CORPORATE STRATEGY
Suez Environnement consolidates its brand
Paris-based waste and recycling company Suez Environnement says it is uniting all 40 of its different divisions under the name Suez Environnement. The company, with operations in 70 countries, previously had divisions operating under names such as SITA, Degrémont, Lyonnaise des Eaux, AGBAR, Aqualogy, United Water, Ondeo Industrial Solutions and SAFEGE.
The company says it hopes to achieve three goals by rebranding operations under the Suez Environnement name:
- to simplify the company’s multi-brand architecture for improved performance and commercial efficiency and to allow the different divisions to be better identified in order to accelerate growth, especially in international markets and with industrial customers;
- to meet the new needs of customers in local authorities and industry as they face new environmental and societal challenges; and
- to reinforce the convergence between the group's activities so that Suez can address what it calls the challenges of a circular economy.
Prior to the company’s shift in focus, Suez Environnement had been organized around two major activities: water and waste. But with the name change, Suez Environnement says its positioning will focus on the sustainable management of resources, through four main activities: the management of the extended water cycle; the recycling and reuse of waste; water treatment solutions; and consulting services for sustainable urban and regional development.
AUTO RECYCLING
Illegal exports decried at Automobile Recycling Congress
The recycling of end-of-life vehicles in Europe, while advancing technologically, also faces challenges, one of which is illegal treatment and exporting of end-of-life vehicles.
The point was made by Artemis Hatzi-Hull, who works on waste management at the Directorate General for the Environment in the European Commission (EC), at the press conference of the International Automobile Recycling Congress 2015 held in Berlin on 25-27 March, and organized by ICM AG.
Hatzi-Hull said the EC is considering additional measures to further improve the recycling of end-of-life automobiles. Among other reasons, Hatzi-Hull mentioned the alignment of the reporting system and the methods of calculation used by the various European Union member states. The aim of the measures is to increase the informative value and reliability of the statistics, with a view to making the collected data easier to compare. Further consideration is also being given to providing dismantling companies with better information on recyclable materials and adapting vehicle recycling processes to keep pace with technological developments.
Hatzi-Hull emphasized the overall assessment of the European End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive, which came into force in the year 2000, was positive. The directive has been implemented in all of the EU member states and has produced positive results, she said. As well, toxic materials in vehicles have been practically eliminated and member states have made good progress in meeting the required recycling rates.
Speaking on behalf of Germany’s Scholz Group, Beate Kummer also criticised the situation. “We still do not know what happens to around 1.4 million end-of-life vehicles from Germany each year,” she said at the press conference. Kummer referred to evidence from Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia indicating that ELVs are being illegally disposed of and pointed out that illegal exports discourage investment in recycling, because of lower input levels.
The Scholz Group operates a treatment plant for shredder residues from ELV recycling in Espenhain, Germany, and has invested some €60 million in ELV treatment technology since 1991. As a result, Kummer said, Scholz is one of the few companies reliably meeting the 95-percent recycling rate prescribed by the ELV Directive since the beginning of 2015. She said estimates put the number of ELVs generated in Germany at around 1 to 1.5 million per year, with less than half of these actually being recycled within the country. For this reason the directive urgently needs reviewing, Kummer warned.
“Exporters should have to prove that the goods being exported are used cars and not end-of-life vehicles,” she said. Until now, Customs officers have had the burden of proof. Moreover, Scholz called for additional regulations to better record ELVs within the European Union.
Europe’s automobile industry also expressed a need to act concerning the recycling of ELVs. Erik Jonnaert, secretary general of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), emphasized that the directive has proved its efficacy and advocated retaining the directive unchanged, because he sees a greater need for improvement in other areas. Furthermore, the ACEA favors standardised implementation of the directive throughout Europe and supports postshredder technology. Jonnaert said this treatment technique is the most suitable method of recycling end-of-life vehicles.
“Any further reduction should be based on economic and technical progress,” Jonnaert concluded.
ICM AG is an international congress organiser based in Birrwil, Switzerland, specializing in the field of recycling.
KERBSIDE
Sizable segment of UK population remains skeptical about recycling
Nearly one-fifth of respondents to a United Kingdom survey say they refuse to recycle their discarded materials despite any and all efforts to make it easier for them to do so.
The survey by BusinessWaste found that about 18% of respondents cited a myriad of reasons why they do not recycle. The reasons include a lack of enthusiasm, belief that global warming is a myth and the observation that they are not incentivised to do so.
“Some of the explanations we heard were astonishing,” says BusinessWaste spokesperson Mark Hall. “It wasn’t even members of the public who were expressing their doubts over the science behind the need to recycle—there were even company managers who are refusing to take part, even if it was hitting them in the pocket.”
Leeds, England-based BusinessWaste says it spoke to dozens of members of the public and found around 18% do not recycle despite either a requirement or the presence of nearby facilities to do so. Among those who cited reasons were:
- Alex, who runs a London business: “I’m trying to run a company here, not save the planet. If the council wants to come along and separate out all my rubbish, then that’s their business.” When told he was actually paying more to have nonsorted rubbish removed, he replied, “We’re doing great; we can afford it.”
- Vanessa, who says she is too busy to recycle her discarded materials: “My local council gave me six bins for my waste. Six! I haven’t got time for that, so it all goes in the main one.”
- Vince, aged 68, says he is willing to let subsequent generations handle the problem, commenting, “I’m getting on a bit, and it’s all too much trouble and energy. By the time it all comes to a head, I’ll be dead and gone, so see if I care.”
With the U.K. recycling rate hovering at around 45% for some years now, “it’s becoming clear that some people may have ‘recycling fatigue,’ while large numbers never bought into the issue in the first place,” says BusinessWaste.
The company also says that while the science of climate change is universally accepted by academics, it still appears to be up for grabs among some politicians, corporations and media outlets. Unfortunately, Hall says, the loudest voices from the skeptical side tend to be heard first, says Hall.
Hall says the majority of businesses and organizations recycle because they have a financial interest in doing so: The less they send to landfill, the less landfill tax they pay. However, many households don’t have this inducement, and with a lack of bin inspections in some areas, many people know that they can get away without recycling week after week.
“It’s sad that people still think that opinion on recycling and green issues is still up for grabs,” says Hall. “It’s not—we need to recycle because it makes financial and environmental sense. It’s high time the green industry fought back.”
AUTO RECYCLING
Axion plant attracts visit from UK Parliament member
United Kingdom-based plastics recycler Axion Polymers says the waste management and recycling sector is attracting more young workers seeking employment versus academic studies, and the company made this point when a member of the U.K. parliament visited its end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling plant.
Kate Green, a member of parliament (MP), toured Axion’s Manchester, England, (ELV) recycling plant in March.
In the months prior to the visit, Axion Polymers says it has taken on three apprentices, including “one long-term unemployed [person] and two who wanted to gain practical work experience.” It also has recruited eight additional staff members, including chemical engineering placement students and technicians, to work at its Shredder Waste Advanced Processing Plant (SWAPP) at Trafford Park, Manchester.
The multimillion-dollar plant separates nonmetallic fractions from automotive shredder residue (ASR) to produce recycled plastics, materials for the construction industry and fuel. Axion says the plant is capable of meeting the European Union’s goal of 95% recycling and recovery of materials from ELVs.
The tour was the second for Green, who had visited the site 18 months earlier. During her second tour, Green was hosted by Axion Polymers’ Technical Operations Manager Mike Bennett, Production Manager Paul Foy, Project Engineer Uchenna Onwuamaegbu and Lab Assistant Simon Davidson.
“Kate was clearly impressed with our progress, commitment to training young people and the range of products that can be produced with innovative processing techniques,” says Bennett.
Says Green, “I really enjoyed visiting Axion again to see the fabulous progress made at the SWAPP plant since my last visit. I was very pleased to meet the new apprentices and learn that Axion has recruited more staff to cope with demand.
Axion Director Roger Morton says the investment in Axion’s capabilities is essential given the U.K.’s manufacturing growth.
PLASTICS
UK packaging organizations tout commitment to recycling
Following a meeting with Dan Rogerson, Minister of the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), members of the U.K.’s plastic packaging industry and supply chain have reaffirmed their commitment to recycling.
The meeting highlighted successes to date, including exceeding recycling targets, increasing the percent of recycled content used in new products and introducing innovative technologies to allow more recycled plastics to be recycled again.
Attendees also recognized the challenges facing all parties involved in the supply chain and discussed how the industry can build on successes to improve recycling rates and surpass targets. Many plastic packaging industry leaders have made a commitment to improve their recycling rates further under the Courtauld Commitment, an agreement spearheaded by the U.K.’s Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) that seeks to improve resource efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the grocery sector.
The meeting also acknowledged achievements made by retailers and dairies under the Dairy Roadmap to increase the recycled content of milk bottles to nearly 30%.
After the meeting, DEFRA’s Rogerson said, “The plastic packaging supply chain has worked very hard to increase the amount of packaging being recycled, with the full support of government. I welcome commitment from across the supply chain to deliver on the existing agreement.”
Rogerson added, “This industrywide commitment to recycling is delivering real environmental benefits and also creating jobs, helping to build a stronger U.K. economy.”
Jim Moseley, interim director general at the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said, “Through our longstanding support for WRAP’s Courtauld Commitment, FDF members remain fully committed to helping deliver increased recycling levels of used packaging, particularly plastics. This forms part of the industry’s broader efforts to drive out waste and improve resource efficiency.
Moseley also observed that the increase in plastics recycling seen so far serves as a testament to what can be achieved through voluntary frameworks for action.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability for the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said, “We are aware of difficulties in the plastics recycling industry and are supportive of the principles of recycled content in packaging and products. Our members are signed up to a number of commitments in this area and will continue to work towards them, but recognize that this is a difficult market and greater attention needs to be paid to the long-term sustainability of the U.K. recycling industry.”
EVENTS
Plasticity Forum chooses Portugal as 2015 venue
Organizers of the Plasticity Forum have announced that the fourth annual version of the event will be 8-9 June, 2015, in Cascais, Portugal. The forum is planned as one of a series of events in Portugal that month on the stewardship of the ocean, says Doug Woodring, the founder of Plasticity.
Also taking place in that same time frame in Portugal are The Economist’s World Ocean Summit and Portugal’s Blue Week. The theme of the 2015 Plasticity Forum, says Woodring, is “Designing for Circularity, Customer Engagement, Reverse Supply Chains and Reaching Scale.”
The Plasticity Forum is designed to gather “leading experts including innovators, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, brand managers, educators, think tanks, government agencies, designers, angel investors and service industries to share key learnings, experience and future strategies around the use and recovery of plastics,” says Woodring. The 2015 Plasticity Forum will cover developments in waste as a resource, scalable innovations in plastic that save money, the use of new materials, designing for sustainability and solutions for a world where plastic is used but without the footprint.
“Plastic doesn’t need to be a problem,” states Woodring. “There are solutions out there that can keep it from becoming waste, but we are not focusing on them in a scalable manner. The aim of Plasticity is to show who’s already doing it, how you can do it and how to commercialize it for the betterment of business, the environment and our communities.”
The Plasticity Forum was originally launched at the Rio+20 Earth Summit in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro as a platform to elevate the discussion of plastic pollution, says Woodring. He says the event brings together attendees from across the spectrum of plastic use, production, design and re-use to collectively create solutions for companies and governments. “Leaders will address innovation, design, materials, recycling and solutions, so that plastic does not become a waste product and impact our communities and environment,” Woodring says.
Some estimates, including from the World Bank, suggest the world’s municipal solid waste generation could double by 2025. Few countries or cities are capable of handling this materials stream, of which plastic makes up an increasing percentage, as the recycling infrastructure in many countries cannot keep pace with the wide variety of materials and products.
Additional details are available at www.plasticityforum.com.
NONFERROUS
Enval project targets aluminium in laminate packaging
Technology provided by United Kingdom-based Enval Limited will be used in a trial designed to assess the feasibility of including flexible laminate packaging, such as food and drink pouches, pet food pouches and toothpaste tubes, in residential recycling programs. The project is being conducted by Enval in partnership with Anthesis LRS, Suez Environnement, Nestlé UK & Ireland and Coca-Cola Enterprises.
Funded by the U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) action-based research program, the nine-month trial began in mid-February 2015, according to Enval. Collections and initial sorting are being managed by Suez Environnement and Enval will recycle the material at its commercial demonstration facility near Huntingdon, England.
The trial covers 260 U.K. households and studies various methods of both engaging with residents and collecting materials via kerbside collections. Results are expected to help determine best practices to increase the amount of flexible laminate packaging collected and recycled in England, according to Enval Managing Director Carlos Ludlow-Palafox.
“These trials are providing an important opportunity to prove that we can successfully capture and recycle the valuable aluminium, as well as recover the plastics as a fuel oil product,” remarks Ludlow-Palafox. “This will present a solid business case for Enval’s microwave-induced pyrolysis technology to be bolted on to existing materials facilities and help increase levels of recycling across the U.K.”
The U.K. uses more than 160,000 tonnes of flexible laminate packaging each year, containing more than 17,000 tonnes of aluminium, according to a news release from Cambridge, England-based Enval. A life cycle analysis indicates it to be a sustainable form of packaging with a potential revenue stream of approximately £200 million ($295 million) per year in Europe from the sale of aluminium alone, according to Enval.
The patented Enval process is based on the use of microwave energy to heat and degrade plastics into pyrolysis oils. The aluminum foil can then be extracted so that it is clean and ready to be reintroduced into the aluminium supply chain, says Ludlow-Palafox. Life cycle analysis shows the aluminium obtained via the process has a carbon footprint 72% lower than that of primary aluminium.
Stuart Hayward-Higham, technical development director with Suez Environnement, adds, “The outcomes of the trials will enable project partners and other industry stakeholders to evaluate the potential to include flexible laminate packaging in mainstream recycling collections in the U.K, which Suez Environnement is keen to explore.”
ELECTRONICS
UK consortium seeks to recover precious metals from e-scrap
A consortium of United Kingdom firms that includes Tetronics International, Swindon, U.K., has announced a £1 million ($1.5 million) project that is targeting the recycling of obsolete electronics generated in the country. Also involved in the project are Metech Recycling (UK) Ltd. and global mining concern Vale Europe.
Funding for the project has been helped with a £600,000 ($884,000) grant from Innovate UK, a government body that funds, supports and connects businesses to accelerate what it considers sustainable economic growth in the U.K.
Tetronics says the investment will be used to develop and demonstrate the country’s first integrated plasma facility to recover precious metals from electronic scrap. The facility is being designed to recover precious metals from e-scrap at a smaller scale than existing methods and without the need for further refining.
The consortium estimates around 5.6 million tonnes of electronic products will be purchased in the U.K. between 2015 and 2020. The components of these products are expected to include more than 30 tonnes of gold, more than 600 tonnes of silver and more than 3 tonnes of platinum group metals. If this material is recovered, the market value would total more than £1 billion ($1.5 billion).
British handlers of electronic scrap typically export obsolete electronics to a small number of large refineries designed to recover base metals such as copper. As a result, precious metal extraction is a byproduct in a much larger process, leading to delays and reduced precious metal recovery efficiencies, according to Tetronics.
The U.K. consortium says it expects to see around 98% of precious metals in electronic scrap being recovered domestically.
The plant being developed is expected to open by the middle of 2016. The facility will use plasma smelting technology which Tetronics says is already being used to extract precious metals from catalytic converters and industrial catalysts.
“The British economy is missing out on £1 billion pounds simply because we are not recovering the value found in electronic waste in an efficient way, says Tetronics CEO Graeme Rumbol. “The grant from Innovate UK will allow us to develop a demonstration facility, which we hope will lead to British companies being able to install the technology in future.”
Ray Doran, Metech’s sales manager, says, “Metech Recycling is delighted to be involved in this innovative project. It gives us a national outlet for high-value recovery material and maximizes a cost-effective approach to dealing with this type of material.”
METALS
LME enters partnership with Borsa Istanbul
The London Metal Exchange (LME) and Borsa Istanbul A.S. are entering into an agreement under which Borsa Istanbul, the LME and the LME’s parent company Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEx) will partner on the dissemination of market data. In a separate but related agreement Borsa Istanbul will acquire the LME’s stake in clearing house LCH.Clearnet.
“As the world center for industrial metals trading, the LME is committed to identifying new ways to expand internationally and to working with strategic partners to better serve our markets,” says Garry Jones, CEO of the LME and HKEx’s co-head of global markets. “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Borsa Istanbul, and the HKEx Group looks forward to working with them on future initiatives, not only in data and base metals, but also across other asset classes.”
Under the terms of the agreements, the LME will license LME steel billet settlement data to Borsa Istanbul and will work with the Turkish exchange to develop future products and services for the steel market. Borsa Istanbul will also have the right to disseminate real-time pricing data from the LME and HKEx.
Borsa Istanbul acting CEO Hüseyin Zafer comments, “We are delighted to initiate the start of a very exciting partnership framework with HKEx Group and LME via the present accords. Over the last year, we have been working hard at both restructuring Borsa Istanbul’s operations as well as constructing our global linkages through agreements in America and Europe.”
Following the transaction the LME has disposed of its remaining stake in its former clearing provider, LCH.Clearnet.
EVENTS
Bureau of Middle East Recycling attracts record number of attendees to Dubai conference
The Bureau of Middle East Recycling (BMR), a nonprofit organization representing suppliers and traders of the Middle East recycling industry, held its fourth annual conference 27-28 Feb., 2015, at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Some 300 delegates, including dignitaries, association leaders, traders and consumers, attended the event. The association say this year’s conference surpassed last year’s event in terms of attendance and program content.
Addressing attendees, BMR President Engr. Salam Al Sharif, chairman of Sharif Group, stressed the importance of maintaining a united platform for the recycling industry in the Middle East under the banner of BMR, as the region has become a key market for the recycling industry. Sharif also serves as ambassador for the Middle East for the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), based in Brussels.
Also in attendance at the conference was keynote speaker Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water for the United Arab Emirates.
Additional conference support was provided by Bee’ah, a waste facility management company based in the UAE; the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI), based in Washington D.C.; the Metals Recycling Association of India (MRAI); and ANMA, an association representing India’s nonferrous metals recycling industry.
The BMR’s mission is to promote the metal recycling business of the Middle East, protect the environment and share market information. The BMR also seeks to be a key resource for members of the Middle East metal scrap industry. More details can be found at at www.bmr.ae or by e-mailing BMR President Salam Al Sharif at president@bmr.ae.
NONFERROUS
Alcoa considers additional capacity cuts
Alcoa, headquartered in New York City and Pittsburgh, has announced it will review 500,000 tonnes of its aluminium smelting capacity and 2.8 million tonnes of its aluminium refining capacity for possible curtailment or divestiture. The company says the review is being undertaken to continue to transform the company’s upstream portfolio to create a lower cost, globally competitive commodity business. The review will include facilities throughout Alcoa’s global system.
The company says such actions could affect 14% of Alcoa’s global smelting capacity and 16% of its global refining capacity. Currently, Alcoa has 19% (665,000 tonnes) of its smelting capacity and 7% (1.2 million tonnes) of its global refining capacity idle.
“Alcoa continues to take decisive action, transforming its upstream portfolio to create a lower cost, globally competitive commodity business,” says Bob Wilt, president of Alcoa’s Global Primary Products. “Our goal is to move down the global aluminum cost curve to the 38th percentile and the global alumina cost curve to the 21st percentile by 2016. The results from this review will help achieve those goals. We’ll take action only after a thorough strategic review to determine the best outcome for our shareholders and in consultation with our stakeholders.”
METALS
Scholz calls for stronger regulatory climate in Serbia
“Thousands of illegal landfilling sites in Serbia” are holding back recycling efforts in that European nation, according to Dr. Beate Kummer of Germany-based scrap recycling firm Scholz Holding GmbH. Kummer gave a presentation on the topic at the Eco Expo Fair 19 March, 2015, in Belgrade, Serbia.
Scholz Holding has invested €20 million (US$21.4 million) since 2001 to improve environmental standards at its sites in Serbia, says Kummer, but “right now there is no legal certainty for recyclers and no fair competition.”
Kummer estimates that there are 10 times more illegal operators than legal recyclers in Serbia. She says the illegal companies are working in “gray zones” in the Serbian economy. “Approximately 3,000 small illegal scrap yards are operating in the metal scrap recycling industry; beside that there are more than 2,000 illegal dumping sites for waste,” she comments. “It is a fact that inspectors do not control that gray market—only legal operators are visited by authorities.”
The illegal operators affect the market in several ways, Kummer adds. “Within ports that are used for exporting recycled material, metal scrap trading companies started their illegal operations. Illegal-acting companies use ports for storage and handling scrap, which reduces their costs. A high amount of scrap trading in Serbia is done with cash in the gray zone with significant tax evasion.”
Kummer continues, “The biggest problem in Serbia is there are laws and other standards already harmonized with EU legislation, but they are not applied. Before 2012, importers of [end-of-life] vehicles paid fees to the fund for Environmental Protection, which was later distributed for the recovery of ELVs (end-of-life vehicles).”
However, says Kummer, “Since Serbia got a new government in 2012, the responsibility for the environmental sector was integrated into the Ministry of Agriculture. Afterwards, the market and regulatory conditions in Serbia worsened. A declining local scrap market, combined with the integration of the Environmental Protection Ministry into the Ministry of Agriculture, [created] a regulatory vacuum.”
To remedy the situation, Scholz and Kummer recommend the implementation of waste management laws regarding EU standards, the installation of a new environment ministry or task force, and the closure of illegal dumping sites and illegal operating companies in the waste management and recycling sectors.
Kummer says Scholz Group entered the Serbian market with initial investments in 2001. Scholz currently operates there through the Centar Group, which processed more than 200,000 tons of scrap worth €66 million ($70.5 million) in 2013.