Household plastics collected weekly from Akron curbs will soon be turned into synthetic crude oil.The plan is part of a recycling initiative unveiled on Monday by Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic. Under the plan:• Greenstar Recycling, based in Houston, will handle Akron’s recyclables under a 10-year contract. The firm will convert an empty 195,000-square-foot hangar at Akron Fulton International Airport into a facility to process recyclables.The facility, expected to be fully operational in eight to 10 months, will cost up to $8 million and will create 45 jobs, said Greenstar spokesman Steve Dunn.• Greenstar is also forming a joint venture with Cleveland-based Vadxx Energy LLC to turn some of the recycled plastics from Akron into low-sulfur crude oil.Vadxx Energy, which has a research facility in the Akron Global Business Accelerator, intends to turn 12,000 tons of plastics annually into 80,000 barrels of oil, said Jim Garrett, Vadxx chief executive.What is planned is “a significant energy enterprise,” Garrett said at a morning news conference.The production unit will cost $3 million to $4 million and the oil production will create 17 to 19 jobs.The system will rely on No. 3 through No. 7 plastics common in food containers, not the No. 1 and No. 2 plastics used in soft drink bottles, milk jugs and laundry detergents.The oil will be sold via a Texas-based broker to big oil companies, he said.The joint venture has been in discussions for several years, officials said.The oil-production facility will be in the same hangar west of the Akron Airdock at the airport in southeast Akron and will be the company’s first use of the proprietary process.Vadxx Equipment (pronounced vay-dexx) is planning to have 100 such production units soon — with the units being built by an Akron company, Akros Equipment.The venture could create 15 to 20 jobs in the next year at Akros Equipment and perhaps 110 more jobs within five years, said Akros Equipment President Brooks Weingart.The venture could add 50 jobs within a year for Akron-area suppliers and 300 jobs in five years, he said.Greenstar was one of five bidders to handle Akron’s recyclables.Previously, the city and a contracted hauler collected recyclables and took them to the Fountain Street transfer station. They were then sent to Waste Management’s facility in Oakwood in southeast Cuyahoga County.The city has been getting about $250,000 to $300,000 a year for the last few years from Waste Management’s sale of the commodities: newspaper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass, steel and plastics, said Akron Service Director Richard Merolla.Under the new agreement, the city anticipates getting $400,000 to $500,000 a year from the recyclables, he said.The city typically collects 800 to 1,000 tons a month.Dunn said the city will stockpile some Akron materials but most probably will be shipped to Pittsburgh for processing until the new Akron facility opens. Construction will cost about $500,000, he said.The new facility will provide financial protection to Akron from fluctuating recycling markets.But Greenstar is looking beyond Akron, Dunn said.The company wants to turn the new Akron facility into a regional hub for recycling and that could create an additional 35 jobs, he said.Other communities could participate in the expanded recycling services under the same terms and conditions as Akron, officials said.Akron would get a bonus of $1 per ton for recyclables from other communities coming into the plant. It will be up to Greenstar to attract additional users, officials said.The goal is for the Akron plant to handle about 4,500 tons a month of recyclables, but it will not handle any garbage, Dunn said.“This new recycling facility will bolster the local green infrastructure of Akron and its surrounding communities,” Merolla said. “Recycling is a cornerstone of our sustainability efforts and we are pleased to announce this significant investment in the local community.”Greenstar is a major player in recycling. The company began its North American operations in 2007 and now handles 2 million tons of recyclables a year and serves more than 12 million customers through 14 processing facilities.In Ohio, Greenstar operates a facility in Poland to handle recyclables from Youngstown and the rest of Mahoning County.Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.