An optical sorter platform from National Recovery Technologies (NRT) is shaped such that "bounce backs" of ejected materials have virtually been eliminated. That's one of the features of the new platform, which works with the company's SpydIR and ColorPlus optical sorters. The platform incorporates NRT's proprietary In-Flight Sorting technology, which scans plastics after they've come off the belt, rather than...

After banning imports of plastic scrap earlier this year, the Indian government has decided to allow exceptions under specific circumstances. The India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on July 6 decided to allow imports of plastic scrap into special economic zones as long as the material isn't being brought in for disposal. The news was reported by the...

A lab operated by tech giant IBM has developed a one-step method for recycling polycarbonates into high-performance engineering plastics. Staffers at IBM Research in San Jose, Calif. discovered a chemical process to convert polycarbonate (PC) into plastics safe for water purification, fiber optics and medical equipment. IBM's work involved recycling old CDs by adding a fluoride reactant, a base and...

The latest optical sorter released by Pellenc Selective Technologies features easier access for maintenance and improved air valve capabilities. French equipment company Pellenc Selective Technologies (Pellenc ST) unveiled an update to its Mistral line, which includes a host of additional features. It is the result of four years of development by more than 30 engineers. "Extensive feedback coming from our...

Researchers in the U.S. and China team up on a solution for PE, and the company behind a planned facility in Indiana brings on an engineering expert. Molecular method: Scientists in the U.S. and China have discovered a new method for converting PE to fuels, sciencedaily.com reports. The discovery from scientists at the University of California, Irvine and the Shanghai...

Oregon, the first state to launch a beverage container deposit program, will also be the first in the U.S. to increase its deposit amount. The Beaver State will boost its 5-cent deposit to 10 cents starting April 1, 2017, according to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC). Under state law, the hike was triggered because Oregon experienced two consecutive years...

Vermont's law mandating that producers fund the takeback and recycling of single-use batteries has helped significantly boost battery collections in the state. Meanwhile, collections are trending upward across the U.S. and Canada, according to Call2Recycle. The stewardship group reports it collected a total of 7.3 million pounds of single-use and rechargeable batteries in the U.S. and Canada during the first...

California will boost the sums consumers pay when they buy new display devices, ensuring the solvency of a state fund backing e-scrap recycling. Scott Smithline, director of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), on July 20 approved increasing the fees. The fees are currently $3 for devices with screens less than 15 inches in diameter, $4 for...

An integrated e-scrap recycling and metals refining company has paid more than $2 million for the facility and equipment of bankrupt e-scrap company Zloop. New Hampshire-based Colt Refining and Recycling purchased the land, building and equipment in Hickory, N.C. It provided the winning bid at a June 13 auction in Delaware. Colt Recycling provides e-scrap resale and recycling services, and...

Montgomery, Ala. has reached an agreement to assume ownership of Infinitus Energy's shuttered mixed-waste processing operation. Montgomery announced in a press release it would spend $625,000 to acquire the Infinitus Renewable Energy Park (IREP), including the equipment, building and land. The facility, which had billed itself as a potential model for lifting recovery rates, opened two years ago but quickly...