The Hydro Aluminum Metal business unit of Norway-based Norsk Hydro ASA has announced it made the investment decision for the construction of what it calls a new “state-of-the-art aluminum recycling plant” that will produce an estimated 120,000 metric tons of aluminum extrusion ingot per year in Cassopolis, Michigan—approximately 45 miles southwest of Kalamazoo.

The company signed a letter of intent in July to acquire the land in Cassopolis, calling the move “a key step in [Hydro’s] ambition of doubling its recycling of postconsumer aluminum by 2025.” The aluminum produced will be used in automotive and other transportation applications and for building products, according to Hydro.

“The Cassopolis greenfield development will mark the first large-scale production of Hydro Circal extrusion ingot in North American,” says Eivind Kallevik, executive vice president of Hydro Aluminum Metal. “We look forward to bringing this high-quality, low-carbon product to our most demanding customers.”

With a growing focus on sustainability, Hydro says a number of its North American customers have expressed interest in Hydro Circal extrusion ingot, which contains at least 75 percent postconsumer scrap certified by third-party auditors DNV GL. The company plans to use technologies developed at its recycling plants in Luxembourg and Spain.

Hydro will deliver initial quantities of Hydro Circal to U.S. customers from its plant in Commerce, Texas, before the end of 2021 in anticipation of the capacity at Cassopolis.

The expected investment currently is estimated to be around $140 million, depending on final facility design, market conditions and economic development. Hydro plans to use direct rail service to bring supplies to the plant to help lower the overall carbon footprint of its operations.

Investment is pending a final building decision, which is expected in the first half of 2022.

Bryson Recycling, a recycler based in Northern Ireland, has installed a robotic picker from Recycleye, a manufacturer based in London. Bryson Recycling says it hopes the robot will increase the quality and efficiency of its operations.

According to a news release from Bryson, the waste-picking robot is called Recycleye Robotics and performs the physical tasks of identifying, picking and placing materials faster than humans. The company says the robot is also more accurate, improving the purity of sorted items.

According to Recycleye, the Recycleye Robotics can run 24/7, which is more economically efficient than relying on manual pickers. The intelligent picking system is powered by Recycleye Vision, an artificial intelligence (AI) computer vision system driven by machine learning. The system detects all individual items on waste streams by material and object.

“Waste automation will help solve the world’s waste problem, and we are so proud to have been chosen by Bryson to bring this automation to Northern Ireland,” says Victor Dewulf, CEO of Recycleye. “Our Recycleye Vision solution enables Bryson to track the purity of its sorted materials, helping to generate greater value for this leading social enterprise, which is equally good for local people and for the planet.”

Recycleye says the AI system sits on top of the facility’s existing waste stream conveyor belts, providing the site manager with total visibility on the waste stream. The robot is used on existing waste streams, alongside but separate to humans, who continue to work in the company’s facilities.

Bryson Recycling collects and processes materials from more than 50 percent of homes in Northern Ireland and employs more than 300 people across nine sites in Northern Ireland, Donegal and Wales.  This supports work for local people and the continued development of the U.K.’s circular economy as the recyclables stay in the U.K. 

“We are delighted to be working with Recycleye to assess the potential of AI in our plant,” says Eric Randal, director of Bryson. “Our expectation is that the technology will help track and improve quality standards for key material streams we sell to local markets which will ultimately help the growth of the U.K.’s circular economy.”

Paper Round, a commercial recycler based in Brighton, England, has acquired Reef Environmental, an environmental solutions company based in East Sussex, England. Reef Environmental provides confidential document destruction, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling, hazardous waste disposal services and more.

Paper Round says the acquisition will expand its operations into East Sussex and Kent, England.

“The acquisition of Reef reinforces our commitment to business growth and allows us to expand our coverage throughout Sussex and Kent,” says Bill Swan, managing director of Paper Round. “Our Brighton business posted its best month in September, despite the pandemic. We’re looking forward to building on the high-quality service that Reef Environmental provides its customers.”

The company says the announcement comes after its commitment to producing net-zero greenhouse gases by 2030. The company also is in the process of electrifying its fleet with the purchase of three electric dustcarts costing more than $1.1 million. 

The Washington-based Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), a business council advancing sustainability in the vinyl industry, has presented its 2021 Recycling Award to Lakeland Polymers, a plastics recycler in Boonton, New Jersey. The company was recognized for its Flex-Tech Gas Hose Recycling Program.

"Lakeland's innovative reprocessing strategy allows them to turn scrap from two different types of plastic into a reusable feedstock for alternative applications," says Jay Thomas, executive director of the VSC. "This type of product innovation keeps polyvinyl chloride (PVC) out of the landfill."

According to a news release from the council, the award recognizes the efforts of North American recyclers and manufacturers that find solutions and markets for PVC end-of-life or scrap materials. Companies also are recognized if they find ways to increase recycled vinyl content in products or engage in partnerships with companies in take-back programs.

In February, Lakeland Polymers partnered with Flex-Tech Hose of San Marcos, Texas, to find a solution to a PVC and copolyester scrap issue. Lakeland developed a custom recycling process that allowed the incompatible materials in the scrap to be processed into a reusable form.

"Our experience in recycling PVC scrap materials gives us the ability to develop solutions to reclaim hard to recycle items,” says David Maute, co-owner of Lakeland Polymers. “This project was another step for us to help minimize waste and further our sustainability efforts for our customers and suppliers."

Lakeland says it processes more than 45,000 pounds per month of PVC scrap material from Flex-Tech in this program. So far, the partnership has diverted more than 325,000 pounds of PVC from landfills extending the life and sustainable use of vinyl.