Ansonia, Connecticut-based Connecticut Metal Industries says it has now recycled more than 100 million pounds (50,000 tons) of flexible packaging materials at its Ansonia facility.

This plant, which opened in 2010, was set up to recover foil, paper and polymer laminates used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

“Our company began 38 years ago by recycling rigid containers,” says Mary Vulcano, a vice president with the firm. “As flexible packaging made rapid inroads into these markets, we decided to also recycle flexible materials.”

Initially, Connecticut Metal focused on aluminum foil laminates. The company says it developed a proprietary process that separates aluminum from the paper and plastic substrates. Connecticut Metal soon became what it calls “a major consumer of foil lidding, laminate pouch materials as well as printed and uncoated aluminum foil scrap.”

In the previous 10 years, Connecticut Metal has expanded to encompass the processing of printed and unprinted paper, plastic laminates and tapes. Metal containers from the beverage and aerosol can industries still comprise a major part of its recyclable feedstock, adds the firm.

Connecticut Metal says it remains committed to working with the rapidly developing flexible packaging industry. States the firm to prospective customers on its website, “By recycling your aluminum foil laminate scrap we can help you attain a zero waste footprint for your manufacturing facility.”

Charlotte, North Carolina-based steelmaker Nucor Corp. has announced it will add a new melt shop at its bar mill in Kingman, Arizona. The anticipated $100 million melt shop will have the capacity to produce 600,000 tons of raw steel annually. Construction of the melt shop is expected to take two years, pending permit and regulatory approvals.

“This investment in a new melt shop at our Arizona bar mill is part of our strategy to grow our core steelmaking business and will help us maintain our market leadership position in steel bar production,” says Leon Topalian, president and CEO of Nucor. “Adding new melt shop capacity will help meet the growing demand for steel bar products in the Western region, which is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States.”

Steel production in the West lags behind that of other regions, according to figures kept by the Washington-based American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). In the week ending this July 30, for example, just 64,000 tons of steel were made in the AISI Western region. That lags behind 728,000 tons in its Southern region; 562,000 in the Great Lakes region; 207,000 in the Midwest region; and 166,000 in the AISI North East region.

One of the last mills in California, an electric arc furnace (EAF) mill in Rancho Cucamonga last operated by Commercial Metals Co. (CMC), was idled in late 2020, with the land sold off last year. CMC has attempted to shift some of that capacity by expanding its EAF output in Mesa, Arizona. Nucor will now try to boost Western U.S. output with the Kingman project.

In September 2021, Nucor announced its intention to build a new melt shop at one of its existing bar mills in the Western United States. Nucor Steel Kingman is the ideal location for this project because it is a rolling mill that converts steel billets into coiled wire rod and rebar but lacks a melt shop. The Kingman mill currently employs approximately 80 teammates.

Wire rod and rebar made downstream of the melt shop in Kingman are used primarily in concrete reinforcement for the construction of roads, buildings, bridges and other structures. Nucor will use scrap-fed EAF technology and refers to itself as “one of the most sustainable steel producers in the world.” Nucor says its steel bar products last year averaged 98.5 percent recycled content.

“Nucor’s new sustainable steel production facility will strengthen Arizona’s vibrant manufacturing ecosystem,” says Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “Nucor’s new facility will produce quality steel and steel products while maintaining the highest safety and sustainability standards. We are grateful for Nucor’s commitment to Kingman, creating high-wage jobs while driving further economic growth in the area.”

Nucor has 15 bar mills in the U.S., with four of them focusing on special bar quality (SBQ) and wire rod products. Nucor estimates its current bar steel production capacity at approximately 9.56 million tons per year.

In addition to its EAF steelmaking operations, Nucor makes steel racking; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; precision castings; steel fasteners; metal building systems; insulated metal panels; overhead doors; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh. Through its Cincinnati-based David J. Joseph Co. business unit, it processes and brokers ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal.

“We are thrilled to be transitioning into a long-term product partnership with Odakyu,” Rubicon CEO and Founder Nate Morris says. “We believe the Japanese market offers high growth potential to Rubicon and our mission to end waste, and this partnership is proof of the value of Rubicon’s suite of technology solutions both in the United States and around the world.”

Operating in Japan since 1948, Odakyu is committed to working collaboratively with Japanese municipalities and industry leaders to identify and solve the local and global challenges of waste. For the past three years, Rubicon’s suite of technology solutions has been helping local communities in Japan improve operational efficiency and reduce waste incineration while creating shared value. This new long-term, nationwide agreement will enable Odakyu to deploy Rubicon’s technology to promote sustainable waste solutions across Japan. In its current form, the partnership is primarily focused on helping city governments implement environmental and circular economic practices.

“After a very successful pilot of Rubicon’s technology suite in Japan, we are extremely excited to expand and extend our agreement with Odakyu,” said Rubicon Chief Operating Officer and Head of Global Expansion at Rubicon Renaud de Viel Castel says. “As the Japanese waste and recycling industry redoubles its commitment to sustainable practices, we are proud to support those efforts and look forward to a long and productive working relationship with our partners in Japan.”

Waste is a global challenge and a global opportunity. Rubicon partners with businesses and governments around the world to advance its mission through zero-waste, landfill diversion and smart city solutions. The company’s various cloud-based offerings help waste collection companies digitize their operations while equipping municipalities and businesses of all sizes to adopt a fully digital model to expand their recycling management capabilities.

“We have been working with Rubicon for several years to demonstrate the suitability of their technology for the Japanese market,” Odakyu Project Technical Director Yohei Matsuda says. “As a result, we have found not only that their technology suits the Japanese market very well, but it has exceeded our expectations, solving problems in the collection and transportation field and contributing to a circular economy on a global scale. There are high expectations from the Japanese market, and Odakyu hopes to build a sustainable society through our partnership with Rubicon and its ever-evolving technology.”

Rubicon Technologies LLC, a digital marketplace for waste and recycling and a provider of innovative software-based solutions for businesses and governments worldwide, has announced that its targeted pilot partnership with Odakyu Electric Railway Co. Ltd., a transportation, retail and real estate company in Japan, has transitioned into a long-term, nationwide technology licensing agreement focused on supporting the Japanese waste and recycling industry as it moves toward a more integrated circular economy.

Scrap University, an online training program for scrap processors that is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, has launched Scrap University Kids as a new division to teach kids about recycling.

“Our goal is to teach kids that all metal is recyclable. In 30 years, we want to eliminate metal from the waste stream,” Scrap University Kids President Jessica Alexanderson says.

As a first initiative, Scrap University Kids released a book, “The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans,” that can be used as an educational tool for young kids. Alexanderson, Brad Rudover, president of Scrap University, and Shaziya Jaffer co-wrote the book.

The book teaches kids about aluminum cans and how to recycle them through the eyes of Ellie, the main character who really wants to buy a unicorn using the money she earns from recycling cans. It also provides lessons on math, financial literacy, perseverance, sharing, teamwork and donation. Alexanderson says she hopes the book will teach kids how to make an impact on the environment and to choose recyclable and reusable materials.

“We wanted to start with cans since all kids know what cans are and they are very easy to recycle if put in the correct bin,” Alexanderson says. “We want them to learn to never throw them in the garbage. We will then segue into other scrap metals in our following classes and books.”  

Alexanderson says Scrap University Kids wants to encourage scrap yard operators to buy copies of this book to give to their local school districts and help to host recycling drives in those districts with the kids and their families. The book is available to purchase online at Kids.ScrapUniversity.com for $24.99.

She adds that Scrap University Kids is working on an online course called Intro to Metals that will feature characters and illustrations from “The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans” that teachers and parents can use to teach elementary school-aged kids about recycling. Additionally, the organization will release a series of children’s books to teach about other metals and to provide a better understanding of how scrap metal is recycled.