Waste Connections Inc., Toronto, has announced that it has acquired American Disposal Services Inc. and certain affiliates. American, based in Manassas, Virginia, is one of the largest privately owned solid waste collection and recycling businesses in the Mid-Atlantic. American has total annualized revenues of approximately $175 million and serves approximately 400,000 customers in Virginia, Maryland, Georgia and Colorado.

"American is the market leader in northern Virginia, where the majority of its assets are located.  In addition to providing new market platforms for future growth opportunities in both Virginia and Georgia, this acquisition also enhances our market positioning in Denver, where American's collection services will be tucked into our vertically integrated operations," Ronald Mittelstaedt, CEO and chairman of Waste Connections, says. "We are excited to welcome American into the Waste Connections family."

Istanbul, Turkey, is expanding its smart recycling container project, which was introduced to the public “in order to recycle the packaging waste polluting the environment.”

Since the launch of the recycling initiative in September, the city has installed automated "smart containers" at six locations across Istanbul, from busy underground metro stations to elementary schools. Containers will soon be established in 22 schools across the city, determined by demand.

Istanbul mayor Mevlüt Uysal says the containers give people credit on their public transit cards for recycling plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The containers accept bottles and cans of various sizes, up to 1.5 liters.

The recycling container project has been met with “great interest” by citizens, students and on social media, Uysal says in a recent release.

In order to expand the project, the city has launched a system that includes smart mobile transfer stations. The waste from the smart container will be collected, recovered and processed by the city’s waste management provider, ISTAÇ, the city says.

The project aims to “gain social responsibility and environmental awareness,” especially among children. In addition, the project will “develop the separation method at the source.”

Istanbul was awarded the the Zero Waste Innovation Award by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization at the Zero Waste Summit Nov. 1.

Uysal says the city plans to create new smart recycling containers for glass and batteries.

"I believe that smart recycling containers will serve in every part of our country in the coming years," he says.

First Lady of Turkey Emine Erdogan says, "As an environment awareness sample, Istanbul municipality's smart container initiative is remarkable for solid waste management.

"We can solve our environmental problems with the joint efforts of our citizens and municipalities," she adds.

Queenstown Lakes District, New Zealand, is making changes to its solid waste management services.

Mayor Jim Boult announced in a press release the new district-wide solid waste services contract has been awarded to Waste Management New Zealand, which will partner with local group Wastebusters to deliver an “improved service” to the community.

Under the new contract, a three-bin system will be introduced, as well as a “number of environmentally friendly solutions to ensure a smarter service.”

“From July next year, we’ll be saying goodbye to the plastic blue bags and black crates,” Boult states in the release. “In their place, residents will have three wheelie-bins. One smaller 140-liter bin for waste to landfill, a 140-liter bin for glass recycling and a larger 240-liter bin for mixed recyclables.”

He adds, “We’ll see some clever solutions such as electronic tagging of wheelie bins, so we can keep track of what bin belongs where, cameras to monitor and help reduce contamination and a collection day app, so you can easily keep track of what day to put your bin out.”

Contractors will also be collecting waste from public litter bins using electric bikes, he says.

Waste Management managing director Tom Nickels says the decision "will be a step change for residential waste services in the district, setting a new benchmark for other communities.”

He adds, “We are excited by the challenge of making council’s sustainability vision happen.”

Alongside these services, Wastebusters will provide community-based education and recovery services.

Wastebusters general manager Sue Coutts says the partnership will “fast track our district’s progress towards zero waste.”

Boult says more details on how the new contract services would be rolled out to the community would be available soon. 

“In the meantime, I encourage everyone to start thinking about how they manage their waste at home to get ready for the change in service next year," he says.

Switzerland-based GF Casting Solutions (GFS), a supplier of iron and light metal casting products, has announced the sale of two of its iron foundries in Germany – in the cities of Singen and Mettmann -- to a new firm founded by three managers of GF Casting Solutions. The acquiring firm is known as Fondium B.V. & Co KG and is based in Mettmann, Germany.

The asset sale comes as GF Castings says it has decided to focus more of its business on operating light metal casting operations, including the production of aluminum and magnesium castings.

While selling the iron foundries, GF Casting says it will increase capacity in the United States, Romania and China, where its lighter metal castings are being produced. Additionally, the division is investing into its super alloy components business for aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines, following the acquisition of Precicast Industrial Holding SA, located in Switzerland, in April 2018.

“The reshaping of its portfolio will allow GF Casting Solutions to better leverage opportunities in light vehicle structures and aircraft engine components,” says Yves Serra, GFS’s CEO. “With Fondium, we found a partner whose owners have an extensive expertise in the [iron] casting business, able to ensure continuity for our customers and secure the further development of the two companies outside of GFS.”

Achim Schneider, co-owner and spokesman of the Fondium Group, says, “With Fondium we create an agile, owner-operated automotive supplier with a clear market focus. We are looking forward to create a successful future together with our 2,000 employees.”\

On its website, GFS indicates its cast components are made from 100 percent recycled material, with its foundries (including the two German ones purchased by Fondium) melting scrap iron, secondary aluminum and recycled magnesium.