Industry News

TAMPA IS SITE OF CMRA ANNUAL MEETING

Members and guests of the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), Lisle, Ill., will gather in Tampa, Fla., in mid-February for the association’s annual meeting.

The Airport Hilton in Tampa will serve as the site of the meeting, which starts with a CMRA Board of Directors on Sunday, Feb. 13, and concludes with C&D processing facility tours on Wednesday, Feb. 16. The Monday and Tuesday in between are filled with sessions on a variety of topics, including:

· A speaker from the U.S. EPA on the agency’s proposed lead-based paint debris rule.

· Research into using recycled concrete as aggregate in ready-mix applications.

· The future of deconstruction.

· Asphalt shingle and gypsum recycling.

A construction industry forecast by William Toal of the Portland Cement Association will also be a highlight, according to CMRA executive director Bill Turley. "There is programming that will appeal to both managers and to operations supervisors," says Turley. "I think we’ve put together a very good schedule."

Those interested in attending the meeting can receive registration information by calling (800) 225-0899.

CARPET RENEWAL PROCESS AWARDED

AlliedSignal Inc, Petersburg, Va., has been awarded the "Design for Humanity Award" for development and commercialization of Infinity nylon, a product of a patented, closed-loop nylon 6 recycling process. The award was given to AlliedSignal by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

"This year’s ASID ‘Design for Humanity Award’ is about sustainability," says Rosalyn Cama, national director for the ASID. "Our industry needs more leaders like AlliedSignal Polymers. Their closed-loop recycling process and methods for solid waste management across the country are to be lauded as necessary examples for responsible manufacturing."

Infinity nylon is created from post-consumer carpet made with Anso nylon and other nylon 6 fibers by depolymerizing the nylon back into caprolactam—the building block of nylon 6. The Infinity nylon process renews the nylon 6 to create a virgin-quality caprolactam.

Infinity nylon will help keep more than 200 million pounds of post-consumer carpet out of the waste stream. Full scale operations at AlliedSignal’s Augusta, Ga., are scheduled to begin by the end of this year.

C&D RECYCLER RECEIVES STATE LOAN

The state of Wisconsin’s Recycling Market Development Board (RMDB) has awarded a $275,000 loan to Zblewski Brothers LLC, a construction materials recycler located in Plover, Wisc.

The loan will help the company expand from its current green waste wood recycling operations into the recycling of drywall and shingles. In its proposal for the loan to the RMDB, Zblewski Brothers set as targets the recycling of 384 tons of drywall and 440 tons of shingles. Proceeds of the loan will be used to purchase equipment for the drywall and shingle processing.

The company’s current product mix, derived from processed tree trimmings and ground stumps, includes landscape chips, camp fire wood and a soil amendment.

NAA HELPS COMPANIES COMPLY WITH RULING

The National Aggregates Association (NAA) is educating members on how to comply with a ruling by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) concerning noise. The noise standard was released in September and aggregate producers have one year from the rules publication to comply, or until Sept. 13, 2000. The final ruling requires aggregate production site operators to use all feasible engineering and administrative controls to reduce exposure to noise for employees. Action is required of the operators when the noise reaches levels above 85 decibels.

The new ruling is designed to help reduce the noise workers are exposed to. "Our paramount objective is the health, safety and well-being of the employees at aggregate operations," says NAA president Charles E. Hawkins III. "It is for this reason NAA is developing educational materials to help them comply."

BRITAIN’S HANSON PLC ADDS GERMAN ASSETS

Hanson PLC, a British aggregates and concrete firm with American headquarters in Neptune, N.J., has acquired 75% of a German primary and recycled aggregates firm.

The acquired firm, RENA Recycling und Naturstein Gmbh, operates three limestone and two gravel quarries in central Germany. Three of the quarries recycle demolition materials. RENA’s 1998 production of aggregates totaled 2.2 million metric tons, while the quarries also landfilled 600,000 metric tons of C&D waste.

"I am delighted that we have found a strong base and an experienced local partner in our effort to establish a strategic foothold for our aggregates operations in Germany," says Hanson PLC CEO Andrew Dougal.

Hanson Building Materials America is the third largest aggregates producer in the U.S., while Hanson Brick America is the second largest brick maker in North America, according to a Hanson PLC news release.

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August 2001
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