Bremen, Germany-based Nehlsen AG has announced that as of June 1, 2020, it will take over three scrap recycling operations from Berlin-based ALBA Group. The companies have chosen not to disclose the sales price for the three sites, all of which are in the Netherlands.

According to Nehlsen, it has acquired Interseroh Evert Heeren GmbH, which has locations in Leer and Emden, Netherlands, and its previous subsidiary ALBA Metaal Recycling Nederland B.V. in Groningen, Netherlands.

The three locations will be part of Nehlsen E. Heeren GmbH and be rebranded as its 100 percent controlled subsidiary Nehlsen Metaal Recycling B.V. Nehlsen says “all 85 jobs will be preserved.”

The transaction entails Nehlsen expanding its service portfolio with the recycling of metals and steel scrap and entering a lucrative market, says the firm. The company has traditionally focused on solid waste and nonmetallic recycling hauling, disposal and processing.

“This takeover marks an important milestone in our company’s history and gives us the opportunity to expand and strengthen our market position both in the region and in our portfolio, and to position ourselves optimally for the future,” states Oliver Groß (Gross), CEO of Nehlsen AG.

The site in Leer has access to northern Europe’s river barge and seaport system, according to Gross. “This results in significant synergy effects for all other Nehlsen AG companies based in East Frisia [a state in northwest Germany that borders the Netherlands]. In addition, we are operating in the Netherlands for the first time and are opening up the market.”

Speaking on behalf of the ALBA Group, Thorsten Greb, its chief operating officer and head of steel and metal, comments, “Expanding the field of activity in combination with regional synergies is an important prerequisite for the further development of Interseroh Evert Heeren. The new owner Nehlsen brings with its depth regional roots and its existing portfolio. It is also the ideal successor for us because it takes over all of our well-deserved employees. That was important to us.”

Agilyx Corp., a firm specialized in the chemical recycling of postuse plastics based in Portland, Oregon, has announced plans to collaborate with Oregon Metro, a regional government group based in Portland, Oregon, to pilot a polystyrene (PS) foam collection program. The PS foam will be aggregated at the Metro South Transfer Station in Oregon City, Oregon, and recycled to new material using Agilyx’s technology.

According to a news release from Agilyx, Metro South Transfer Station began accepting clean expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) packaging at its recycling area May 22. Agilyx will then preprocess the collected EPS and ship it to Regenyx, a joint venture between Agilyx and Americas Styrenics that operates an advanced recycling facility in Tigard, Oregon.

Agilyx states that new PS items produced using the advance recycled EPS at Regenyx have up to 70 percent lower carbon footprint when compared with virgin plastics. The overarching goal of this pilot is to act as a model to develop additional collection programs throughout Portland and further increase plastic recovery by expanding access to drop-off facilities.

“We are very excited to help develop new programs to increase residential postconsumer plastic recovery through a Circular pathway,” says Joe Vaillancourt, CEO of Agilyx. “It is our mission to increase plastic recovery globally and we see this pilot program as a model to help other communities develop similar programs. We are proud to be working with Metro, a governmental group that is focused on providing their constituents environmentally focused programs to rethink end-of-life plastics.”

“We serve over 250,000 self-haul customers in the greater Portland region every year. And every year, we have been asked to recycle Styrofoam,” says Penny Erickson, superintendent at Metro South. “We are thrilled to be able to now offer that service.”

Spain’s Ministry of Ecological Transition has published a ministerial order that establishes the criteria to determine when recovered paper for use in the manufacture of recycled paper is no longer considered waste. 

According to a news release from the Spanish Association of Pulp and Paper Manufacturers (ASPAPEL), Madrid, the association is encouraged by the new regulation. 

“From ASPAPEL, we welcome this new legal figure, in the belief that it is a great opportunity for the entire chain of paper and cardboard recycling as a whole, as it will help guarantee the quality of the material, reduce the bureaucratic burden and eliminate barriers to the free movement of this raw material,” says David Barrio, director of recycling and logistics at ASPAPEL.

Andrea Orallo, director of the Spanish Forum of Paper for Recycling that represents the paper and board recovery sector in ASPAPEL, adds that she believes it’s essential that the regulation includes the need to maintain European sector-wide standards at all times during the process of declassifying waste, specifically EN 643, the European List of Standard Grades of Paper and Board for Recycling, and EN 17085, Sampling Procedures for Paper and Board for Recycling. She says compliance with European standards involves implementing and verifying a quality management system, issuing a statement of compliance for each shipment, performing quality controls and providing information on the material that is no longer waste.

According to ASPAPEL, the application of the new “waste-to-product” model is voluntary for each shipment, but “it is expected that its application will be generalized by mutual agreement between manufacturers and reclaimers,” Orallo says. “This new legal figure will help to professionalize and modernize the sector, improve the recycling circuit for paper and cardboard in Spain and promote the circular economy model.”

According to a news release from ASPAPEL, the regulation is only applicable in Spain, but it expects it will pave the way for similar regulations in other European countries in the future.

The Plastics Industry Association (Plastics), Washington, has announced two staff promotions designed to strengthen its sustainability and materials portfolios. Ashley Hood-Morley is now senior director of sustainability and materials, and Patrick Krieger is the director of sustainability and materials.

Hood-Morley will oversee all projects and programs related to the association’s materials, sustainability and recycling initiatives. Krieger will be responsible for various sustainability initiatives, such as Operation Clean Sweep (OCS), New End Market Opportunities (NEMO), Marine Debris and the Bioplastics division, which he currently oversees.

Glenn Anderson, Plastics vice president, industry relations and member engagement, announced the promotions to all staff members.

"Our industry and our members continue to put extra energy into developing more sustainability initiatives," Anderson says. "That is one of the reasons why we have increased the talent in this area with the promotions of Ashley and Patrick. They both have a strong background in our industry and will energize our initiatives to develop a robust sustainability platform in support of our members and the industry as a whole."

Prior to joining Plastics, Hood-Morley was with Eastman Chemical Co. for seven years as a staff engineer and then managing product stewardship. She has a chemical engineering background, with extensive experience working with material suppliers and sustainability programs. 

“Having worked at Plastics for more than five years, it’s been a pleasure experiencing the growth in our recycling and sustainability initiatives,” Hood-Morley says. “I’m excited to continue the journey with such a strong association.”

Krieger has been with Plastics for five years. Prior to joining the association, he managed regulatory affairs for the Animal Health Institute (AHI), serving primarily to support the Veterinary Biologics Section.

“I’m looking forward to building our marine debris initiatives and continuing to manage our bioplastics division,” Krieger says. “I enjoy working at Plastics because we bring together experts from various backgrounds to collaborate and solve pressing issues, as they relate to protecting our environment.”

The association says it plans further additions to its sustainability personnel. 

“Plastics is entering a new era,” President and CEO Tony Radoszewski, says. “It’s a time of wonderful opportunities for our industry and our members. Making changes in our sustainability area is just one of the progressive moves we’ll be making. We’ll continue to promote the use of recycled plastics and provide best management practices to help companies achieve their sustainability goals.

“Congratulations to Ashley and Patrick,” he adds.