Recycling Today magazine, tracing back to its 1963 origins as a publication called Secondary Raw Materials, has concentrated primarily on metallic, paper and (later) plastic scrap materials that have value to sellers and buyers who have identified these scrap commodities as industrial feedstock.
Over the course of more than five decades, however, our readers have consistently made us aware that, starting with collection and the most basic sorting of discarded materials, plenty of interplay occurs between the waste and recycling sectors.
Nearly two decades ago, the Recycling Today Media Group started Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine, which provides coverage of a materials stream that includes high-value metals, lower-value concrete and materials being recycled at a cost primarily to meet landfill diversion targets.
Earlier this decade we introduced Renewable Energy from Waste (REW) magazine, which brought us further into the waste sector by focusing on that portion of byproducts and discarded materials increasingly being identified as an energy source.
"In 2017 and beyond, investments and innovation in this sector and many others are likely to provide an ongoing source of business opportunities for those in the waste and recycling industries.”
In 2017 we are proud to announce the focus of REW is being broadened to include coverage of the complete solid waste spectrum under the name Waste Today. I urge readers interested in subscribing to this new publication to visit www.WasteToday Magazine.com/form/1/wt/subscribe.
Recycling and waste hauling firms, large corporations and solid waste districts are almost all seeking to maximize landfill diversion percentages, including in the food scrap and agribusiness byproducts sectors, with those materials comprising as much as 25 percent of the current waste stream.
In 2017 and beyond, investments and innovation in this sector and many others are likely to provide an ongoing source of business opportunities for those in the waste and recycling industries.
To what extent food scraps, yard trimmings and agribusiness byproducts become established alternative energy feedstocks (a material with value rather than a waste product) leads to one final point.
In its coverage, Recycling Today has long taken measures to ensure it does not use the words “scrap” and “waste” interchangeably, and we have no intention of changing that. In both our newest publication and our oldest one, traded secondary commodities and other materials with value will be referred to as scrap, while only materials that entail a cost to be properly disposed of will be referred to as waste.
Product spotlight
Departments - Product Spotlight
New and updated products for the recycling industry
Ameri-Shred, Alpena, Michigan, has added 1.5-horsepower versions to its Series 1 HDD-SSD shredders. The AMS-150-SSD and AMS-150HD-SSD are available in 120-volt or any three-phase voltage and feature:
a single shred width and a dual-cutting chamber that will shred rotary drives on one side and solid state drives (SSDs) on the other
an infeed slot, discharge bin and shred width for each chamber
can be installed as stationary machines or can be placed in trucks for mobile hard drive shredding
U.K.-based Master Magnets Ltd. in conjunction with CRJ Services, also of the U.K., have developed an integrated eddy current separator (ECS) mounted on a tracked chassis for the dual purpose of separating ferrous and nonferrous metals with one machine, according to the Magnetics Division of Global Equipment Marketing Inc., Boca Raton, Florida, which serves as the U.S. distributor. It features:
a variable speed vibratory feeder, providing a steady stream of feedstock for optimum separation
a rare-earth drum magnet for separating ferrous material integrated with a 60-inch-wide ECS for separating nonferrous material
chevron belts for separation of stockpiles
an 11-foot tracked chassis with 16-inch-wide pad crawler tracks
EBI Environnement, headquartered in Berthierville, Quebec, has invested more than $2.3 million (CA$3 million) to upgrade its material recovery facility (MRF) in Joliette, Quebec. The upgraded MRF has been operational since mid-September 2016.
Machinex, based in Plessisville, Quebec, designed and installed the upgrade, which includes a ballistic separator that can sort fiber, containers and fines; a ferrous scrap magnet; an eddy current separator; and three MACH Hyspec optical sorters that clean newspaper, ejecting PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and other fiber, and sorting HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and mixed plastics.
David Marcouiller, Machinex executive vice president of sales engineering, says, “Optical sorting has become a major component of MRF upgrades since it can sort a large quantity of materials within a short period of time and obtain a higher quality.”
Now that the modernized MRF is operating, EBI Environnement employees who formerly had to manually sort materials now are working in a quality control capacity.
Audrey Castonguay, who serves as director of communications at EBI Environnement, says, “With our new equipment, we can increase the overall quality of material recovered, particularly with fiber, plastic and aluminum containers.”
Metso installs shear in Texas, develops housing design for shredders
Waxahachie, Texas-based Oak Cliff Recycling has selected an N Series Inclined Shear (NIS) made by Metso to accelerate the way it processes bulky, oversized scrap.
“Metso NIS has the design and ability to process difficult materials quickly and efficiently,” says Benjie Smith, owner of Oak Cliff Recycling. “Cutting cycle times are fast, and the design of the moving floor in getting the scrap metal to the blades removes the added time of folding and compressing in a box.”
Smith says the Dallas-area recycling company had struggled with unwieldy materials in conventional style shears that slowed down production. Oversized and often intractable material hampered recycling processes, and the company turned to Metso for a solution.
Scott Holder, Metso regional sales manager, describes the NIS as a state-of-the-art gravity-feed shear that can accept long material and large, bulky scrap. It is available with cutting forces that range from 600 to 1,250 metric tons. According to Metso, it is ideal in preparing heavy melting scrap, auto bodies, steel mill scrap, miscellaneous shapes, pipe, plate, railcars, demolition scrap, aluminum and stainless steel materials, as well as for use in shipbreaking applications.
In other company news, Finland-based Metso says it has developed a new housing design that is available for almost every Metso Lindemann shredder model. It is intended to cut service downtime and to facilitate equipment maintenance.
Metso says the most significant improvement is the detachable front wall, which provides easier access to wear parts and speeds replacement of worn components.
Newell Recycling Equipment to distribute CEG equipment
Scott Newell, CEO of Newell Recycling Equipment LLC (NRE), El Paso, Texas, and Gualtiero Rudella, CEO of CEG Srl, have announced that NRE is now the exclusive American representative and distributor for CEG’s extensive line of balers and shear balers for the scrap metal recycling market.
CEG, based in Daverio, Italy, manufactures the Taurus range of shears and balers.
Newell says he is pleased with the new arrangement because both companies have similar histories, having both begun manufacturing scrap processing equipment in the early 1960s and having strong reputations. Newell built and sold shredding plants, while CEG’s focus was on shears and balers. Both companies have sold their scrap processing machinery worldwide.
NRE says it has manufactured or licensed approximately two-thirds of the 850 full-sized shredders in the world and almost all the world’s shredders have design features based on the original Newell designs.
During the same period, CEG says it has manufactured and sold more than 700 shears and balers internationally, including more than 40 machines for the U.S. market that were manufactured under license.
The Newell family, beginning with Alton Newell Sr., who was an auto wrecking yard operator, has been operating scrap processing plants since 1939. Newell Sr. invented and began using what is believed to be the first truly mobile baler for automobiles. Around 1960, he invented and patented a shredder that was widely used in Newell Recycling Co. plants, the equipment supplier says.
The partnership with CEG allows NRE to be able to serve all scrap processors, not just the shredding industry.
Navistar launches Core Advantage Program
Navistar, Lisle, Illinois, has launched the Core Advantage Program, a new approach for core life cycle management. The Core Advantage Program allows fleet owners to manage their core and remanufacturing activity through tools like the Navistar proprietary software Core Management System (CMS).
Cores are used or failed parts that have been returned by the customer. They are used to remanufacture a returned part and to restore it to “like new” condition.
Remanufactured parts carry the same features and functionality as new parts and come with the same warranty, Navistar says. With the new Core Advantage Program, fleets can now have their own account number and location codes within CMS, which streamlines their ability to see and run reports on purchases, return history, core eligibility and core fallout rates across multiple locations.
Estes Express Lines Parts Manager Jim Cliborne, who was part of the pilot program, says, “The new program from Navistar has worked well for us. It’s been instrumental in increasing recovery on end-of-life trucks and reducing our maintenance costs.”
In other company news, Navistar was honored in the first-ever Analytics 50 Awards. Drexel University, Philadelphia, and CIO.com announced the winners, with Navistar’s Analytics team, represented by Dan Pikelny, vice president of analytics, being one of the honorees. The goal of the Analytics 50 Awards program is to honor 50 companies that are using analytics to solve business challenges.
To be considered for the Analytics 50 Awards, Navistar described how it came up with an analytics-based solution to address a current business challenge. The analytics team has developed algorithms to predict the lifetime failure rate and sets alerts on future risk, instead of focusing on historical experience, which means the team is helping fleet managers detect problems and prepare accordingly, the company says.
Wrightspeed and The Ratto Group unveil range-extended electric collection truck
Wrightspeed Inc., an Alameda, California-based manufacturer of range-extended electric vehicle powertrains for heavy-duty applications, and The Ratto Group, a Santa Rosa, California-based waste, yard waste and recycling collection and processing company, have unveiled the first commercial application of a range-extended electric collection truck.
Wrightspeed says that with the support of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, communities in Sonoma and surrounding counties will be served by a fleet of clean, quiet trucks from The Ratto Group that are powered by Wrightspeed’s range-extended powertrain, The Route.
The Route powertrains are displacing conventional diesel engine and transmission systems in commercial trucks and mass transit fleets, Wrightspeed says. Designed to deliver economic, environmental and performance benefits in original equipment manufacturers- (OEM-) installed new vehicles and existing fleet retrofits, The Route is a scalable solution that has been recognized by the state of California for its ability to help meet climate and air quality mandates. Wrightspeed was awarded $7 million in grants by the California Energy Commission to further develop the technology for broad-based adoption.
Wrightspeed and The Ratto Group presented the new truck during a Nov. 2, 2016, press conference in Sonoma County that included comments from Sonoma County Chairman of the Board Efren Carrillo, Chief Operating Officer of The Ratto Group Lou Ratto and Wrightspeed Founder and CEO Ian Wright.
“Today is a milestone for Sonoma County in terms of improving local air quality and upholding environmental standards,” Carrillo said at the time of the press conference.
“Sonoma County citizens have shown their high interest and support for innovative solutions that benefit our greenhouse gas reduction goals.”
He continued, “We applaud Wrightspeed and The Ratto Group for their commitment to innovation and for blazing a path for the future of solid and compostable waste as well as recycling in Sonoma County and beyond.”
The Ratto Group’s fleet services more than 140,000 customers in Sonoma County, Mariposa County, the city of Novato and in West Marin. Ratto and Wrightspeed say they plan to roll out more than 15 Route-equipped trucks to meet community needs.
AgPro joins JCB dealer network
AgPro Equipment Services Inc., headquartered in Hettinger, North Dakota, joins JCB’s North American dealer network as AgPro JCB. The dealership now offers JCB’s agricultural equipment, including high-speed Fastracs, telehandlers, skid steers and compact track loaders with side-entry doors and a patented, single-arm PowerBoom.
Founded in 2007, AgPro Equipment is an independently owned and operated business offering a wide range of agricultural services to individual farmers, ranchers and equipment dealers. In addition to a full line of diverse agricultural equipment, AgPro Equipment features a full-service department for equipment maintenance and repair, as well as for financing and leasing opportunities. The dealership also offers agricultural, industrial, heavy-duty truck and automobile parts through many suppliers and distributors and has a fully authorized NAPA auto, truck and ag parts store.
In addition to offering JCB equipment, AgPro JCB has adopted JCB’s overall look and brand at its Hettinger location. The dealership says it will use advertising and marketing materials to further communicate the availability of JCB equipment within central and southwestern North Dakota.
“In less than a decade, the company has managed to create an outstanding business and a network of customers who know they can rely on AgPro Equipment’s products and services to meet their agricultural needs,” Richard Fox-Marrs, Savannah, Georgia-based JCB North America president of agriculture, says of its new dealer. “We’re excited to be a part of the company’s growth and look forward to working together for a successful future,” he adds.
Crigler Enterprises expands its role with American Baler
American Baler, headquartered in Bellevue, Ohio, has announced that it has assigned the state of Florida to its Georgia dealer, Crigler Enterprises.
Crigler is based in Atlanta with established operations in Florida.
Companies in Georgia and Florida that are interested in American Baler’s products can contact Wayne Crigler by email at wcrigler@crigler.com or by phone at 404-874-4401.
For more than 70 years, American Baler has been building horizontal balers used for recycling a wide range of materials. Additional dealer contact information is available at www.americanbaler.com.
Zimmer America adds Beccaria product line
Spartanburg, South Carolina-based Zimmer America Recycling Solutions has announced it is the exclusive sales representative to North America for equipment made by Beccaria Srl, Scarnafigi, Italy.
Beccaria manufactures a range of equipment and plants for the plastics industry, including for mixing and blending, batching, storing and transporting plastic granulate, flakes and powder.
Other equipment made by Beccaria includes:
big-bag emptying, filling, and weighing stations;
screw conveyors and pneumatic conveying systems;
single and double-shaft batch mixers and rotating double-cone mixers;
hot air mixers/dryers for granulate;
mixing/blending silos;
storage silos for granulate or powders; and
storage and dosing plants for extruders.
Shared Logic announces new Ohio DPS integration
Holland, Ohio-based The Shared Logic Group Inc. has announced the integration of the state of Ohio “Do Not Buy” list. In a letter from Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) sent to scrap metal businesses that are registered in Ohio, the new “one swipe” functionality was announced as a way to have to swipe the potential seller’s identification card only one time.
Shared Logic’s RIMAS (Recycling Industry Management and Accounting System) NTP software has integrated and uploaded Ohio DPS information since it was first available in 2015. The company has now upgraded this integration to include a check from the state of Ohio’s “Do Not Buy” list. This check calls upon the list for each ID card and displays data if any are found.
“This development allows our customers to cross-reference the state’s database directly from our software instead of using a web browser to login and run a query for each ID card,” says The Shared Logic Group. “This upgrade is being made available at no additional costs to our customers.”
Since 1982 The Shared Logic Group has been providing the recycling industry with accounting and management software solutions and has more than 3,000 licensed users today.
May 21-24: Strive for Sustainability Solid Waste & Recycling Conference with Trade Show, Bolton Landing, New York, New York Federation of Solid Waste Associations, https://conference.nyfederation.org
California’s Port of Long Beach (POLB) is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the POLB handles $180 billion in trade annually. The POLB is a major economic engine for the Southern California region, supporting 1 in 8 jobs in Long Beach, 300,000 jobs in Southern California and 1.4 million jobs nationwide.
As the second-busiest seaport in North America, POLB moved 7.2 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in 2015 and exported more than 380,000 TEUs of recovered paper and scrap plastic in 2015, which was 14 percent of our total laden container exports. We would like to thank the recycling industry for your confidence in our port and for your business.
Containerized cargo makes up about 75 percent of total volume, but the POLB is an omniport, moving all types of cargo. In addition to six container terminals, the port complex houses eight dry bulk terminals, six liquid bulk terminals, five break bulk terminals and two roll-on/roll-off facilities.
Port improvements
As cargo volume grows and ship size escalates, we continue to ensure efficient movement of your cargo. We are investing $4 billion this decade to improve our infrastructure—building a new bridge, creating a fully automated, zero-emissions megaterminal and increasing on-dock rail capacity. This aggressive capital spending plan is one of the many reasons we have been named “Best American Seaport” by Asia Cargo News 18 times in the past 21 years.
Where is this $4 billion being spent? To start, POLB is building the new $1.5 billion Gerald Desmond Bridge, which will replace the current bridge. It will be 205 feet above the water, 50 feet higher than the current bridge. This will allow for megasized ships to travel underneath and reach our north harbor. It will have additional lanes in each direction, including emergency and bike lanes. The bridge is important commercially because about 15 percent of all U.S. imports travel on it. The new bridge will be completed in 2018 and will be an iconic structure for the city of Long Beach. With its towers, it will be 500 feet tall—the tallest structure in the city. It also will be the largest cable-stayed bridge west of the Mississippi River.
Our new $1.5 billion Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) is the world’s first all-electric, zero-emissions automated megaterminal. It is owned by Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) and is opening in three phases. Phase one opened in April 2016, adding 10 percent more container capacity to the POLB. In 2020, the final phase will be completed, adding another 20 percent of container capacity. Upon completion, LBCT will have the capacity to move 3.3 million TEUs per year. If this terminal were a port, it would be considered the fourth-largest port complex in the United States. In addition, LBCT will be able to handle the largest ships being built—up to 24,000 TEUs. The terminal will have 4,280 feet of berth space and 14 ship-to-shore gantry cranes and can expand to 18 cranes.
POLB also is spending $1 billion to double on-dock rail capacity. Five of our six container terminals have on-dock rail. Currently, we move about 26 percent of all our cargo on rail. Our goal is to reach 50 percent within the next 10 years. Increased use of on-dock rail will significantly relieve truck and terminal congestion and dramatically increase the speed that we move containers through the port. On-dock rail also will increase terminal capacity, allowing us to move more containers per acre on an annual basis. We can continue to grow container volumes without building costly new terminals. Moving cargo by rail is not only more efficient, saving shippers time and money, but it also reduces the impact of port operations on the environment. On average, one train at the port is the equivalent of taking 750 trucks off the road.
Big ships
Why is the POLB spending so much of our resources on infrastructure? We have several reasons, but the main one is big ships. Ever-escalating ship size necessitates new strategic thinking by seaports globally. Consider these numbers: In 2015, we saw overall container volumes jump 7 percent. At the same time, the number of containers went up 54 percent, while the numbers of container ship visits were down 31 percent. This means that we receive more cargo at once, delivered on megasized ships. To stay competitive with other ports and to grow our cargo market share, we must improve our infrastructure so we can accommodate the biggest ships and move mass amounts of cargo efficiently.
How big are these megasized vessels currently arriving at berth at the POLB? In February 2016, our port welcomed the largest vessel to call on North America: the 18,000 TEU Compagnie Maritime d’Affrètement - Compagnie Générale Maritime (CMA CGM) Benjamin Franklin. This vessel is as tall as a 20-story building, as long as four football fields and as wide as a 12-lane freeway. We are a deep-water port; our main channel is 72 feet deep, and many of our berths are larger than 50 feet. We are big-ship ready!
Greening operations
The POLB is doing much more for our shippers, industry and communities than improving our infrastructure. As the “Green Port,” we know economic and environmental sustainability are two sides of the same coin. We continue to implement new strategies to reduce harmful pollution from the port complex and surrounding areas. Since 2005, the POLB has cut diesel particulate matter by 81 percent. In addition, nitrogen oxide emissions were down 54 percent, and sulfur oxide emissions were down 88 percent over the same period. These results, from data collected through 2012, represent six straight years of improving air quality in the harbor area. Initiatives such as the Green Flag, the Green Ship and the Clean Trucks program continue to reduce pollution for the surrounding communities.
We applaud the paper and plastic recycling industries for pushing forward your own sustainable initiatives.
Changing alliances
In the shipping community, overcapacity of vessel space on the water is creating uncertainty and anxiety. Cargo demand has not kept up with increasing ship size. The future of shipping lines and the alliances are in flux. In April 2017, the current four shipping alliances—G6, Ocean 3, 2M and CKYHE—will become three—The Ocean Alliance (CMA CGM, American President Lines [APL], COSCO China Shipping, Evergreen and OOCL), THE Alliance (Nippon Yusen Kaisha [NYK], Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. [K-Line], Mitsui O.S.K. Lines [MOL], Yang Ming, Hapag Lloyd) and the 2M (Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Co. [MSC]).
While these alliances shift, we will see mergers occur. Earlier this year, COSCO and China Shipping announced a merger, and the three Japanese lines—K-Line, MOL and NYK—recently have agreed to merge. Hapax Lloyd is acquiring UASC, Maersk is purchasing Hamburg Sod and Hanjin Shipping went bankrupt. Until containerized cargo supply and demand finds its equilibrium, we will continue to see mergers and acquisitions in the shipping community.
Through all the uncertainty and challenges in the shipping community, the POLB’s value proposition remains strong. The POLB is still the shortest, fastest and most cost-effective gateway for goods moving to Asia. With both Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific (UP) servicing the Southern California gateway, the POLB handles cargo from every part of the United States.
Additional priorities
Shipping line challenges aside, POLB recognizes other issues related to the movement of cargo across the maritime supply chain. Our Supply Chain Optimization (SCO) Initiative is ongoing and continues to make the POLB more efficient operationally. With participation and input from all sectors of the supply chain, including shipping lines, shippers, truckers, railroads, labor and container terminals, the POLB is tackling issues such as chassis management and availability, terminal and truck gate issues and data sharing.
Safety and security are top priorities at the POLB. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the POLB and the other government agencies responsible for security have greatly expanded their efforts to protect the port complex and surrounding communities. The POLB takes a leadership role in the development of strategies to mitigate security risks in the port complex, working closely with multiple partners, both public and private, to plan and coordinate security measures. In February 2009, the POLB inaugurated its new, state-of-the art Joint Command and Control Center. The $21 million, 25,000-square-foot facility houses the POLB Security Division and Harbor Patrol, as well as units from other local and federal agencies. In keeping with the port’s Green Port Policy, the structure is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, incorporating environmentally friendly design, recycled materials, energy efficiency and sustainable construction practices.
The POLB believes that, even with many challenges, our future together is big.
The authors are with the Business Development Division of the Port of Long Beach in California.