The University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, has been awarded $4 million euros to set up a pilot facility to reclaim rare earth metals from scrap as part of the European Union-funded Horizon 2020 project SUSMAGPRO (sustainable recovery, reprocessing and reuse of rare-earth magnets in a circular economy).

The facility will focus on recycling magnets made of neodymium, boron and iron. These magnets are found in hard disk drives, household appliances, electric vehicles and wind turbine generators and are increasingly important in the transition to a green, low-carbon economy, according to a news release announcing the pilot project.

In the last 30 years, their use has increased exponentially, and demand is expected to rise to the tens of thousands of tons by 2030.

China produces around 80 percent of the world’s rare-earth metals and currently less than 1 percent is recycled, “which means it presents an exciting circular economy opportunity,” the university says. Additionally, rare earth metals have shown significant volatility in the price in recent years. Recycling the magnets will help protect the supply chain for Europe’s manufacturing base, the news release says.

The grant will fund the development of a complete European supply chain that can produce 20 tons of recycled magnets per year that would otherwise go to landfill.  

A robotic sorting line in Sweden will locate and concentrate the rare-earth magnets from scrap at Tyseley Energy Park, Birmingham. Recycling facilities in the U.K., Germany and Sweden will extract the metal alloy powders from sorted scrap, which will then be used to manufacture recycled-content magnets in plants in the U.K., Germany and Slovenia.  

The hydrogen processing of magnet scrap process was developed by University of Birmingham and “researchers will be a key aspect of the new supply chain.”

Previous methods of extracting rare-earth metals required disassembly and removal of the magnet.  The new process uses hydrogen to break down magnetic metal alloys into a powder, which is easily separated from the remaining components. The approach saves time, labor and month and also “allows the recycling unit to process multiple items at the same time. “

“Rare-earth magnets are used in practically every application that uses electricity to produce motion, and underpin industries that are worth more than $11 trillion [euros] worldwide,” Allan Walton, professor at the School of Metallurgy and Materials and one of the inventors of the process, says in the news release. “However, both the price and supply have fluctuated considerably over recent years. This means there is considerable opportunity for cost-efficient technologies, which make recycling viable in the long-term.” 

Recent studies have indicated that magnet recycling could emulate the stainless steel market, where 25 percent of demand is met by secondary material.

Ireland-based Smurfit Kappa reports that it has seen increased interest in the number of companies seeking sustainable packaging alternatives for fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Smurfit Kappa has been working on a portfolio of products designed to replace less sustainable packaging as many brands come under increasing pressure to become more sustainable, the company reports in a news release. The packaging company released a survey recently about sustainable packaging, and 75 percent of consumers indicated a preference for paper-based packaging against less sustainable alternatives.

According to a news release from Smurfit Kappa, the company is working with companies in the agricultural sector to develop more sustainable, paper-based packaging. The company has a new packaging solution it produced for Portuguese grape producer Pomares do Sol that is an easy-to-assemble corrugated container on which high-quality color and graphics can be printed to attract consumer attention. It’s also fully recyclable and designed to ensure that the condition and quality of the fruit in the packaging remains in perfect condition from farm to consumer.

“This was the result of a collaborative process with Pomares do Sol during which we analyzed all aspects of the supply chain and the product requirements,” says Raul Andre, general manager of Smurfit Kappa Celapack. “Raising the profile of the brand was a key consideration and we also created a packaging solution that has a lifespan which matches the lifespan of the product inside which is very important.” 

In addition, Smurfit Kappa has a Better Planet Packaging initiative that was released last year that seeks to reduce packaging waste and address the challenges of waste that ends up in the oceans and landfill.

Cross Country Infrastructure Services Inc., an Edison, New Jersey-based equipment and supplies provider to the construction industry, announced Aug. 8 that it has acquired Moore, Oklahoma-based Five Star Equipment Leasing & Rental LLC. Five Star is an equipment rental provider that specializes in a multitude of oil and gas and infrastructure markets. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We are excited about the addition of Five Star to the Cross Country family,” Gerry Plescia, CEO of Cross Country, says. “Five Star's utility size equipment and general equipment lines will allow us to add an expanded product offering to our existing customer base, while also increasing Cross Country's reach in the Central U.S market. Also, the addition of this outstanding operation will enable us to serve an important market with quality equipment and an experienced staff. We are pleased to welcome Bob Lewis and the Five Star sales team which are some of the best in the equipment rental industry."

Five Star Equipment Rental has been serving Oklahoma since 1997. Five Star provides equipment rental solutions and service for all of Oklahoma and its bordering states for the construction, energy, industrial and infrastructure markets. Five Star equipment rentals include earth moving, compaction, aerial, forklifts and water pumping solutions.

Over the past five years, Cross Country has acquired several companies with industry specialties that strengthened and diversified the company's services and products. These acquisitions include Power Associates International in 2013, Sideline Specialty Equipment in 2015, Stone Pump & Trench and PWI Supply in 2016, and Rain2Day in 2018. 

Twenty-four finalists from 13 countries have been selected by a panel of judges to move forward in the Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge, a global search for innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s single-use plastic problem, according to a blog post by National Geographic, Washington.

National Geographic and Sky Ocean Ventures launched the challenge February 2019, which focuses on three strategic ways to address the growing issue of plastic pollution: identifying opportunities for industries to address plastic scrap throughout supply chains, communicating the breadth of the issue through data visualization and designing alternatives to single-use plastics. 

A pool of 291 teams submitted solutions for the challenge. In the second phase of the challenge, finalists will work to improve their solutions and prepare more robust submission packets for the judges. Each finalist team will be assigned an expert advisor to provide guidance and feedback on their submission. 

The 10 finalists from the Circular Economy track are the following: Algramo, Chile; Hepi Circle, Indonesia; Infinity Goods, United States; Kabadiwalla Connect, India; Kecipir, Indonesia; Keko Box, U.S.; Muuse, Signapore; Returnity, U.S.; The Bulk Delivery Truck, U.S.; and Vessel, U.S.

"The explosive growth of e-commerce has led to an avalanche of single-use shipping packaging that is difficult or impossible to recycle," says Mike Newman, CEO of Brooklyn, New York-based Returnity, which produces customized reusable, recyclable shipping and delivery packaging guaranteed for 40 uses that replace cardboard boxes and plastic mailing bags. "We are honored to be recognized by National Geographic and Sky Ocean Rescue for the work we are doing with leading e-commerce and shipping companies to address the financial and environmental impacts of this waste and introduce solutions that will set in motion the shift to the new circular economy."

The four finalists from the Data Visualization track are the following: Cataracta, U.S.; LSU Remote Plastic Assessment Group, U.S.; #PerpetualPlastic, Germany; and “So, how long will it take?,” a collaboration from Israel and the U.S.

The 10 finalists from the Design track are the following: Astu Eco Container Box, India; Chemolex Ltd., Kenya; EarthSuds, Canada; EcoFLEXY, Denmark; Precious Planet, United Kingdom; Qwarzo, France; Ranpak’s new WrapPak Protector, Netherlands; Reboo, Denmark; Savor, U.S.; and Turning Threats into Opportunities (TTO), Kenya.

Winners will be announced December 2019 after the teams pitch their solution in person to the judges at National Geographic headquarters. The finalists and winners from each track will be entitled to a share of the $500,000 prize with select finalists entitled to a portion of $1 million in investments from Sky Ocean Ventures. 

The Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge is a key component of National Geographic’s “Planet or Plastic?” initiative, a global effort to significantly reduce the amount of single-use plastic that reaches the ocean by raising awareness, elevating science and education, advancing innovation and inspiring action.

McDonald’s UK: Paper straws can’t be recycled

McDonald’s has reportedly said that its new paper straws, which rolled out in restaurants in the U.K. and Ireland last year, can’t be recycled.

"While the materials are recyclable, their current thickness makes it difficult for them to be processed by our waste solution providers, who also help us recycle our paper cups," a McDonald's spokesman told the UK's Press Association news agency.

The issue was first reported by U.K.-based newspaper The Sun, which published an internal memo that said the company’s paper straws are "not yet recyclable and should be disposed of in general waste until further notice,” CNN reports.

The move to replace plastic straws, which were recyclable but also caused problems for processors, with paper straws supported McDonald’s goal to source 100 percent of packaging from renewable or certified sources and have packaging recycling in all restaurants globally by 2025.

“McDonald’s is committed to using our scale for good and working to find sustainable solutions for plastic straws globally,” Francesca DeBiase, executive vice president, global supply chain and sustainability, said in a press release at the time. “In addition to the exciting news from the UK today, we are testing straw alternatives in other countries to provide the best experience for our customers. We hope this work will support industry wide change and bring sustainable solutions to scale.”

The issue represents a larger challenge to find solutions to the global single-use plastic problem. The European parliament has voted to ban single-use plastic cutlery, among other plastic items, by 2021. The ban will be implemented in England by April 2020 and will come into force in all EU member states by 2021.

India rolls out 'garbage cafe'

India has launched its first “garbage cafe” in Ambikapur, according to a report by Vice. The cafe will serve homeless and poor a free meal in exchange for every kilogram of recyclables that is collected or a “substantial breakfast” for 500 grams of recyclables. The initiative aims to incentivize waste and recycling collection.

Plastic, including plastic bags, collected at the cafe will be used to build roads in Ambikapur, Vice reports. The roads are reportedly more flood resistant. The city hopes to expand the initiative to provide free shelter for homeless in exchange for recyclables.