Maria Holuszko, a mining and engineering professor at Canada’s University of British Columbia, has developed a process to separate cellphone fiberglass and resins using gravity and other “simple” physical separation techniques. Holuszko worked with PhD student Amit Kumar on the process, according to a news release issued by the university.

“Discarded cellphones are a huge, growing source of electronic waste, with close to 2 billion new cellphones sold every year around the world and people replacing their phones every few years,” Holuszko says. “The challenge is to break down models that can no longer be reused into useful materials—in a way that doesn't harm the environment.”

© University of British Columbia

“The key here is gravity separation, which efficiently separates the fiberglass from the resin by using the differences in their densities,” Kumar says. “The separated fiberglass can then be used as a raw material for construction and insulation. In the future, if we can find a way to improve the quality of the recycled fiberglass, it may even be suitable for manufacturing new circuit boards.”

The researchers are looking into developing a large-scale commercial model of the process, in partnership with Ronin8, a Richmond, British Columbia-based recycling company that separates the different plastics, fibers and metals in electronic scrap streams.

“Ronin8 has developed an innovative e-waste process for electronic waste that aims to address the intrinsic faults in traditional e-waste processes today,” says Travis Janke, director of engineering at Ronin8. “Our vision is to achieve a zero-waste end-of-life solution for electronics, and our work with Maria and Amit at UBC has moved us closer to this reality.”

The researchers say their task has taken on a new urgency in light of China’s waste import ban, which took effect Jan. 1, 2018.

“We need a better way to manage our electronic hardware recycling, and a cost-effective, environmentally responsible method of mining e-waste for valuable materials would be a good step in that direction,” Holuszko says.

View a video about the research at www.youtube.com/watch?v=FarsLBeDTW0&feature=youtu.be. 

Portland, Oregon-based True West Capital Partners has led what it calls a $20 million junior capital investment in sorting and recycling equipment maker Bulk Handling Systems (BHS). Eugene, Oregon-based BHS indicates it will use the capital to pursue growth opportunities.

Los Angeles-based Caltius Structured Capital, which financed a management buyout of BHS in 2008 and is an equity owner of the company, co-invested in the financing.

“This investment comes at a time where we are projecting substantial growth due in large part to our launch of the Max-AI product,” comments Steve Miller, CEO of BHS. “We see a zero waste future and have an increasing number of communities committed to that goal because their residents demand it.”

BHS designs, manufactures and installs systems designed to extract recyclables from the overall waste stream. The company recently launched Max-AI, a robotic sorting system that uses artificial intelligence to select and sort specifically identified objects from the waste stream with what the company indicates is 95 percent precision.

 “The technology is recognized for dramatically improving the quality of materials generated at the sorting facility while also improving safety at material recovery facilities (MRFs),” according to the firm, which has completed hundreds of installations on five continents in the past 10 years

 “We look for companies in the Western United States with the desire to lead their industries through innovation, service and ingenuity,” says Steve Wilkins, managing director and co-founder of True West. “Bulk Handling Systems’ material handling equipment, NRT optical sorting technology and NIHOT air separation technology have set the standard for MRFs. These technologies, when combined with recent innovations such as Max-AI and Zero Waste, will enable waste haulers and MRFs to meet new state- and federally-mandated benchmarks for waste recovery across the globe,” he continues. “It is an important moment for governments, municipalities and waste management partners to see BHS’ performance, and for the company to be in a position for growth globally.”

True West provides what it calls flexible junior capital to middle-market companies in the Western U.S. with revenue figures of from $20 million to $250 million. Founded in 2009, True West states it is dedicated to building and maintaining long-term relationships with the management teams of its portfolio companies, its investors and its business community. For more information, visit

Caltius Structured Capital indicates it invests from $7 million to $50 million in companies with positive cash flow, designing flexible capital. It has invested approximately $1.2 billion in 67 transactions since 1997.

Kansas City, Missouri-based Fairbanks Scales Inc. says it will showcase its industrial scales at WasteExpo 2018, April 24-26, 2018, in Las Vegas at Booth No. 1028 in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The company’s technology that will be displayed includes the Talon HVX heavy-duty truck scale, equipped with the Intalogix Lightning/Power Surge Protection system; the HVX Cut-a-way Field Pour; the Fairbanks Access Solutions (FBAS) Entry Station; and the 1605RF remote display.

Talon HVX (highway vehicle extreme) scales are built to federal bridge standards, with strong modules boasting the lowest deflection in the industry, according to the manufacturer. Load cells are provided with armored stainless steel cabling for durability and are hermetically sealed for moisture protection. They include a 25-year warranty. Talon scales are equipped with the proprietary Intalogix lightning protection system. Designed and developed by Fairbanks, this technology has what the manufacturer says is a true digital signal, up to 1 million times stronger than a conventional analog signal, to protect the scale from harmful surges or electrical spikes.

The Fairbanks Access Solutions (FBAS) Entry Station greets vehicles with a visible and audio prompt, quickly capturing essential transaction information and sending it to the MatreX Processing System, which relays real-time information to the driver, the company says.

The 1605RF Remote Display, which has a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 3-rated enclosure for outdoor use and a wireless data interface that eliminates the need for cabling between the scale instrument and the remote display.

The FB2550 instrument to be highlighted includes even more features, functionality and connectivity for today’s truck weighing applications, Fairbanks says. Standard features include onscreen IP (internet protocol) camera interface, full-color touch-screen display, Ethernet connectivity and transaction reports via email. 

CP Group, San Diego, has introduced the CP Auger Screen, which it describes as “the industry’s first true anti-wrapping, nonblinding screen for material recovery facilities (MRFs).”

The CP Auger Screen sizes material by using a series of cantilevered augers that do not wrap or jam because of their corkscrewing motion. Any material that could wrap, such as hoses or plastic film, is released from the end of the auger, the company says.

The screen’s augers are made from abrasion-resistant steel, offering durability and requiring little to no maintenance, CP says.

When placed in front of the presort, the CP Auger Screen dramatically decreases the volume on the presort. This decreases the number of manual sorters needed and increases sorter safety by removing the small hazardous fraction, according to the manufacturer. With decreased volume on the presort, manual sorters work more efficiently.

When used as a scalping machine, the CP Auger Screen fractionates the stream into an overs stream that measures more than 5 inches and an unders stream that measure smaller than 5 inches. Rigid materials are kept together, which aids in the recovery of OCC and chip, CP says.

Terry Schneider, president and CEO of CP Group, says, “This machine is unique compared to traditional disc screens. The cantilevered augers convey large flat materials over, while fines and flexible fiber go through to the unders, and the remainder goes to the side. What really sets it apart is that it does not wrap. The auger rotors act like a corkscrew, conveying any stringy materials over the side.” He adds, “There is a lot of interest in this machine for those reasons.”

CP says it has been developing the machine and running the prototype for more than a year at its facility in San Diego. The first three units are being installed in municipal solid waste (MSW) facilities this summer, and several more are sold and in production, according to the company.

The CP Auger Screen can be used in various applications, including MSW, single stream, construction and demolition (C&D) and commercial and industrial. The largest model can handle 35 tons per hour of inbound single-stream material, 60 tons per hour of commercial material and 80 tons per hour of C&D material.

The CP Group will display the CP Auger Screen at WasteExpo in Las Vegas this April 24 to 26 at Booth No. 2336. WasteExpo conference programming and special events run from April 23 to 26.