Scrap Industry News

BATTERY COLLECTION FACILITY OPENS

The Battery Division of Kinsbursky Brothers Inc., Anaheim, Calif., is opening a new battery collection facility in Baltimore, Ohio, in the central part of the state.

The new facility is located in a former 3M manufacturing plant on 14 acres of land. “We’re conveniently located just 45 minutes east of Columbus, and our new plant will serve as a collection and consolidation point accepting all battery chemistries,” says Ed Green, directory of battery operations for the Baltimore site. Green was formerly a vice president for Battery Solutions in Michigan.

“With this new eastern facility, we are better equipped to offer a network of recycling services for our clients throughout Canada and North America as well as our global customers,” says Steven Kinsbursky, president of Kinsbursky Brothers Inc. “Initially, this facility will focus on collection and consolidation, but our long-term plans are to create a fully integrated recycling program that mirrors our Orange County operation.”

The 40-year-old company operates a battery treatment storage/disposal facility in Anaheim, in Orange County. It is an EPA-permitted battery recycling facility that also contains precious metal reclamation and recovery services focusing on electronic circuit board materials and automotive catalysts.

SHREDDER PLANT FINALLY GETTING GREEN LIGHT?

After a prolonged battle with local regulatory agencies, American Iron and Steel Co., Minneapolis, may finally be closer to receiving a green light for a new automobile shredding plant.

The Minnesota House of Representatives passed with bipartisan support a bill that directs the City of Minneapolis to issue all necessary permits to allow the company to construct the long-delayed shredder. The company received a permit for the project in 1990, but city council legislation and municipal judicial maneuverings have since delayed the project. The legislation passed at the state level requires the city government to post a security bond if it asks for further delays.

“This is a great victory for fairness and proof that you can fight the abuses of city hall,” says American Iron and Steel Co. president John Isaacs.

During debate on the state legislation, legislators chastised the city government while noting that at the same time it was objecting to the shredder on environmental grounds, it was permitting a city-operated fueling station, a waste transfer station, and an appliance processing facility on Mississippi River-front property adjacent to American Iron and Steel’s location.

INARE SHIFTS VENUE TO ACULPOCO

After hosting its first six meetings in Mexico City, INARE (Instituto Nacional de Recicladores) is moving to the beaches of Acapulco for its 1999 convention.

The Seventh International Mexican Recycling Congress & Expo will be held in Acapulco Nov. 18 and 19. Educational sessions at the event will explore “The State of the Mexican Recycling Industry,” examining such aspects as demand for scrap metal and paper in Mexico, the stability of the peso, and the pace and scope of consolidation of the Mexican recycling industry.

Mexico’s economy continues to grow, as does the extent of trading it does with the U.S. Since the implementation of NAFTA five years ago, trade between the U.S. and Mexico has grown an average of 17% annually, according to Carlos Rovelo of Balcones Recycling, who is also an officer with INARE.

INARE membership consists of more than 1,500 Mexican companies involved in the collection, processing and consumption of recyclables, as well as equipment makers and non-profit groups.