Nova Chemicals Corp., a Calgary, Alberta-based manufacturer of chemicals and plastic resins, and GreenMantra Technologies, Brantford, Ontario, have completed a second asphalt paving project in Ontario, incorporating the equivalent 700,000 plastic bags in postconsumer recycled plastics materials into two pathways and a parking lot.

The project was completed at the construction site of Nova Chemicals’ newest polyethylene (PE) manufacturing facility near Sarnia, Ontario.

GreenMantra initiated a field paving trial in 2020 that included the equivalent of 118,000 plastic bags in two 1,700-foot pathways, and according to Nova Chemicals, based on the positive performance of the test strip last year, the companies proceeded with the expanded paving project.

“This is an excellent example of Canadian innovation and collaboration to shape a world that is better tomorrow than it is today,” says Sarah Marshall, vice president of sustainability at Nova Chemicals. “Together, we are finding new solutions to divert plastic waste from landfill and create a circular economy for plastic materials.”

Nova Chemicals announced several other collaborations earlier this month when it partnered with Milton, Wisconsin-based Charter Next Generation (CNG), an independent producer of high-performance specialty films used in flexible packaging. According to the companies, the goal of that partnership is to increase CNG’s use of postconsumer resin for flexible film applications. 

Nova Chemicals also partnered with Houston-based Circulus, which will supply Nova with recycled PE.

“We’re incredibly proud to introduce railcar quantities of PCR to our portfolio of product offerings,” Luis Sierra, president and CEO of Nova Chemicals, said earlier this month. "This is a significant milestone in how we’re delivering value to our customers and there’s much more to come as we look to achieve our bold ambition of creating a circular economy for plastic materials.”

GreenMantra upcycles postconsumer and postindustrial recycled plastics into specialty waxes and polymer additives that enhance asphalt, roofing and plastic products, and the paving project with Nova Chemicals incorporated a polymer additive from GreenMantra that, according to the company, boosts performance of the asphalt and delivers more durable roads.

“Nova Chemicals’ $2.5 billion investment in two Ontario growth projects brings cutting edge technology, high-paying jobs and long-term viability to the region,” says Rob Thompson, vice president of manufacturing at Nova Chemicals. “This paving project that incorporates recycled plastic in our new parking lot is another way we can demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and being a good neighbor here in Lambton County.”

Harsco Environmental, a division of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania-based Harsco Corp., is rebranding its former Applied Products line to “ecoproducts,” a trademarked name it says reflects Harsco’s “capabilities as an end-to-end solutions provider.”

The renamed line of products includes more than 60 products serving seven industries, including iron and steel, road building and abrasives, roofing, construction and cement.

States Harsco, “ecoproducts strives to provide a sustainable alternative to virgin material by being more cost-effective and offering higher performance than raw materials such as mined or processed metals.”

Comments Russ Mitchell, vice president and chief operating officer for Harsco Environmental. “Where most see waste, we see unimagined value. Since our inception, Harsco Environmental has been renowned for its vast service offerings and has remained at the front lines for our customers. As we evolve into an environmental solutions provider, we are committed to increasing our sustainable offerings.”

Adds Mitchell, “Our rebranding to ecoproducts better represents what this product line offers to all stakeholders, the industry and our customers.” Stakeholders include steel mill operators who generate the slag that Harsco processes and construction and road building contractors who are end users of recycled-content aggregates containing slag.

Harsco Environmental says it also has adjusted aspects of its internal structure and launched a new website focused on ecoproducts.  Adds the company, “As the most comprehensive provider of onsite material processing and environmental services to the global metals industry, Harsco Environmental has operations at more than 130 customer sites across more than 30 countries.”

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario-based Algoma Steel Group Inc. has reached an agreement with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) with respect to the CIB’s previously announced commitment to finance the installation of electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking equipment.

Under the terms of the agreement, the CIB will provide up to $172 million in financing toward the approximately $550 million conversion from blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) production to scrap-fed EAF steelmaking.

Earlier this month, Algoma’s board of directors authorized the construction of two new EAFs to replace Algoma’s existing BOF operations. Algoma signaled its intention to switch to EAF capacity in May when it was acquired by New York-based Legato Merger Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

Last month, Algoma entered into a joint venture known as ATM Metals Inc. with Ontario-based scrap processing firm Triple M Metals. The JV has been created to source prime ferrous scrap and other iron units to meet Algoma’s melt shop needs after it converts to EAF steelmaking.

According to Algoma, the CIB financing will enable it to purchase “state-of-the-art equipment to facilitate the EAF transformation, which is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 70 percent, representing more than 3 million metric tons per year by 2030.”

Shanghai-based steel producer Baowu Group says a coalition called the Global Low-Carbon Metallurgical Innovation Alliance (GLCMI) is now in place to help advance “the engineering and industrialization of low-carbon technologies” in the steel industry.

Baowu says GLCMI has been “jointly established by 62 companies, universities and scientific research institutions from 15 countries around the world.” Steel producers include those with largely (though not entirely) blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace capacity, including Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal, Germany-based ThyssenKrupp and India-based Tata Steel.

Also members of the coalition are iron ore miners and marketers, including London-based Rio Tinto, Brazil-based Vale S.A. and Australia-based Fortescue Metals Group (FMG). Italy-based steelmaking technology vendor Danieli Group also is part of GLCMI.

States Baowu in an announcement on its website, “The alliance positions itself as a technology exchange platform in the field of low-carbon metallurgical innovation to gather R&D resources of the global steel industry [to] collaborate in the development of basic as well as forward-looking low-carbon metallurgical technology, with the goal of promoting technology cooperation, exchange and transformation, advancing the engineering and industrialization of low-carbon technologies, forming a low-carbon value innovation chain and promoting the low-carbon transformation in the steel industry.”

Continues Baowu, “Members of the alliance will follow the principles of openness, vision sharing and intellectual property protection, actively respond to climate change, and work together for the future of the steel industry and for the benefit of mankind.”

The November announcement by Baowu does not specifically mention the role of ferrous scrap or metals recycling as a low-carbon aspect on which GLCMI will focus attention.