OUR Story
The story of Carolina Recycle Partners is a story of grit, determination, and ingenuity.
Ben Cooper
Founder & CEO
Ben Cooper, founder and CEO of Carolina Recycle Partners (CRP), is a leader in sustainable recycling solutions, driven by a lifelong passion for innovation and environmental stewardship. His journey to becoming a pioneer in the unvulcanized rubber recycling industry began during his college years, where curiosity and opportunity sparked his entrepreneurial spirit.
While studying Accounting at Gardner-Webb University, Ben worked for a plastic injection molding company. Immersed in the complexities of plastic resins and recycling processes, he quickly recognized the transformative potential of waste management and sustainability. Taking initiative, he played a key role in establishing the company’s first recycling efforts—a move that would ultimately shape his career and CRP’s mission.’
Today, Ben’s vision and leadership have positioned CRP as North America’s largest uncured rubber recycler, setting industry standards for innovation, efficiency, and environmental responsibility. His unwavering commitment to turning waste into opportunity has not only revolutionized recycling processes but also helped businesses across industries achieve zero-waste goals and reduce their environmental footprints.
Under Ben’s guidance, CRP continues to lead the way in sustainable rubber recycling and manufacturing, offering tailored solutions that align with the needs of tire manufacturers, industrial operations, and emerging industries.
Ben Cooper
Founder & CEO
Ben Cooper, founder and CEO of Carolina Recycle Partners (CRP), is a leader in sustainable recycling solutions, driven by a lifelong passion for innovation and environmental stewardship. His journey to becoming a pioneer in the unvulcanized rubber recycling industry began during his college years, where curiosity and opportunity sparked his entrepreneurial spirit.
While studying Accounting at Gardner-Webb University, Ben worked for a plastic injection molding company. Immersed in the complexities of plastic resins and recycling processes, he quickly recognized the transformative potential of waste management and sustainability. Taking initiative, he played a key role in establishing the company’s first recycling efforts—a move that would ultimately shape his career and CRP’s mission.’
Today, Ben’s vision and leadership have positioned CRP as North America’s largest uncured rubber recycler, setting industry standards for innovation, efficiency, and environmental responsibility. His unwavering commitment to turning waste into opportunity has not only revolutionized recycling processes but also helped businesses across industries achieve zero-waste goals and reduce their environmental footprints.
Under Ben’s guidance, CRP continues to lead the way in sustainable rubber recycling and manufacturing, offering tailored solutions that align with the needs of tire manufacturers, industrial operations, and emerging industries.
The CRP Story: Transforming Waste into Sustainable Innovation
A Vision Born from Curiosity & Determination
Carolina Recycle Partners was founded when CEO Ben, then a law student at Elon University, uncovered a major sustainability gap in the tire manufacturing industry. What began as a side project auditing recycling processes quickly turned into a mission to solve one of the industry’s biggest challenges – millions of pounds of recyclable steel friction material were being landfilled each year, with no existing technology to recover it. CRP was created to change that.
From Legal Ambitions to Recycling Innovation
After passing the bar in both North Carolina and South Carolina in 2013, Ben Cooper chose to leave law behind and pursue a bold vision in recycling innovation. By 2016, with support from forward-thinking investors, he introduced technology capable of efficiently separating uncured rubber and steel wire—solving a challenge the industry had long considered impossible and positioning Carolina Recycle Partners as the first to recover this overlooked material at scale.
Leading North America in Uncured Rubber Recycling
CRP is North America’s largest uncured rubber recycler, processing over 120 million pounds each year and serving more than half of the continent’s tire plants. The company also produces high-quality rubber compounds for industrial use and custom molded rubber products, all supported by a cradle-to-grave approach to waste stream management.
A Legacy of Sustainability & Innovation
With Ben Cooper at the helm, CRP has evolved from a bold idea into a leader in sustainable recycling, setting a new benchmark in unvulcanized rubber recovery.
The mission is clear: eliminate waste, reduce impact, and prove that smart recycling can transform industries and the planet.
Join the Revolution in
Rubber Recycling
Whether you’re looking for solutions to manage unvulcanized rubber waste, need high-quality rubber compounds, or want custom molded products, CRP is your trusted partner. Together, we’ll build a future where waste becomes opportunity.
