India’s Ministry of Steel released a draft steel scrap policy, which is aimed at curtailing import dependency and make the nation more self-sufficient by producing high-quality ferrous scrap domestically, according to a report from the Press Trust of India (PTI). The Ministry of Steel has requested that stakeholders send comments on this policy by July 14.

The draft policy states that it aims to “promote circular economy in the steel sector [and] to promote a formal and scientific collection, dismantling and processing activities for end-of-life products that are sources of recyclable (ferrous, nonferrous and other nonmetallic) scraps [that] will lead to resource conservation and energy savings and setting up of an environmentally sound management system for handling ferrous scrap.” The policy also states that it aims to ensure that the nation can process and recycle products in an organized, safe and environmentally friendly manner. Additionally it aims to decongest Indian cities from end-of-life (ELV) vehicle reuse of ferrous scrap.

The nation had initially launched a National Steel Policy 2017 two years ago to develop a globally competitive steel industry. That policy states that it aims to “develop a globally competitive steel industry by creating 300 million [tons per year] of steel production capacity by 2030 with a contribution of 35 to 40 percent from electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and induction furnaces. Although ferrous scrap is the main raw material for the secondary steel sector, the primary sector also uses scrap in the charge mix of basic oxygen furnace to improve efficiency, minimize cost of production and other process needs.”

To read the full policy, click here. Recycling Today also wrote about India’s recycling goals in its March edition.

A glass recycler and bottle manufacturer are using a new tracking software with hopes it will increase glass recycling and create awareness among consumers and businesses. Salt Lake City-based Momentum Recycling began implementing Costa Mesa, California-based End of Waste Foundation’s (EOWF) blockchain waste traceability software (BWTS) in May, followed by Wheat Ridge, Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Bottle Co. in July, which makes glass bottles for MillerCoors out of Momentum’s recycled glass.

The software allows material recovery facilities (MRFs), waste management companies and glass manufacturers to trace glass from curbside bins to new products. EOWF then uses the data to create a glass certificate with the amount recycled, chain of activity and carbon offsets, which consumers and sustainable businesses can purchase. The funds are distributed back to MRFs and glass processors to cover negative costs and investments in equipment and workforce.

“We can prove that glass that was put into the system actually became a new bottle in the process by using this technology,” says John Lair, president and CEO of Momentum Recycling. “An individual, bar or restaurant or beverage distributor that wants to support glass recycling can purchase one of these certificates and the funds generated from the sale can then be distributed to entities in the recycling loop that have negative costs, like us.”

As communities eliminate curbside glass collections and consumers are confused about where their recyclables end up, EOWF hopes to make a change in the industry. By ensuring “all the stakeholders are transparent in the transactions,” EOWF says glass recycling and diversion from landfills will increase. Lair says he believes over time the platform will result in more glass entering Momentum’s facilities in Salt Lake City and Denver, which are “under capacity.”

“It inspires confidence in the form of the public knowing their glass is getting recycled,” Lair says. “It drives awareness as well. It might inspire others to recycle. When that reward, feedback system to the consumer is available evidence shows participation is going to go up. Somebody that cares about recycling and sustainability and understands the challenges of glass recycling can help by purchasing one of these certificates.”

EOWF’s mission is to “engage the world in a shared responsibility of waste management.”

“What we are proposing is a new way of looking at the industry, a change in paradigm, which will determine a new set of actions that will create a shift in the system,” says John Stefanescu, co-founder and chief traceability officer of EOWF. “There is a lot of resistance to change, therefore, we truly appreciate their vote of confidence and commitment to the innovation.”

He adds, “It’s our goal to have traceability and transparency in the recycling system become the norm.”

Lair says the benefits of using the software are not only transparency but, if the certificate concept is embraced by consumers and businesses, it also will provide funds to recyclers and manufacturers.

Momentum collects and processes source separated glass from commercial and industrial sources in the Southwest region, as well as glass from public drop-off locations and residential curbside programs at its Salt Lake City facility. In Denver, Momentum processes single-stream glass from MRFs. In Utah, the contamination rate sits at about 4 percent compared with 10 to 20 percent contamination in Denver.

“That has a massive impact on our equipment we have to invest in,” says Lair, adding there’s one optical sorter in Salt Lake City and 10 in Denver. “It’s a massive difference in investment and maintenance and upkeep needed.”

He adds, “You have the disposal costs for the contaminants. I have fives times the disposal costs at the Denver facility just because of contamination. It’s not just the tip fees, but transportation costs. That’s a large piece of our cost structure, transporting and disposing of waste.”

The contributions for glass certificates, which will be divvied up between MRFs and processors, will help offset those negative costs, Lair says. It also helps EOWF move forward in achieving its mission to drive a circular economy and a “shared responsibility” among consumers, MRFs and manufacturers.

Rocky Mountain uses Momentum’s residential and commercial glass to make bottles for MillerCoors. By implementing the new software, they’ll now be able to show residents and businesses, including bars and restaurants, their recycled glass was used to make new products, diverting glass from landfill and reducing carbon emissions.

Following Momentum and Rocky Mountain's implementation of the software, EOWF’s role is to educate consumers, businesses and the marketplace with the data, as well as promote the certificates.

“Rocky Mountain Bottle Co. is excited to be a partner with the End of Waste Foundation in their innovative efforts to increase glass recycling in Colorado,” says Bill Dillaman, plant manager at Rocky Mountain. “As a glass container manufacturer that is looking for opportunities to increase the amount of clean cullet that we can use in our furnaces, we want to do our part to support this initiative and take advantage of the closed loop system that we have in this area.”

Two new indices produced by United Kingdom-based consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft that measure the waste generation and recycling tendencies of 194 countries show that the United States is the world’s top waste producer.

The report notes that 2.1 billion metric tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) are generated throughout the globe annually. Only 16 percent of this waste gets recycled.

As part of the company’s Waste Generation Index (WGI) that captures per capita rates of waste production, U.S. citizens were found to produce 1,704 pounds per person of MSW. In total, this accounts for 12 percent of global MSW production while representing only 4 percent of the world’s population.

By contrast, the WGI found that China and India combine to account for 36 percent of the world’s population, yet the population of the countries generate only 27 percent of its waste. In relation, U.S. citizens end up producing three times the waste of Chinese individuals and seven times more waste than Ethiopians, the country ranked as the “lowest risk” in the index in terms of their waste production.

The countries that are considered the highest risk after the U.S. in terms of waste produced include the Netherlands, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France and Australia.

In the Recycling Index produced by Verisk Maplecroft, the U.S. was found to recycle 35 percent of its MSW. Germany, the most efficient recycling nation according to the index, was shown to recycle 68 percent of MSW.

According to the report, the U.S. “is the only developed nation whose waste generation outstrips its ability to recycle, underscoring a shortage of political will and investment in infrastructure.”

The consultancy concludes that the U.S., along with other nations, could be poised to introduce new legislation to combat plastic waste as the ramifications of China’s National Sword import ban continue to reverberate both domestically and abroad.

“Beyond the potential financial impacts, the reputational risks for business are high if they ignore intensifying interest in the issue from consumers and investors,” a summary of the report concludes. “Using data from our suite of waste indices, we identify the Netherlands, the U.S. and the U.K. as the most likely countries to pass new regulations on plastic materials that could hit companies in the pocket. But, France, Canada, Australia and Belgium are also flagged as jurisdictions to watch.

“It’s going to be vital for companies to get ahead of these issues. Investing in circular economy measures can not only mitigate risk but can open up new markets and improve brand reputation.”

Two different methods to process end-of-life vehicles in Japan were on display in early July thanks to tours offered as part of the 2019 E-Mobility & Circular Economy (EMCE 2019) conference. The event, organized by Switzerland-based ICM AG, was held in Tokyo July 1-3.

A pair of plant tours on Monday, July 1, started at the East Japan Recycling of Resources Co. Ltd. auto dismantling facility in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo. At the plant, several dozen workers dismantle end-of-life autos, vans and light trucks, with a mission to drain and collect fluids; identify re-sellable components; harvest aluminum and copper scrap; and end up with the steel frame and sheet steel that can be compressed into ferrous bales for the nearby Nippon Steel mill.

The East Japan Recycling plant is more labor intensive than competing shredding techniques, but nearly $1 million has been invested in the facility by three corporations—two of them Nippon Steel subsidiaries.

Although East Japan Recycling is co-funded by Nippon Steel and its ferrous auto bundles are designed to be used at the nearby Nippon Steel Kimitsu Works basic oxygen furnace, the company says it sells those bales at market rates.

The 260,000-square foot disassembly plant handles from 700 to 1,000 vehicles per month, including some off-road heavy equipment. East Japan Recycling earns revenue from harvested components that can be sold both in Japan and overseas, from an estimated 400 tons per month of copper wire that it harvests, and from the ferrous bales sold to Nippon Steel.

In another part of Chiba prefecture, Phoenix Metal Corp. operates a 3,500 horsepower Metso shredder to process ELVs in a more automated fashion. The company’s two pre-shredders and its 80-inch Metso mill process about 500 tons per day of ferrous and nonferrous scrap.

Phoenix Metal Corp. also operates some downstream magnetic and sorting equipment to improve the yield and quality of its nonferrous shredded grades.

The company also runs a large dismantling center—not for ELVs, but rather for refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and other large appliances. The disassembly activity includes not only harvesting metals, but also collecting fluids, identifying re-sellable motors and the shredding of some plastic parts.

Neither company sees many hybrid or electric vehicles, a circumstance explained at an EMCE 2019 session by Professor Arata Abe of Japan’s Yamaguchi University. According to research by Abe, as many as 75 to 90 percent of hybrid ELVs in Japan are exported whole each year.

Government and trade association data shows that more than 100,000 such ELVs are exported some years. The leading destinations are Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Russia, although Abe said Sri Lanka’s government put restrictions in place in 2018.

EMCE 2019, which featured plant tours, workshops, conference sessions and an exhibit hall, was July 1-3 at the Westin Tokyo.