Shredding system to help public agency cope with increase in scrap tires.
Sarasota, Florida-based CM Shredders says it has helped install one of its high-capacity automated tire shredding system at Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) Waste Solutions facility in Suffolk, Virginia.
SPSA is a regional solid waste collection and disposal agency for more than 1 million residents in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. In the past four years, the inbound tire flow into the SPSA tire processing facility has doubled, and the percentage of truck tires has increased significantly, according to CM Shredders.
The agency’s previous tire shredder, also a CM unit, was in reliable operation for nearly 20 years, says the firm. “The management team at SPSA decided it was time to replace that shredder and an invitation for bid went out to several shredder manufacturers, according to CM.
CM Shredders was awarded the replacement contract and has installed a new tire shredding system that can process passenger car, semi-truck, and light OTR (off the road) tires. The new system includes a new CM HT 250 (high torque) hybrid primary shredder that, during a test, processed in excess of 30 tons per hour, according to CM.
“An array of cameras and advanced sensors are custom programmed to communicate with both the shredder and the conveyance systems allowing the machine to self-meter at high volumes,” says Mario Vazquez, CM Shredders sales and marketing director. “The operators can view the live camera feeds remotely and can focus on other tasks as the machine keeps an optimal speed and capacity on its own,"
Vazquez continues, “With high capacities and automation come greater chances of a foreign object such as rocks and rims making it through initial screening protocols.” For added protection, the CM system has what it calls an extreme impact protection system.
Using electrical controls, that system provides a torque limiting function that can instantaneously detect and respond to an extreme impact and “is much more efficient than an old-style mechanical system,” according to CM Shredders.
“I’ve dealt with machinery all my life, and this is the most impressive piece of equipment I’ve ever been a part of purchasing,” says Dennis Bagley, who serves as SPSA’s deputy executive director. “The new machine can shred and process four times as many tires as the old shredder, and the old shredder was no slouch. We are very proud of our new facility and of the fact that every scrap of rubber will be recycled - mainly used for TDA [tire-derived aggregate] or at the landfill [for civil engineering purposes].”
Environmental company partners with high-temperature plasma technology provider to close loop on variety of batteries.
Indianapolis-based Heritage Battery Recycling LLC and smelting technology provider 6K have announced a development agreement to produce new cathode material from recycled batteries. The companies say Heritage will use its established infrastructure to collect, store and process end-of-life batteries, and Massachusetts-based 6K will provide its high-temperature plasma technology to manufacture cathode-grade battery metals from the scrap materials.
The name 6K represents 6000 degrees, the temperature of the surface of the sun and the operating temperature of 6K’s UniMelt system, which the firm calls the world's only production-scale microwave plasma system.
The company says it is currently sampling customers and developing products that can be used by makers of NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) and LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, plus silicon dominant anode and solid-state electrolyte materials.
“This agreement represents the first true circular economy approach to battery recycling,” says Aaron Bent, CEO of 6K. “An approach that is both sustainable and cost-effective and most importantly can be domestically produced. It is clear that we need to recycle materials in order to ensure the sustainability of our domestic battery supply chain, and Heritage is the perfect partner in this endeavor. Their operational expertise has been demonstrated over the past 50 years of offering safe and compliant solutions to their customers, and this partnership will greatly accelerate deployment of 6K’s cathode product into the market.”
Heritage Battery Recycling, Heritage Environmental Services and Heritage Crystal Clean will all contribute to build a national collection network for sourcing spent battery feedstock, the firms say.
“6K is a leader in the materials management field and are the perfect partner to work with on creating a circular, sustainable solution to produce cathode material for new batteries,” says Shane Thompson, president of Heritage Battery Recycling. “This is a breakthrough, as 6K’s process is massively less energy, water- and carbon-intensive. It will redefine how we produce batteries.”
The headphones use bioplastic from Eastman and contains 40 percent biobased content.
Thinksound, an audio equipment manufacturer based in Toronto, has launched its first over-ear headphones using bioplastic. The plastic comes from Eastman, a plastics manufacturer based in Kingsport, Tennessee, and contains more than 40 percent biobased content derived from sustainably harvested trees.
The headphones, called the ov21, can be preordered online now and will be in stock in October 2021.
"We're a company that has always had sustainability as part of our mission," says Aaron Fournier, president and founder of Thinksound. "Historically, we've achieved this by using wood and other natural or recyclable components. That created a challenge with new product development because we had to minimize the use of plastic. Eastman offered us an opportunity to develop headphones in an environmentally responsible way while meeting our rigorous standards for acoustic performance."
Eastman is a U.S. Department of Agriculture certified biobased polymer that offers excellent acoustic properties in addition to the durability, chemical resistance and processability required for engineered applications in consumer electronic devices, according to Eastman.
"We're proud to be working with a company like Thinksound, with its deep commitment to environmentally sound products," says Courtland Jenkins, commercial director of specialty plastics for Eastman.
The audio company is also developing two wireless headphone products that will use sustainable materials as part of its commitment to environmentally responsible innovation.
"We now have the flexibility to create almost any audio product our customers desire, and we can do it in a way that we can feel good about," says Mark Forward, chief marketing officer of Thinksound. "Eastman provides the kind of technology and innovation that matches our ambitions as a company. We're excited about the possibilities of what we can create together."
The company hopes to increase polypropylene recycling access to 15 million U.S. residents.
Berry Global Group, a packaging manufacturer based in Evansville, Indiana, has announced it is joining The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition. The coalition is aimed at increasing recycling access for polypropylene (PP).
The company says the announcement extends its goal of enhancing recycling infrastructure as part of the quest toward a circular economy. Berry joins Polypropylene Recycling Coalition steering committee members like Keurig Dr. Pepper, Braskem, NextGen Consortium and the Walmart Foundation.
“By expanding and modernizing recycling infrastructure, we will capture the economic value that is currently being lost and supply the recycled content necessary to meet commitments,” says Robert Flores, vice president of sustainability at Berry. “This is critical to achieving a circular economy and giving natural resources multiple lives.”
According to a news release from Berry, the initiative is in line with the company’s efforts to improve PP curbside recycling.
Berry says it’s targeting investments and partnerships to foster recycling infrastructure. An example of this is a recent collaboration with Evansville, Indiana, materials recovery facility (MRF) to purchase and install a new AMP Robotics Cortex high-speed robotics system to sort polypropylene. Recovered material will be used back in Berry’s products. More importantly, learnings from the robot will be evaluated and shared to enhance and promote PP recycling.
The free virtual event will be held from Dec. 14 through Dec. 16.
United Kingdom-based Applied Market Information Ltd. (AMI) has announced its Smart Packaging Virtual Summit will take place Dec. 14-16. The event, which is free to attend, will include expert presentations and live Q&A sessions.
According to a news release from AMI, the following are some of the sessions that will take place at the event:
“The pandemic has accelerated existing packaging megatrends and added a fresh impetus for innovation. Smart packaging is growing significantly,” says Pranita Nangia, senior conference producer at AMI. “We will witness more developments in smarter materials that will prolong shelf life and reduce packaging weight. Also, a boost in the Internet of Things and AI is adding value for consumers, optimizing operations, and maximizing data collection. The virtual summit will provide the ideal environment to discuss the packaging needs and expectations of brand owners and consumers, as well as exploring the evolution and disruption of the packaging ecosystem.”
AMI says the event also features a startup innovation showcase. Here, up-and-coming companies have an opportunity to deliver their pitch on innovative concepts, products or technologies related to the smart packaging space in front of the prestigious selection committee.
The platform also hosts a virtual exhibition area, allowing all attendees to explore and interact with the packaging industry and its key players who will showcase their products. During the designated networking sessions, professionals can connect by private meetings scheduled with their chosen contacts.