The Eagle Edge 350 can produce mulch from the treads and sidewalls of tires ranging from 33 inches to 63 inches in rim size.

Eagle International, Lyons, Nebraska, has debuted the Eagle Edge 360, which is designed to produce high-quality mulch from the treads and sidewalls of over-the-road (OTR) tires ranging from 33 inches to 63 inches in rim size.

The design features rasp heads in three locations at varying angles. Multiple rasp heads increase the surface area that can be claimed as mulch and speeds up cycle time, according to the company. In addition, operators can shred rubber mulch from the tread and sidewall simultaneously.

“Our goal with this machine was to incorporate automation,” says Joe Brehmer, president of Brehmer Mfg. Inc., the parent company of Eagle International. “Once the machine has been set up, and you tell it how wide the tire tread is, the programmable logic controls (PLCs) take over.”

The Edge 360 uses semiautomation through PLCs that adjust for speed and rasp pressure, according to the company. The PCLs maximize efficiency by providing consistent pressure and tire rotation to remove mulch evenly across the whole surface of the tread. Operators also control rasp angle and depth with a remote function, Eagle International says.

The entire system includes the Edge 360, a high-efficiency vacuum, cyclone, magnet, conveyor, hopper and bag stand.

“I wanted the Edge 360 to have an element of transportability that Eagle International equipment is known for,” Brehmer says. “We designed this machine to come apart in sections so you can transport it to different locations. You can set up where the stock tires are being stored, recover your mulch and tear down to move on to the next location.”

The program brings together the Glass Recycling Foundation, GlassKing, Constellation Brands, LRS and Strategic Materials.

Brands and key players in the glass recycling industry in Chicago have launched the Don’t Trash Glass Program (DTG). The eight-week program seeks to collect glass containers at Greater Chicago area bars and restaurants to be recycled into new bottles, fiberglass and more. 

The program is funded by the nonprofit Glass Recycling Foundation (GRF) based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in partnership with Legacy Marketing in Chicago and beer importer Constellation Brands of Victor, New York. The organizations and businesses involved in the program include glass hauler GlassKing, of Phoenix, waste hauler Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) and glass recycler Strategic Materials, which is headquartered in Houston.

“We are thankful for the opportunity to pilot Don’t Trash Glass in Chicago. The need is clear, and partnering with Corona, GlassKing, Lakeshore Recycling and Strategic Materials shows the value of partnerships across the industry,” says Scott DeFife, president of the Glass Packaging Institute and Glass Recycling Foundation. 

According to a news release from the GRF, the program provides an opportunity for glass-intensive retailers, such as bars and restaurants, to divert glass from the landfill so that it can be recycled. The goal is to create a self-sustaining program that will be scalable in other parts of the country.  

“We are thrilled about this partnership and the impact of diverting and recycling glass, creating a full circle for recycling right in the Greater Chicago area,” says Rose King, chief operating officer of GlassKing.

Glass bottles and containers collected for the Don’t Trash Glass Program will become new containers or fiberglass. GlassKing will bring the collected glass to the LRS facility, which operates a single-stream recycling facility at its Heartland Recycling Center in Forest View, Illinois.

“LRS is very excited to be a part of this pilot outreach program to get more people educated on the importance of recycling glass and encouraging more businesses to recycle in Chicagoland,” says LRS CEO Alan T. Handley. He adds that the company’s Heartland Recycling Center handles more than 110,000 tons of high-grade residential and commercial single-stream recyclables per year and sorts, separates and allocates more than 20 tons of waste per hour.

The GRF says Strategic Materials is the largest glass processor in the United States, and it operates a location in Chicago. The company’s process separates and cleans glass to be sold to bottle and fiberglass insulation manufacturers, creating full recycling circularity. 

“Bar and restaurant collection programs are a great way to divert more glass from landfills and into the local circular economy,” says Laura Hennemann, vice president of communications at Strategic Materials. “The glass bottles in this program will be enjoyed, collected and recycled all within the Chicagoland area, and back as a new bottle in less than 30 days.” 

The company says revenue growth exceeded expectations driven by accelerated volume recovery.

Waste Management (WM), Houston, has announced its financial results for the second quarter, which ended June 30. During the quarter, WM saw growth due to the economy’s recovery from the pandemic, says Jim Fish, CEO of WM.

“In the second quarter, adjusted operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) grew 28 percent. Adjusted operating EBITDA margin expanded 50 basis points, and we generated more than $1 billion of cash from operations,” Fish says. “We continue to execute on our pricing programs and efficiently manage our costs as volumes return.”

According to a news release from WM, in the second quarter, revenue increased $425 million in the company’s collection and disposal business, when excluding the impact of acquisitions and divestitures. This is compared with the second quarter of 2020, driven by $307 million in volume increases and $118 million in growth from yield.

The company also reported a $305 million increase in revenue primarily from the acquisition of Advanced Disposal, Ponte Vedra, Florida.

Operating EBITDA in the company’s collection and disposal business, adjusted on the same basis as a total company operating EBITDA, was $1.41 billion, or 32 percent of revenue, for the second quarter of 2021. This is compared with $1.14 billion, or 32.1 percent of revenue, for the second quarter of 2020.

The company says operating EBITDA for its recycling line of business by $56 million and its renewable energy line of business has improved by $14 million.

Expenditures in 2021 were $396 million compared with $436 million in the second quarter of 2020. Free cash flow was $649 million compared to $423 million in the second quarter of 2020.

During the second quarter of 2021, $492 million was returned to shareholders, including $242 million of cash dividends and $250 million of share repurchases.

Moving forward, the company says it is projecting total company revenue growth to be 15.5 percent to 16 percent in 2021. Combined internal revenue growth from yield and volume in the collection and disposal business is expected to be 5.5 percent or greater. Adjusted operating EBITDA is expected to be between $5 billion and $5.1 billion and free cash flow is projected to be between $2.5 billion and $2.6 billion in 2021. 

The company says it is on target to capture between $80 million and $85 million in cost synergies in 2021 from the acquisition of Advanced Disposal, which is on track to achieve $150 million in total annual run-rate synergies from cost and capital savings. 

“Strong performance across all of our businesses—collection and disposal, recycling and renewable energy—generated outstanding results so far this year,” Fish says. “Our focus on disciplined pricing and cost management helped to offset the inflationary cost pressures we have seen, and we expect to continue this focus into the second half of the year to help us deliver on our new, higher outlook. I want to thank each of our team members for their contributions to our success.”

The 17-acre Resource Recovery Campus is expected to be completed by August 2022.

Construction of a new 17-acre Resource Recovery Campus is currently underway in Clay County, Minnesota, reports The Forum.

The $21 million facility, which includes a waste transfer station, recycling center and offices, is expected to streamline recycling and trash operations and make it easier for residents to dispose of their recyclables, hazardous waste, electronics and trash.

The facility will ease the process for waste haulers who annually transfer 9,400 tons of trash from Moorhead and surrounding towns to the Prairie Lakes Incinerator and 20,000 tons to the Clay County landfill near Hawley.

Clay County Solid Waste Director Kirk Rosenberger told The Forum the new transfer station will provide a sorting area where workers can remove problem waste, such as mattresses, furniture, tires and electronics. This is expected to be a major improvement over the county’s previous operation of hauling directly to the landfill and will allow for "cleaner" trash to be transferred to the Perham Resource Recovery Facility, thus helping extend the life of the county landfill.

In addition to the new transfer station, the facility will have a shredder for mattresses, carpet and furniture, providing easier handling of trash taken to Perham, said Rosenberger told The Forum.

Once separated, the "cleaner trash" will be loaded onto semitrucks that drive into a tunnel on the west side of the building about 20 feet below ground level and the tipping floor. Trash can then easily be pushed and loaded into the semis before they head to Perham or the landfill.

As for hazardous and electronic waste disposal, solid waste department offices will separate the transfer station from the hazardous waste and electronics collection site on the south side of the facility.

Rosenberger, who has been working on the project since he started the job six years ago, said the state provided the county about $600,000 to start plans for the structure seven years ago.

Last year, the state legislature provided $8.5 million through a bonding bill to help build the campus. The county plans to use another $3.5 million from its solid waste reserve funds and then bond for the rest.

The contract for the construction is capped at $21 million, with Construction Engineers of Grand Forks winning a bid for the work, Rosenberger told the newspaper. The company has also built the county's jail, law enforcement center and regional juvenile detention facility.

Company project manager Jeff Reid, who just opened an office on the site, told The Forum crews have spent the last few weeks working on underground utilities and digging the 20-foot deep tunnel.

Workers are also constructing roads into the site. The foundations for the new building should be poured by late fall and they have already ordered the pre-engineered metal buildings that will follow.

Work on the facility is expected to be completed by August 2022. The county will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 3.

*A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to the Perham Resource Recovery Facility as the "Perham Incinerator." This has been corrected to reflect  the operations of the facility. 

The company reports reduced emissions and increased circularity of key materials.

Phoenix-based Republic Services Inc. has released its annual sustainability report, highlighting the company's approach to climate leadership and tracking progress toward its 2030 sustainability goals. 

According to a news release from Republic, the company's sustainability achievements in 2020 included a 5 percent reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions and an increase in the recycling of key materials to support the circular economy.

"Republic Services plays a vital role in providing sustainable solutions to our customers and making the planet a better place now and for future generations," says Jon Vander Ark, president and CEO, Republic. "We continue to make steady progress toward our 2030 sustainability goals and are excited about innovations and technologies under development that will accelerate our impact."

The company reported positive strides toward its climate goals with a reduction in overall emissions, an increase in circularity of recyclable commodities and organics, and numerous renewable energy projects under development.

Throughout 2020 and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Republic Services says it remained committed to its customers, its communities and its team through a $35 million program called Committed to Serve. The initiative provided key support to small businesses, local economies and frontline team members.

Republic Services says it is committed to transparency and disclosure through its sustainability reporting. In addition to the 2020 Sustainability Report, the company issued its 2020 Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Report and 2020 Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Report. Earlier this year, Republic released its inaugural report aligned with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, which was the industry's first comprehensive TCFD reporting.