Municipal, IC&I

Recent news from the various sectors of the recycling industry

US Chamber Foundation selects Orlando, Florida, for regional recycling project

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and its partners have announced that the city of Orlando, Florida, will serve as the location for its multistakeholder pilot project, Beyond 34: Recycling and Recovery for A New Economy.

The project aims to increase the current 34 percent recycling rate in the United States by providing a scalable model for improving recycling and recovery rates. The goal of the project is to help communities, cities and businesses across the country create a more sustainable future, says the foundation.

“Orlando is an ideal city to begin the Beyond 34 project,” says Marc DeCourcey, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “Its strong private sector engagement, innovative culture and robust sustainability goals were all factors that contributed to its selection. We look forward to engaging with local leaders throughout the project, and we are confident that Beyond 34 will help support the Orlando area’s mission to advance sustainability and economic growth.”

Factors contributing to the selection of the city of Orlando as the pilot city location included its high degree of readiness for recycling and reuse system development, community engagement, project partners and key relationships, according to the foundation.

“Orlando is committed to reducing our environmental impact, and as a result we have a goal to become a zero waste community by 2040,” says Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “We’re making significant strides toward that commitment by providing our residents and businesses with the tools and strategies necessary to divert more waste from our landfills, including offering weekly recycling collection, quarterly e-waste drives, free backyard composters to residents and a commercial food waste collection program that is diverting millions of pounds of organic waste per year.”

The project will be implemented as a private-public partnership between the U.S. Chamber Foundation; sustainability and recycling consultancy RRS (Resource Recycling Systems), headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan; the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce; and the city of Orlando. RRS will facilitate in developing a recycling business plan for the Orlando region and its stakeholders that keeps high-value recyclables out of landfills. The plan also will identify economic reuse opportunities for material generated by commercial, industrial and residential sources.

“As the fastest growing region in the country, Orlando has a unique opportunity to show the world how large-scale sustainable growth can be achieved,” says Jim Thomas, executive director of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Orlando is already paving the way in sustainability initiatives on a number of fronts, including infrastructure, neighborhoods, recreation, transportation and energy. Business and community leaders here are committed to planning for a sustainable future; we are excited to support the Beyond 34 project in order to equip these business leaders with the tools and resources they need to achieve their sustainability goals.”

The Dow Chemical Co., Republic Services, Target, Walgreens Boots Alliance and the Walmart Foundation are supporting the project. More information is available at http://bit.ly/2xZIMws.

Atar Capital acquires Havi’s Recycling and Waste Solutions business

Atar Capital, Los Angeles, has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Havi’s Recycling and Waste Solutions (RWS) division. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Anthony DiIenno remains in his role of president and CEO of RWS.

Atar Capital is a global private investment firm that invests in performing and underperforming lower-middle-market businesses that exhibit potential for revitalization, operational performance improvement and growth.

RWS was launched in 2012 with the goal of providing true “closed loop” solutions and complementing Havi’s global supply chain offerings. Based in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, RWS develops and manages recycling, waste and sustainability programs for regional and multinational companies throughout North America. RWS has offices in Atlanta; Plano, Texas; St. Louis; and Los Angeles.

Cyrus Nikou, Atar Capital founder and managing partner, says, “We were attracted to RWS as a result of their strong management team, notable blue-chip customer base and market leading technology and analytics platform—all of which separates RWS from its competition.”

He continues, “This transaction marks Atar Capital’s second closing and execution of a corporate divestiture in eight months and highlights our ability to deliver speed and certainty to a respected corporate seller like Havi—executing this transaction in just under 21 days. We will now bring Atar Capital’s financial, operational and M&A resources to bear in support of the company’s long-term strategic plans.”

DiIenno, with more than 30 years of recycling and waste solutions experience, has delivered double-digit growth for the business over the last five years.

“The Atar team and I believe that we have a significant opportunity to enhance the long-term value of our business for all stakeholders, including our customers,” he says. “We look forward to a seamless transition over the next 100 days while maintaining best-in-class service for our customers.”

Dan Musachia, chief financial officer for Downers Grove, Illinois-based Havi, says, “Havi remains committed to advancing sustainable solutions as a critical component of our supply chain service offerings, and RWS will continue to remain Havi’s preferred partner for recycling and waste solutions.”

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November 2017
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