Industry Announcements

May 2018

The Association of California Recycling Industries will host a luncheon this week to discuss China’s restrictions on imports of recyclables.

BigBelly, which manufactures high-tech waste and recycling receptacles, has announced a partnership that will further BigBelly’s development across Europe and the Middle East.

Call2Recycle has launched its Avoid The Spark battery safety campaign in California, citing the rising number of recycling facility fires caused by improperly discarded lithium-ion batteries.

Designing Waste: Strategies for a Zero Waste City, an exhibit exploring how architectural design can reduce waste, will open June 14 in New York City.

Gore Fabrics has joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “Make Fashion Circular” initiative, which includes 20 brands focused on implementing circular economy principles in the textile industry.

Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC), the industry-owned container stewardship group, held a collection event during which redeemed deposits were donated to a local food bank.

Recycle Track Systems CEO Gregory Lettieri has been named one of the “top entrepreneurs in America” by Quantumshift, a program put on by the University of Michigan and KPMG, a professional services company.

Coast Waste Management Association has elected two new directors to sit on its eight-member board.

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has elected a new slate of national officers.

The National Waste and Recycling Association has praised Maryland’s passage of “slow down to get around” legislation, which requires motorists to reduce speed and change lanes when passing collection trucks.

Re-Trac Connect will host a webinar to solicit feedback on its Municipal Measurement Program, a software tool for municipal recycling agencies.

Packaging producer TemperPack has released a fiber-based, recyclable shipping insulation material called ClimaCell.

TerraCycle and beauty products company L’Occitane have launched a recycling program accepting a variety of beauty and skincare products at L’Occitane store locations.

AMCS, a waste and recycling software company, has completed a significant investment from Insight Venture Partners and Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF).

Brand owner Henkel will include the How2Recycle label on a selection of its laundry and home care products, including Soft Scrub and Purex Crystals. Also, protective packaging company Pregis will adopt the How2Recycle label, starting with its LDPE air pillows, which are used to protect products during shipment.

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) announced that the Recycling Research Foundation raised a record $40,000 through its annual silent auction, which was held at ISRI’s annual convention and exposition in April in Las Vegas.

The PAC Packaging Consortium released its “Sustainability Checklist for Structural Package Designers.”

The Recycling Partnership (TRP) announced that Love Beauty and Planet, a new Unilever brand, has joined as a member and will contribute $40 to TRP for each ton of greenhouse gases emitted during production of its products. TRP also recently announced that Niagara Bottling, a major end user of recycled PET, has joined its ranks.

TerraCycle and Barilla have launched a mail-in recycling program for Barilla’s instant pasta pouches.

Van Dyk Recycling Solutions donated $5,000 to the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) Scholarship Program. The donation was made at the EREF annual auction, held at WasteExpo in Las Vegas in April.

The American Chemistry Council has released a study showing that gasification, a waste-to-energy process, produces higher-quality fuels when plastics are added in with other feedstock.

The Confederation of Paper Industries and HM Revenue & Customs have released data showing mixed paper exports from the U.K. fell by more than 13 percent in early 2018, in part due to China’s import restrictions.

Vehicle producer McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing has created a new refuse collection vehicles business unit and appointed Jeff Koga to lead the department.

The Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania announced the creation of the Daniel D. Weisenbach Environmental Stewardship Award, named after an industry innovator who helped found Weisenbach Recycled Products in 1981 at the age of 19. The application process for the inaugural award is open until May 18.

The Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA) has announced the organizations, businesses and individuals that will be inducted into WSRA’s hall of fame this year.

April 2018

Call2Recycle has launched a campaign aiming to increase battery recycling by combatting “battery hoarding.” The organization referenced a recent study that found 21 percent of Americans hold onto used single-use batteries in part because they don’t know where to recycle them.

P&G has announced new recycling-related goals as part of its new Ambition 2030 platform. The goals include using 100 percent recyclable or reusable packaging for the company’s top 20 brands.

ReTrac Connect has made available recordings of the 2018 Measurement Matters summit, which it co-hosted in February in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Sierra International Machinery has released a new two-ram baler called the REB4.

Tomra has released the results of a survey that found beverage containers are the most-recycled products in the U.S.

Bulk Handling Systems (BHS) has received a $20 million capital investment that it plans to use in pursuit of growth opportunities.

Burt’s Bees and TerraCycle have launched a nationwide mail-back recycling program accepting all Burt’s Bees packaging.

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) has named the College of Staten Island and Rhode Island School of Design as the winners of the top awards of KAB’s 2018 Recyclemania competition.

Rio Tinto Aluminum has become the first company to receive certification under the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative.

The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association has highlighted the results of a study that shows 95 percent of wood pallets are being recycled in the U.S.

Nestlé has announced its goal of using 100 percent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025.

The Recycling Partnership has released a report detailing its activities during the past year.

Advanced Enviro Systems recently completed the leveraged buyout of AVR Resource Group (doing business as TrashPro), a Mount Laurel, N.J.-based waste consulting company.

The National Recycling Coalition (NRC) has elected Dave Keeling, director of recycling for the Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), as NRC president.

Subaru of America announced a new partnership with TerraCycle to divert hard-to-recycle materials from landfills and incinerators.

The American Chemistry Council has praised Georgia lawmakers for approving legislation that supports the pyrolysis sector through regulatory changes and called for Gov. Nathan Deal to sign the bill.

Cambridge Consultants has designed a range of biodegradable PHA plastic products for use in food packaging, including hot food and drink applications.

Closed Loop Partners has hired Michael Gajewski as its managing director. Gajewski formerly served as chief financial officer for Canusa Corporation. Closed Loop Partners is also working with Starbucks, which committed $10 million to establishing a consortium to lead a coffee cup composting or recycling challenge.

The Federation of New York Solid Waste Associations has announced that the keynote address at its annual conference and trade show will be delivered by Paul Gilman, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer for Covanta.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has named Devinder Ahuja, chief financial officer for aluminum company Novelis, as a NAM board member.

Packaging and industrial products company Sonoco has appointed Robert Tiede as its president and CEO. Tiede previously served as Sonoco’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

March 2018

Harris Waste Management has begun selling equipment direct to customers in the U.K. and Ireland.

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has created a “Century Club” for longtime recycling industry members who are retired or semi-retired but would like to remain involved with the industry. ISRI also released its 2018 advocacy agenda, laying out the organization’s areas of focus for lobbying.

Liftomatic Material Handling will open its Asian headquarters in Wuhan, China, where the company will locate its sales, administration, engineering and accounting personnel for the region.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has announced an outreach and education program that utilizes the Recycling IQ Kit from The Recycling Partnership. The program also awards several municipalities a total of $187,500 to help them implement the IQ Kit initiatives.

The Michigan Recycling Coalition will host its annual conference May 15-17 in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Recycle Track Systems has appointed Shazi Visram, founder and former CEO of Happy Family Organic Food Brands, as a member of its board of directors.

Plastics-to-fuel company RES Polyflow testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, asking that the pyrolysis industry be made eligible for several alternative fuel tax credits.

Waste Management founder Wayne Huizenga has died at age 80.

The Association of Plastic Recyclers will host a series of webinars on topics such as California’s packaging regulations, a project to pinpoint hard-to-recover plastics, sustainable materials management’s relationship to recycling and more.

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has surpassed 10,000 members, which marks membership growth of more than 22 percent since 2015.

Waste Management has acquired Anderson Rubbish Disposal and Moorpark Rubbish Disposal, both of Ventura County, Calif.

ZenRobotics will supply a robotic sortation system for a Sogetri post-industrial processing facility in Geneva.

Recycled aluminum alloy producers have formed the Aluminum Recyclers Council (ARC), with initial board representation from Continental Aluminum, Custom Alloy Sales, Metal Exchange Corp., Superior Aluminum Alloys, The Sanford Organization and Spectro Alloys Corp.

The Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin has announced the winners of the organization’s annual awards recognizing achievement in recycling and waste reduction.

Keep America Beautiful will kick off its annual Great American Cleanup on March 20.

Terracycle and health product company Twinlab have partnered to provide a mail-in recycling program for Twinlab’s packaging.

Tomra has named Brian Gist as the company’s UK and Nordics Managing Director.

American Manganese, a Canadian company developing a lithium-ion battery recycling technology, has signed a contract for roughly 2.3 million Canadian dollars to continue its research and build a pilot processing facility.

Battery stewardship group Call2Recycle Canada has been certified to the R2 electronics recycling standard.

Emterra Group has hired Gordon Day as its vice president of circular economy and sustainability, which is part of the Canadian company’s national leadership team.

Garnier launched the second year of Rinse, Recycle, Repeat, a collaborative recycling campaign with TerraCycle and DoSomething.org. The campaign features actress Mandy Moore as ambassador.

Keep America Beautiful has announced the 2017 winners of its Recycle-Bowl competition, which rewards elementary, middle and high schools nationwide that achieve high diversion numbers.

Lakeshore Recycling Systems has received an “innovation in business” award from the Daily Herald Business Ledger, a local business news company.

Metro Vancouver, the regional authority for the Vancouver, British Columbia area, announced an expanded polystyrene disposal ban will take effect July 1.

Sappi North America, a paper and packaging producer, has joined The Recycling Partnership as a funding partner. In addition, WestRock has renewed its membership with The Recycling Partnership for the fourth straight year.

The U.S. Composting Council (USCC) issued a statement praising the American Association of Plant and Food Control Officials for passing a new definition of compost.