Atlanta Paper Recycler Cited by OSHA

Government agency proposes a fine of $48,000 for Nexus Pulp and Paper.

October 1, 2010

Plastics Paper

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that Nexus Pulp and Paper, an Atlanta paper recycling company, has been cited for allegedly failing to correct workplace health hazards.

OSHA reports that during an inspection this past spring, an OSHA compliance officer found the company failed to make corrections to violations uncovered during an OSHA 2009 inspection of the location. The violations included failing to develop a written personal protective equipment hazard assessment to determine the protection needed by workers for each job; and failing to provide employees with training in how to use personal protective equipment.

In an announcement, OSHA also notes that Nexus employees were exposed to chemicals without access to material safety data sheets with information on those chemicals, a written hazard communication program warning them concerning their exposure to chemicals and training on the hazards of the chemicals used in their work areas.

OSHA has proposed a fine of $48,000 for the company.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

A spokesman for Nexus refused to comment on the citations.

Carpet Group, Seattle Utilities Host Sustainable Purchasing Webinar

Groups look at end-market opportunities for post-consumer carpet.

October 1, 2010

The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) and Seattle Public Utilities recently hosted a Sustainable Purchasing webinar that looked at current developments in carpet recycling. The webinar also reviewed various products that are made from old carpeting.

In a release from CARE discussing the webinar, Jeremy Stroop, CARE’s operations manager, says, "Being our first endeavor at bringing manufacturers and buyers together in this format, we are extremely happy to have had such a good turnout. I hope other areas of the country will invite us to do similar webinars. Increasing awareness of these products and their beneficial impact on the environment will contribute significantly to keeping old carpet out of landfills."

Viewers heard from representatives from four companies -- GeoHay, Polar Materials, NyconG and Nyloboard, which manufacture products using post-consumer carpet content. The companies were chosen based on their commitment to using recycled carpet, as well as the commercial availability of the product.

"Buyers for products made of recovered material are crucial in order for recycling programs to succeed. Public purchasing has long been part of our strategy for furthering recycling," says Shirli Axelrod, Seattle Public Utilities Green Purchasing and Carpet Recycling program specialist, in the release.

The Northwest Carpet Recycling Workgroup developed the concept of the purchasing webinar as a way to help raise awareness on the issue and to increase the amount of carpet that is being recycled by stimulating the purchase of products that contain post-consumer carpet material.

Meeting details and product presentations can be found on www.carpetrecovery.org.

German Bank Economist to Present at World Recycling Convention

Stephan Schilbe of HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt will address BIR Ferrous Division in Brussels.

October 1, 2010
Recycling Today Staff

Ferrous

Upon his return from an extensive trip through Asia, Stefan Schilbe, the chief economist of German bank HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt, will give an exclusive presentation during the plenary session of the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) Ferrous Division Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 9 a.m. at the upcoming World Recycling Convention (Autumn Round-Tables) being held Oct. 25-26 in Brussels.

The speech, titled “Global Perspectives: The Outlook for the Major Economies 2011” will provide an in-depth analysis of the current trends in the main world economies, namely the U.S., the Euro zone and Asia, according to the BIR, organizer of the World Recycling Convention.

Christian Rubach, president of BIR’s Ferrous Division, says, “I am delighted that Mr. Schilbe will share with us his tremendous expertise, thus providing our members with crucial information regarding world market developments in the coming months.”

Schilbe is in charge of HSBC Trinkaus’ treasury research department, which is responsible for interest and currency forecasts as well as for technical and relative value analyses. He advises companies as well as institutional and private investors on their asset allocation and financing decisions. As member of the Committee for Economic and Monetary Policy of the Association of German private banks, he is frequently interviewed by television stations, newspapers and business magazines.

HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG is a German financial services company. It has operations in private, commercial and investment banking and asset management and is one of the longest-established members of the HSBC Group, among the world’s largest banking and financial services groups, with 8,000 offices in 85 countries.

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