Microbrewery first to use Novelis’ Evercan aluminum sheet

Red Hare Brewing Co. will use high-recycled-content aluminum sheet for its beer can.

April 15, 2014

Novelis, an aluminum rolling and recycling firm based in Atlanta, has announced that the Marietta, Ga.-based microbrewery Red Hare Brewing Co. will be the first company in the country to use Novelis’ Evercan aluminum sheet for its beverage cans. According to Novelis, Evercan has been independently certified as a high-recycled-content aluminum sheet.

Red Hare’s beer will be packaged exclusively in cans made of Novelis' Evercan aluminum sheet, which is made of a guaranteed minimum 90-percent-recycled content, the company says. The can is expected to be on shelves beginning May 2014 and will be available throughout the Southeast.

"This introduction marks the commercial availability of the world's first certified-high-recycled-content aluminum beverage can," says Phil Martens, Novelis president and CEO. "Working with Red Hare, we have developed a proven supply chain to deliver this industry-first offering to consumers, setting an example that other beverage companies are sure to follow."

"Novelis' Evercan is a perfect fit for Red Hare," says Roger Davis, founder and CEO of Red Hare Brewing Co. "The independent certification of the closed-loop recycling process behind Evercan strengthens our commitment to employing the best in sustainable business practices, making evercan a natural extension of the Red Hare brand."

Plastic film recycling increases slightly

More than 1 billion pounds of postconsumer plastic film packaging was collected for recycling in 2012, according to ACC report.

April 15, 2014

Recycling Today Staff

Plastics

According to a recent report, the collection of postconsumer film packaging for recycling in 2012 topped 1 billion pounds, a modest 1 percent increase from the prior year. The report, “2012 National Postconsumer Plastic Bag & Film Recycling Report," was produced by Moore Recycling Associates, Sonoma, Calif., for the Washington, D.C.-based American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Plastics Division. It was based on surveys from 21 United States and Canadian processors and 39 exporters.

The plastic film covered in the report includes plastic bags, product wraps and commercial shrink film.

“This report shows that even though film recycling had not grown as we had hoped last year, there is a lot of opportunity to make a difference with our programs,” says Shari Jackson, director of the Flexible Film Recycling Group (FFRG), a product group of the ACC.

Today, more than 18,000 store drop-off locations are avaialble throughout the U.S. to collect plastic bags, wraps and film for recycling. Moreover, existing infrastructures for collecting commercial film can be greatly expanded to capture significantly more of this material from the increasing number of businesses seeking recovery options for shrink film and transport packaging.

To boost the recovery of film plastic, the FFRG says it is introducing a number of initiatives to expand education and access to film recycling to increase the recycling of the material over the next five years. Additionally, the FFRG is working to implement in the coming months a national multistakeholder collaboration known as the Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP). The FFRG says it hopes to launch the initiative later this year. A social component of WRAP is underway to help educate Americans about what film and wrap plastics can be recycled. Preliminary information is available at www.plasticfilmrecycling.org.

“What is very encouraging about the report,” Jackson says, “is the information on the bale audits. We’re seeing that the majority of films collected for recycling are film product wraps and other film packaging. We’ve been working hard to educate people about their ability to recycle plastic film packaging beyond bags so it’s reassuring to see the bales reflect that our messaging is connecting and having an impact.”

San Francisco recycler fined $500K for violating metal theft laws

Circosta Iron & Metal is the third metal recycler to be prosecuted since 2013.

April 15, 2014

Recycling Today Staff

Ferrous Nonferrous

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón has announced that the San Francisco-based scrap metal company Circosta Iron & Metal Co. will pay a $500,000 fine as part of a settlement of a civil prosecution brought by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

“We can’t rely on enforcement alone to effectively stop metal thieves. We also have to make sure they can’t find an avenue to sell their stolen goods, and that requires recycling companies to do their part to deter metal theft by following the law,” Gascón says.

In an effort to shut down the market for stolen metal, California has passed laws designed to prevent, deter and detect metal theft by imposing requirements on companies that purchase scrap metal. The laws require scrap metal dealers to take steps to determine that the materials they purchase were not stolen. They must photograph, fingerprint and record the identification of individuals selling certain types of scrap metal, as well. Unless a statutory exception applies, dealers must wait three days before paying the seller for the scrap metal.

According to the San Francisco District Attorney's complaint, Circosta consistently violated the state’s antimetal-theft laws, including not holding payments for the required three days or buying scrap metal without requiring identification or other information from sellers.

Under the settlement, Circosta must pay $500,000 in civil penalties and costs. Circosta also will be bound by a permanent injunction designed to ensure good business practices and prohibit future violations of the law. By entering into this injunction, Circosta is agreeing to procedures that will make it a model for California metal recyclers in the future, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office says.

Circosta is the third metal recycler to be prosecuted by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office since 2013. The settlement with Circosta brings the total penalties and costs assessed against the three companies so far to $4.6 million.

Michigan governor introduces statewide recycling initiative

Newly created Michigan Recycling Council to oversee implementation.

April 15, 2014

Recycling Today Staff

Municipal / IC&I

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has announced a statewide plan designed to increase access to residential recycling throughout the state. He has appointed a nine-member Michigan Recycling Council to guide the plan’s implementation.

Snyder announced the recycling initiative during a tour of Monroe, Mich.-based Clean Tech Inc., the state’s largest plastic bottle recycling plant.

“Michigan has a strong tradition of protecting and enhancing its environment,” Snyder said. “But when it comes to recycling, we must do better. Michigan trails other Great Lakes states and much of the nation in residential recycling. It’s a complex challenge, but one that we can address. This plan puts us on the right path.”

According to Snyder, Michigan’s recycling rate for residential household waste is about 15 percent while the national average is 35 percent. A recent study concluded more than $435 million in recyclables in the state are landfilled each year.

The 15-point plan focuses on four key areas:

Benchmarking and measuring progress, including developing ways to better track Michigan’s recycling rate and to document the progress of the state’s effort;
Public education and technical assistance for communities, as other states report that an informed and supportive public is a key to increasing recycling along with providing tools for local governments to develop local programs;
Providing convenient access at the local level; and
Developing markets for recycled products using grants and other economic incentives.

The DEQ drafted the plan in cooperation with 45 key stakeholders, including recyclers, landfill operators, manufacturers, waste haulers, bottlers and grocery store operators.

To help grow the recycling industry in Michigan, Snyder also appointed nine members to a newly created Michigan Recycling Council. The members are:

Michael Csapo, general manager of the Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County;
Jim Frey, CEO and co-founder of Resource Recycling Systems;
Linda Gobler, president and CEO of the Michigan Grocers Association;
Jim Kulp, operations manager for Clean Tech Inc.;
Bill Lobenherz, president of the Michigan Soft Drink Association;
Kerrin O’Brien, executive director of the Michigan Recycling Coalition;
Tonia Olson, director of Government and Community Relations for Granger;
Elisa Seltzer, public works director for Emmet County; and
Doug Wood, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works.

All members have been appointed and will serve a two-year term on the council.

News and Information for Recycling Professionals

Microbrewery first to use Novelis’ Evercan aluminum sheet

Plastic film recycling increases slightly

San Francisco recycler fined $500K for violating metal theft laws

Michigan governor introduces statewide recycling initiative

PepsiCo expands container recycling efforts

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