Muncie Power Products Inc., Muncie, Indiana, has released the A30 Series continuous-duty power take-off (PTO), boasting improved torque ratings for medium and heavy-duty applications.

The A30 Series is a 10-bolt, constant-drive PTO designed to fit Allison 3000 and 4000 Series transmissions. Various improvements include maximized gear design for noise reduction, tapered roller bearings for longer life and a new rotatable pump flange for easier installation.

According to Muncie Power, additional key features include an increased input shaft diameter to increase life and durability and three assembly arrangements and it is compatible with Muncie Power’s EX Driveshaft extension, which allows larger pumps to be mounted directly.

The A30 Series is applicable for refuse trucks, cranes, snowplows and cement mixers, as well as some other applications that require continuous duty cycles

Encina Development Group, a company based in The Woodlands, Texas, that produces circular chemicals from plastic scrap, has appointed Florian Jardin to the position of European director of business development and product manager.

“Florian’s European roots, global experience and circular supply chain expertise will be greatly appreciated by Encina as we grow our worldwide business and deliver highly valued circular chemicals to the European marketplace,” David Schwedel, executive director of Encina, says.

“I am passionate about the circular economy and sustainable future,” Jardin says. “I have incorporated circular practices in my previous career. I see the great potential of Encina’s solutions, and this role is a perfect combination of my passion for business and my aspiration to create a more responsible, inclusive and sustainable world.”

Jardin is a professional in supply chain management. Previously with DSM, a science-based company, he served as the global category manager, responsible for supply chain management of polyesters, monomers, polymers, tolling and other materials. He has led cross-functional and cross-value chain sustainability projects to enable fully renewable and circular product lines and greenhouse gas emissions reductions to reach the company targets.

Before DSM, Jardin worked at Novares, a global company, from its U.K., China and Monaco offices with progressive supply chain management roles.

He has served as the ambassador at One Young World since October 2018, a global forum for young leaders around the U.N. sustainable development goals.

Jardin holds a Bachelor of Arts in purchasing from Université d'Angers and an H.N.D. in trade and marketing.

Louisiana’s state legislature recently passed SB 97, a law that will expand how plastic can be recycled in the state. The bill has been sent to Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards for approval.

The bill, approved by the state’s legislature last month, opens the possibility for chemical recycling or advanced recycling, which includes a variety of processes that use heat, pressure and/or solvents to break down plastics. Specifically, the bill allows companies to use pyrolysis, depolymerization, solvolysis or gasification to break down plastics. These plastics would then be used in products like plastic monomers, chemical feedstocks or fuel.

Additionally, the bill addresses how to manage postuse polymers. According to the bill, the storage of postuse polymers can’t exceed a reasonable time frame and must be contained to prevent leaks into the environment.

The bill is backed by the American Chemistry Council and companies like Shell, ExxonMobil and Dow. Supporters of the bill say it solves the shortfalls of mechanical recycling, which is limited to certain types of plastic, according to a report from the Louisiana Illuminator, a nonprofit news organization in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

While it has support from the industry, some believe this legislation could hurt the environment. Last year, a report published by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives concluded that chemical recycling technology has not advanced enough to support the claim that it is a real solution to the plastic waste problem.

The bill also exempts chemical recycling facilities from regulations placed on solid waste disposal facilities, which are required to prove they have the funds to properly close facilities and clean up any waste leaked into soil or groundwater.  

To date, 12 other states have adopted similar advanced recycling legislation since 2017, including Arizona, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

In the third quarter of last year, 21st Century Programming, Long Beach, California, launched its first product in the ROM Infinite suite for the recycling and waste industries: ROM Infinite Dispatch. The company will feature the product at WasteExpo, which is scheduled to take place June 28-30 in Las Vegas, at booth No. 1482.  

According to the company, ROM Infinite Dispatch provides management and monitoring of dispatches, drivers, equipment and customer activity.

The company says ROM Infinite Dispatch features streamlined dispatch planning, real-time views of the dispatching operation at multiple levels, immediate detection of issues and deviations from the plan, smart alerts and resolutions and built-in instantaneous communications between dispatchers, drivers and customers. It also integrates the new ROM Smart Asset-Tracking devices that were specifically designed for the recycling and waste industries.

The underlying hybrid-cloud platform requires zero management by customers and provides instant cloud backup and synchronization, end-to-end encryption, optional on-premises servers that can keep things going when the internet goes down, 21st Century says.

21st Century Programming's flagship product, the Recycling Operations Manager (ROM), is in operation at over 400 facilities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

More information on ROM Infinite is available at www.rominfinite.com.