With a growing need worldwide for precious metals for televisions, computers and other electronic devices, companies that can meet that demand are springing up in the U.S. and right here in San Marcos.
PGM is a precious metals recycling company, a member of the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce and an environmentally friendly company, located just off of the interstate in San Marcos.
PGM Assistant Operations Manager Lee Colon said PGM is one of the leading recyclers of catalytic converters in the U.S.. The company recycles approximately 4 million converters a year.
“The ultimate goal is actually getting those metals recycled back into the economy to create new converters,” Colon said, adding the metals can also be used for medical equipment, televisions and anything that involves electronics that employ precious metals in their circuit boards.
Colon said the company is environmentally conscious in other ways ,too. The San Marcos location has 1,100 solar panels stationed on top of the building, which provide it with clean power.
He said that the company does pay for the catalytic converters. However, there is a stringent program to ensure that the person selling it is the actual owner of that converter.
“You have to have proof of ownership for the vehicle. You have to have a title registered in your name,” Colon said. “We actually just passed a Senate bill, throughout the state of Texas to help curb theft considerably. It moved it from just a misdemeanor to a state jail felony in Texas.”
He said there is also a five-day holding period on any converter, as another step to catch anyone attempting to sell a stolen part.
“So say a stolen converter comes in,” Colon said. “We’re going to reject that customer and notify the local authorities.”
He added that if these precious metals aren’t being recycled, everything that is made with these metals will be more expensive, which can have a significant economic impact.
He said keeping the precious metals within the U.S. economy is beneficial, so that this country does not have to rely on deals with other countries to cultivate the supply.
During a tour of the facility, Colon showed the metal refining process the company employs. It starts with crushing the catalytic converter, to retrieve the part in the middle containing the precious metals. That piece is then crushed and further processed, until it is a fine powder. This powder is then tested for quality and composition, to determine the value.
Colon said PGM just purchased a company, Colt Refining and Recycling, which is the largest recycler of electronic scraps in the country.
He said there has been a large uptick in electronics being thrown away and taken to the landfill, which can be hazardous for the environment.
“They’re not really anything that’s biodegradable,” Colon said. “It takes years and years and years for this stuff to semi-breakdown in the landfills.”
He added that by recycling the metals back into the economy, new devices can be made with less cost.
“As soon as that metal gets placed into landfills or the plastics are placed into landfills,” Colon said. 'There’s no way to retrieve any of that and recycle it at the end of the day.”
He said the E-Scraps program is new to the company, but, eventually, there will be drop off locations around town.
He added that one drop off location will be at their headquarters in San Marcos, located at 2809 S. I-35—right next to the Embassy Suites.
He said they also plan to do outreach programs with some of the apartment complexes around town in which residents can just drop off their devices to the front office, and PGM will pick them up.
Colon said he invites the public to come tour the facility, and see how PGM processes these precious metals.
