Steve Post has joined Leistritz Extrusion, headquartered in Germany, as product manager for life sciences and specialty film applications.

Steve Post has joined Leistritz Extrusion, headquartered in Germany, as product manager for life sciences and specialty film applications. He works in the company's North American office in Blanchburg, New Jersey.

Post started his career as a process engineer in Honeywell's film business, then moved to the extrusion machinery market, holding various positions at Davis-Standard for more than 20 years. Most recently, he served as the business development manager for Thermo Fisher's extrusion and rheology business.

During his career, Post has written more than 30 papers for numerous industry organizations. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Alternative power sources and longer coverage are one of the options offered by material handling manufacturers to meet the needs of the scrap steel market.

The challenges faced by scrap processors in keeping materials in and out of their yards and processing points within these yards seem to have never diminished.

Ongoing challenges have created opportunities for scrap recyclers to work closely with mobile material handling equipment suppliers to add features or modify machines in other ways, not only to solve problems, but to increase productivity.

In Europe this year, it turns out that a scalable machine made by Liebherr is very helpful to a recycler, while another processing company is eager to try out the Sennebogen hybrid power unit in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint.

Liebherr, a manufacturer of waste processing machines, said that Mazeau Recyclage, headquartered in Gennevilliers, France, has received a new Liebherr LH 80 M high-rise material processing machine to increase productivity and reduce ship loading time.

When Mazeau introduced the new LH 80 M High Rise, it was already using the Liebherr A 944 C HD High Rise Litronic handling machine. This scrap company was familiar with Liebherr equipment as early as 1998.

Liebherr stated that the LH 80 M High Rise meets applicable low engine emission requirements and has an operating weight of more than 90 metric tons. The material handler can produce a 313 horsepower engine.

Liebherr says that the 5.5 metric ton lifting capacity increases the productivity of the device to match its range. The working range of 21.5 meters (over 70 feet) is 1.5 meters (20%) longer than the A 944 C HD High Rise delivered to Mazeau Recyclage in 2008. The machine has accumulated nearly 18,000 hours of operation so far, Liebherr points out.

Liebherr said that the hydraulic height of the LH 80 allows a maximum observation height of up to 9.8 meters (32 feet) when loading ships, providing useful visibility conditions and flexibility to adapt to different seaside loading situations.

According to the manufacturer, the combination of a patented energy recovery system on the machine's boom cylinder and a "new and simpler engine" is cost-effective. The company said: "It generates more power, while fuel consumption is 35% lower than its predecessor."

Various basic material producers and manufacturers have been seeking to reduce their carbon footprint, and UK-based EMR Ltd. is taking the same approach as scrap suppliers.

The company's decarbonization plan involves several different aspects and methods, and the mixed material processor designed by Sennebogen is just right.

In the October personnel profile prepared by EMR, Scott Bamborough, the company's general manager of operations in Liverpool, UK, stated that the EMR yard in this area is the trial operation site of the new Sennebogen 895e mixed material handler.

The machine is part of Sennebogen's new G series model, which has an energy recovery system and is available in an electric version. Sennebogen said that electric models "can also reduce operating costs by up to 50%, [at the same time] environmentally friendly, emission-free electric motors can provide low-noise and vibration-free operation even under the most demanding conditions."

At EMR, Bamborough stated that the Sennebogen hybrid vehicle is already in use at its Alexandra plant, where EMR operates its largest metal shredder-a 10,000-horsepower machine with a processing capacity of more than 400 metric tons per hour. The shipyard also has “a terminal facility that allows us to export scrap metal to markets anywhere in the world,” Bamborough said.

According to EMR, 400 metric tons of Sennebogen 895e "dwarfs EMR's existing material handling and ship loading equipment." And, as EMR prepares to reach net zero in 2040, it can transport materials without using fossil fuels, the company added.

"It is part of a new generation of loading equipment that meets the hybrid specifications required by EMR's long-term sustainability strategy," said Bamborough.

EMR's use of such machines may increase, said Ian Sheppard, general manager of the company's metal recycling. In an overview of EMR's overall decarbonization work, Sheppard said that the plan includes switching to 100% renewable electricity, changing the company's operating methods, and introducing new technologies to further reduce EMR emissions.

Sheppard said that as companies across the UK supply chain strive to achieve carbon reduction targets, they will also rely on companies such as EMR to provide decarbonization recycling services to help them achieve their goals.

In turn, EMR and other waste processing companies may rely on suppliers of low-emission material processing equipment to help them provide "decarbonized recycling."

The packaging company adjusted the formula of small PET bottles to make them more friendly to MRF.

Amcor Rigid Packaging, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced a material design change that purportedly will make up to 1 billion 50 ml (1.7 oz) spirits bottles more easily identified by Material Recycling Facility (MRF) equipment. So it eventually becomes recycling.

Small polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are used extensively by airlines and hotels and are made from a plastic that is usually recyclable. However, according to Amcor, these bottles are often "lost during recycling due to their small size." Amcor says that when the broken glass is filtered out for separation or processing, the bottles tend to slip out of the sorting process.

"We know that in our MRF designed to separate glass, many small bottles are passing through the screen, so this is a major development-it allows these bottles to pass this step in the process and have the opportunity to be passed downstream. Capture with proper equipment," said Curt Cozart of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in Washington. "When the recycling industry is limited by material supply, every pound added from the waste makes a big difference."

Amcor stated that it has committed to developing all its packaging to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025, and authorized some of its engineers to check this issue. Later, they began to design a container that "folded in a controlled manner to maximize its width," the company said. Because the folded width is greater than 5 cm (nearly 2 inches), in most U.S. recycling facilities, the possibility of bottles slipping through cracks is much less.

"This discovery was made by the Amcor team when tests showed that the bottle collapsed in different ways," said Terry Patcheak, vice president of Amcor. "Our simulations show that when these tiny spirits bottles are designed to fold in a specific way, fewer bottles actually fall from the cracks. The potential here is higher recoverability and multiple subdivisions. More recycling content of markets and materials."

Amcor's bottle design includes intentional failure points and is based on APR guidelines. Finite element analysis tests are underway to better understand the dynamics of the small bottles during the recycling process, and Amcor said it will also work with recycling facilities to "obtain real data about the recyclability of its new bottles."

"We look forward to seeing the data and continue to use this creative method to view all of our packaging," Patcheak said. "When working with APR, we are studying size, color, and materials to increase the amount of recycled materials that can be turned into more bottles. We look forward to working with customers as we use new perspectives to find ways to achieve our common sustainability Ways to develop goals."

A nickel by-product recycler based in Ohio also disposes of used electric vehicle batteries.

Agmet LLC, a specialized processor that recovers nickel, cobalt, copper and other metals from waste electric vehicle (EV) batteries and industrial by-products, has been sold to an undisclosed buyer.

Cleveland-based investment banking company Brown Gibbons Lang & Co. (BGL) has announced the news on behalf of Agmet, also located in the Cleveland area.

“In our search for the best metal investment banking team in the United States, BGL was a wise choice,” said Agmet founder Michael Agin. "They demonstrated their experience and knowledge in the field of metal recycling throughout the process, and we are very satisfied with the results. Our new partnership will enable us to advance our goal of becoming a leader in the field of metal recycling."

Agmet said that through its pyrometallurgical process, it can produce "low-cost, custom-formulated nickel raw materials" for nickel smelters. The company receives hazardous and non-hazardous by-products, including nickel filter cakes, catalysts, liquid solutions and electric vehicle battery waste.

“Manufacturers of industrial by-products rely on Agmet to divert the by-product flow from landfills, thereby reducing material costs and environmental responsibility and increasing public awareness,” BGL said.

This strategy marks a transition from materials management to a circular economy approach.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the "2021 National Recycling Strategy" on November 15, which also kicked off the U.S. Recycling Week. The strategy aims to solve major recycling challenges, including pollution, in order to create “a stronger, more resilient and cost-effective municipal solid waste recycling system.” The agency stated that the goal is to achieve 50% national recycling by 2030 Rate. The strategy also addresses the impact of material production, use, and disposal on the climate, as well as the impact of waste and waste-related facilities on human health and the environment in overburdened communities.

According to the strategy, "the combination of the national recycling target and the national recycling strategy supports the ultimate goal of improving recycling and increasing recycling in the United States. Methods to measure recycling goals and their key indicators are under development and are expected to be completed later this year." When formulating an implementation plan, the EPA will integrate recycling goals and national recycling strategies into a comprehensive plan. As EPA goes beyond recycling and develops more strategies, EPA will also set new goals to reduce material production, consumption, use, and disposal The impact on the climate will complement the focus on circular economy approaches. This new goal will complement the national recycling goal and the US goal of halving food loss and waste by 2030."

In 2018, in response to recent international policy changes and other challenges, EPA focused on recycling in the United States and held the first U.S. Recycling Day Summit in 2018. Subsequently, in 2019, the “National Framework for Advancing the U.S. Recycling System” was released. The collaborative efforts of stakeholders from the entire recycling system emphasized the need to promote education and outreach, strengthen infrastructure, strengthen the material market, and strengthen measurement. The National Circular Strategy for 2021 has increased the focus of environmental justice and circular economy. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated that the challenges faced by the U.S. recycling system include a reduction in the market for recyclables, recycling infrastructure that cannot keep up with today’s changing material flows, confusion about which materials can be recycled, and different ways to measure the performance of recycling systems. The National Recycling Strategy for 2021 defines actions aimed at meeting these challenges under its five strategic goals:

The strategy also focuses on how the EPA will address environmental justice, climate change, and circular economy:

EPA stated that it will work with stakeholders, including community, local, state, federal and tribal partners, as well as public and private stakeholders, to develop plans to implement the strategy.

The circular economy approach to materials management represents a change in the way the country currently extracts resources, makes them into products, and then disposes of these products. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this method will reduce material usage, redesign materials and products to reduce resource intensity, and recycle "waste" for the manufacture of new materials and products.

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said: "Our country’s recycling system needs major improvements to better serve the American people. EPA’s national recycling strategy provides a roadmap to address system challenges and pave the way for the future of recycling. Road. As we advance this strategy, EPA is committed to ensuring that historically underserved and overburdened communities share the benefits of our work. Coupled with the historic nature of the bipartisan infrastructure agreement for recycling Investment, this strategy will help transform recycling and solid waste management across the country, while creating jobs and strengthening our economy."

"The full impact of waste materials is related to a wide range of issues, and developing strategies to promote better materials management can help us find solutions to these larger issues," said Sacoby Wilson, a member of the EPA National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee and University of Applied Sanitation, Maryland Associate Professor/Director of the Institute and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Community Participation, Environmental Justice and Health Initiatives. "We must work with industries that are an important source of disposable products. And when we solve the recycling problem, we must address the source and whereabouts of these wastes and how they affect the health, sustainability, and quality of life in communities of color. "

On Friday, November 12, the Waste Recycling Industry Research Institute (ISRI) in Washington participated in the EPA's Carlton Waterhouse's advance briefing. ISRI’s advocacy director Adina Renee Adler said that by considering climate change and environmental justice, the strategy is broader than the initial draft, which was released in October and focused on pollution, collection, and markets.

She said that EPA has put forward some ideas on how to achieve each of the goals outlined in the strategy in the briefing, such as extending producer responsibility (EPR) and recycling content requirements to enhance recycling and solve recycling-related challenges. This strategy requires analysis of different policies, such as those that can solve recycling challenges.

Adler added that ISRI does not support recycling content requirements. Instead, the association stated that it supports legislation to expand the use of recycled plastics in appropriate applications, noting that these levels vary by application and type of plastic.

ISRI stated that it supports manufacturers to incorporate Design for Recycling (DfR) principles to ensure that their products are easier to recycle. Adler stated that this is one of the EPA’s possible recommendations to improve collection and material management infrastructure, although the agency will Called "Environmental Design."

"That's the music in our ears," she said. "It's great to see this reflected in the strategy."

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), located in Silver Spring, Maryland, also participated in a briefing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday to express support for the strategy. SWANA stated that it has been cooperating with EPA for the past four years to help the agency respond to China's "National Sword" plan, including actively participating in multiple recycling working groups, and advocating EPA to achieve a 50% waste transfer target by 2030.

"SWANA is pleased that EPA has expanded the draft national recycling strategy to cover climate change, environmental justice and other topics," said David Biderman, SWANA Executive Director and CEO. "We look forward to working closely with the EPA and other stakeholders to promote this strategy to Americans and help implement it."

The strategy noted that stakeholders submitted comments on whether to include chemical recycling in the national recycling strategy, adding: “When considering ways to manage materials sustainably, all options, including chemical recycling, should be discussed. Therefore, Chemical recycling is part of the scope of this strategy, and further discussions are welcome."

Joshua Baca, vice president of plastics at the American Chemistry Council (ACC) in Washington, issued a statement on the strategy, part of which read: "Advanced (or chemical) recycling is essential to achieving a circular economy of plastics. Since 2017, 65 advanced recycling projects have been announced that have the potential to transfer more than 5 million metric tons of waste from landfills each year.

"The content called for by U.S. plastics manufacturers in our five sustainable change actions is substantially consistent with the content set by the EPA in its national recycling strategy. This strategy supports the expansion of the domestic recycled material market and the development of a national recycling strategy. Standards are particularly evident in reducing pollution and measuring results more effectively, as well as strengthening recycling infrastructure.

"Congress can adopt policies such as the national standard requiring plastic packaging to contain 30% recycled plastics by 2030, and the producer responsibility system designed by the United States to improve recycling and collection of all items, thereby further helping EPA implement its strategy and Achieve its recycling goals. Materials," Barka continued.

He concluded: “Consumers want to use more recycled plastic materials for packaging. More than 400 brands have promised to increase the amount of recycled materials in packaging. The goal set by American plastic manufacturers is to make plastic packaging 100% reusable and recyclable. Or it will resume in the United States by 2040. EPA’s strategy has laid the foundation for making this possible."