particularly in hot and humid regions where wood deteriorates rapidly. By extending service life and reducing maintenance and replacement costs, Triton Ties help customers save millions of dollars per mile over the life cycle of the track. Triton Ties represent a smarter, longer-lasting alternative to wood.
THREE PROBLEMS.
ONE SOLUTION.
530,000 LBS OF PLASTIC DIVERTED PER TRACK MILE
We turn mixed PE and PP plastic, including hard-to-recycle film and flex, into composite ties that create a durable end-market for recyclers across California and the US. Our best-in-class composite ties are reinforced with glass fiber, making them stronger than hardwood and lasting 5X longer.
10,000 GALLONS OF CREOSOTE ELIMINATED PER TRACK MILE
Creosote is a petroleum-based tar that is used in hardwood ties as a preservative against rot. It is an EPA-classified probable human carcinogen, a CalRecycle-designated hazardous material, and is banned in the EU. Triton Ties do not use creosote because plastic is impervious to rot.
800 TREES SAVED PER TRACK MILE
Only four hardwood ties can be produced from a single 80–100-year-old oak tree. As a result, each mile of composite ties preserves approximately 800 hardwood trees, helping sustain forest carbon stocks while reducing pressure on hardwood resources.
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE
Recycling only works when there is consistent, large-scale demand. Infrastructure applications like rail ties create that demand. They do not require perfect plastic. They require volume.
*California tie replacement estimate based on 3.5% annual replacement of installed base across 4,985 to 9,353 active California track miles. Sources: Railway Tie Association, Association of American Railroads.
HOW THIS FITS INTO CALIFORNIA’S SB 54
California’s SB 54 requires a significant increase in plastic recycling, particularly for flexible packaging. By 2028, the State must recycle approximately 870 million additional pounds of plastic each year compared to today. By 2032, that number rises to roughly 2.9 billion additional pounds annually.
Rail tie replacement in California alone represents up to 165 million pounds of potential annual demand for recycled plastic. At realistic market capture, composite ties can address roughly 19% of California’s 2028 film and flex recycling shortfall through a single product category and a single procurement decision pathway.
20 million hardwood ties are replaced annually across the United States, with 14 million in accelerated-decay zones. Replacing these 14 million ties with composites represents a demand for 2.24 billion pounds of recycled plastic.
Scaling recycling requires multiple end markets like this. Not just more collection.
The 2028 milestone is the moment of greatest urgency. The State has set the target. The recycling infrastructure to hit it does not yet exist. Composite ties are one of the few end markets that can scale immediately, because the procurement decision and the supply chain already exist.
A SHOVEL-READY SOLUTION
Triton Ties are ready to deploy at scale today.
Two end-of-life problems solved by one product. That pairing — plastic diversion plus hazardous waste elimination — is what makes the rail tie application different from every other recycled-content end market.
BUILT TO DELIVER AT SCALE
FEEDSTOCK SOURCING
We process mixed, post-consumer plastic streams that other recyclers will not touch, including post-consumer film, flex, and streams containing metal.
PROCESSING AND REFINEMENT
Our St. Louis facility sorts, washes, grinds, and pelletizes challenging mixed streams into a high-quality post-consumer resin (PCR) suitable for durable goods manufacturing.
DURABLE INFRASTRUCTURE PRODUCTS
That PCR becomes Triton Ties — composite railroad ties supplied to Class I and transit railroads as a superior solution to wood.
LET’S TALK ABOUT END MARKETS
California has shown a strong commitment to scaling recycling. Robust end markets will be critical to achieving those goals. We would welcome the opportunity to work with policymakers, FPA members, and procurement leaders to explore what it would take to support broader deployment of composite ties across California.
REACH OUT:
Greg Janson, CEO
Triton Group USA
gjanson@tritongroupusa.com
314-963-8000