In recognition of its innovation and commitment to sustainability in the design and manufacture of new products, the Washington-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has named Lexmark its 2020 Design for Recycling (DFR) Award winner.

The DFR Award is given annually to the most innovative contribution to products designed with recycling in mind. Lexmark received the award specifically for the design of its toner cartridges, and 95 percent of those toner cartridges contain at least some postconsumer resin (PCR). 

“As ISRI’s highest honor, the Design for Recycling Award recognizes those who put recycling and sustainability at the forefront of their product design,” says Robin Wiener, ISRI president. “Through the development of its toner cartridges from the initial concept stages all the way to end of life, Lexmark has worked to actively incorporate the design for recycling principles in every element. ISRI is proud to recognize Lexmark as the 2020 design for recycling award recipient, and we look forward to their continued work to design with recycling in mind.”

In addition to the Lexmark toner cartridges containing nearly 100 percent PCR, Lexmark reuses and recycles cartridge parts through planned cartridge design, selection of materials that work well with its recycling process and by enabling the return of end-of-life cartridges for reuse and recycling. The company has its own Responsible Recycling- (R2-) certified recycling center, where it aims to receive every cartridge back for recycling.

“Lexmark provides sustainable solutions throughout the entire product lifecycle—from sustainable design to efficient use to responsible recycling,” says John Gagel, chief sustainability officer at Lexmark. “Sustainable design is one of Lexmark's key CSR pillars. Winning the DFR Award validates our commitment to using materials derived from sustainable sources that are designed to have minimal impact on the environment throughout the print life cycle.” 

Lexmark started planning for PCR content in the plastics in its cartridges in 2008, accomplishing 2 percent. In 2018, the average PCR content included in its latest line of cartridges was an average of 21 percent, which led to the current PCR content of 95 percent.

Lexmark received the award during ISRI’s Virtual 2020 Awards Ceremony Oct. 21.

To be eligible for this award, a product must be designed/redesigned and manufactured to:

• contain the maximum amount of materials that are recyclable;
• be easily recycled through current or newly designed recycling processes and procedures;
• be cost-effective to recycle whereby the cost to recycle does not exceed the value of its recycled materials;
• be free of hazardous materials that are not recyclable or impede the recycling process;
• minimize the time and cost involved to recycle the product;
• reduce the use of raw materials by including recycled materials and/or components; and
• have a net gain in the overall recyclability of the product while reducing the overall negative impact on the environment.

ISRI began presenting the award more than 10 years ago. Previous winners include Nestlé Waters North America, Dell Inc., EcoStrate, Samsung, LG Electronics Inc., Cascades Fine Papers Group, Hewlett-Packard, The Herman Miller Co. and Wind Simplicity.

Fagus GreCon Inc., a supplier in development of fire prevention solutions, has announced its new dual leadership team. The company's U.S. base is in Charlotte, North Carolina, while its global headquarters is in Hanover, Germany. 

Uwe Kahmann, has been the company's managing director since 2007. Michael Gawronski, who has a PhD. in physics, is the new managing director. He succeeds Ernst Greten who performed the functions as managing director on an interim basis since the beginning of this year.

Kahmann will continue to focus on the commercial and sales activities of the Fagus GreCon Group, while Gawronski will primarily work with the vast technical portfolio.

Previously, Gawronski was vice president business segment enterprise and industrial projects and member of the board of the Business Group Industrial Solutions of the Leoni AG with headquarters in Nuremberg. Leoni supplies wires, cables and wiring systems. He will focus on the current and future technology of Fagus GreCon based on his strategic experiences in identifying and the development of new digital business opportunities.

“I’m looking forward to driving the technological development of this very innovative company, and I am confident to provide valuable insights from my years of experience in technologically demanding industries,” Gawronski says.

For the first time in the company’s 109 year history, there is no family owner representation in daily management. “Michael Gawronski and I are fully aware of the enormous responsibility we are undertaking,” Kahmann says. “The values this company stands for will continue to be maintained, with great commitment and the support of the shareholders. These values stand for continuity and will be the basis of our entrepreneurial decisions and positioning as an attractive employer brand."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Sims Metal Management (SMM) New England Corp., Johnston, Rhode Island, have reached a settlement resolving administrative penalty claims that the company allegedly violated the federal Clean Air Act. Under the settlement, SMM will come into compliance with state and federal clean air requirements and will pay $250,000 in penalties.

“These settlements send a strong message that all facilities are required to comply with the Clean Air Act and state permitting regulations to control harmful air emissions,” says Dennis Deziel, regional administrator of the EPA’s Region 1 office.

According to a statement from Sims Metal Management, the company says it settled a matter with the state of Rhode Island that had been in the works “for some time.”

“Sims Metal Management worked cooperatively and in good faith with the state to obtain this resolution,” the company says in a statement to Recycling Today. “This matter pertains to complaints about alleged air emissions from the Sims Metal Management shredder in Johnston, Rhode Island, which has not been in operation since April 6, 2020. While the U.S. EPA participated in the negotiations, the state was the lead governmental organization.”

EPA in concert with Rhode Island’s attorney general and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) had alleged that SMM constructed a new major source of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions without securing a permit and without installing required emissions controls, the EPA states in a news release on the settlement with SMM. In Rhode Island’s related action, the Rhode Island Superior Court finalized a consent judgment in September under which SMM will pay a separate penalty to the state and will take steps necessary to come into compliance with air permitting and air pollution control requirements.

The metal shredder that SMM owns and operates at its Johnston location shreds end-of-life automobiles, appliances and other light gauge recyclable metal-bearing materials. This electrically operated, 7,000-horsepower shredder generates enough heat to melt or burn the plastics, paints and oils in the scrap metal materials, which the EPA says cause emissions of VOCs, particulate matter and toxic air contaminants.

“As is typical for this sort of settlement, the settlement agreement with the state (called a consent judgment) was filed with the court at the same time as the state filed a complaint, which was needed so that a court may have a basis to approve the settlement. It is worth noting that this case was about regulatory compliance, specifically about what type of permit this shredder needed. The issue here was our desire to be responsible members of the community,” the company states. “Even though we continue to believe that we did not require the type of permit alleged in the complaint, we wanted to put this issue past us and focus on how best to go forward in Rhode Island in a COVID and post-COVID world.”

According to the statement from Sims, this latest resolution with the EPA was reached at the same time as the settlement with the state of Rhode Island. The U.S. EPA elected to file its administrative resolution, called a consent agreement and final order, only after the court approved the state settlement. Court approval occurred Sept. 21 and the resolution with the U.S. EPA was filed Sept. 25.

“RIDEM is pleased with the settlement reached in this important case, and that our collective efforts with the attorney general and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will result in the company coming into compliance with Rhode Island's Clean Air Act,” says Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit. 

Graphic Packaging Holding Co., a packaging solutions provider based in Atlanta, has announced that net organic sales growth has exceeded 4 percent for the third quarter of 2020 compared with the same quarter in 2019.

In the third quarter of 2020, Graphic Packaging achieved net sales of $1,697.7 million compared with $1,581.6 million in the same time period in 2019, according to the company’s Oct. 20 earnings report. Graphic Packaging states that this is a 7.3 percent increase from the same time in 2019. Net organic sales grew 4.2 percent in the third quarter of 2020 compared with where they were at in the third quarter of 2019, and net organic sales grew 3.5 percent for the first nine months of 2020 compared with the same time period in 2019.

The company says the sales growth in the third quarter can be attributed to improved volume and mix related to organic growth and acquisitions as well as $6.9 million in favorable foreign exchange.

“We continue to deliver excellent results in 2020 consistent with our Vision 2025 goals, and we are capturing organic sales growth as we answer the call from consumers for more sustainable packaging solutions,” says Michael Doss, president and CEO at Graphic Packaging Holding Co. “Net organic sales growth accelerated on a sequential basis to over 4 percent in the third quarter. Our business pipeline remains robust, and we are uniquely positioned to capture growth with our innovative fiber-based packaging solutions.”

The company reports that net income was $63.7 million for the third quarter of 2020 compared with $52.1 million in the third quarter of 2019. Additionally, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was $250.2 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared with $244.3 million in the third quarter of 2019. The company reports that adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter of 2020 was positively impacted by $14.8 million of favorable volume and mix, $3 million of commodity input cost deflation, $6.7 million of improved net operating performance and $3.4 million of foreign exchange.

Graphic Packaging states that its total debt increased $184.6 million during the third quarter of 2020 to $3,713.9 million compared with the second quarter of 2020. Total net debt increased $212.7 million in the third quarter of 2020 to $3,658.4 million compared with the second quarter of 2020. Additionally, capital expenditures for the third quarter of 2020 were $119.1 million, up compared with $71.6 million in the third quarter of 2019, largely due to the investment in a new coated recycled board paper machine in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

“At Graphic Packaging, we are ensuring continuity of service for our customers, a safe environment for our employees and long-term returns for our stakeholders,” Doss concludes. “Our transformation to a growth culture is a direct result of the compelling value proposition we offer customers and the ongoing investments we are making to ensure we lead the industry in quality, service and innovation. Our teams are executing during a challenging time, and we are committed to leadership in the paperboard packaging industry by providing sustainable and exciting new packaging solutions.”