Municipal Recycling

WASTEMASTERS  INC. ADDS TO OPERATIONS

WasteMasters Inc., Dallas, has acquired the assets of United Waste Associates Inc., Pompano Beach, Florida. WasteMasters used more than 700,000 shares of common stock to acquire United Waste’s assets, including a fleet of collection vehicles and approximately 450 commercial container accounts. United Waste’s waste hauling, C&D debris hauling, and recycling accounts are in Monroe, Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties in Florida.

The United acquisition is expected to add approximately $3 million in annual revenues to WasteMasters, bringing the annual revenue “run rate” of the WasteMasters family of companies to more than $40 million.

“In three short months, WasteMasters has added five landfills, four hauling companies, ten recycling facilities, and a state-of-the-art industrial sludge processing facility to what was very recently a moribund company on the verge of extinction.,” says R. Dale Sterritt, Jr., chairman, president and CEO of WasteMasters. “We plan to continue to expand our management team as we move forward with our strategic business plan to become one of the most profitable companies in the North American waste disposal industry. Additional acquisitions will be announced shortly,” he adds.

ILLINOIS RECYCLING SNAPSHOT

A survey of Illinois counties conducted by the Illinois Recycling Association, Oak Park, provides a thumbnail sketch of recycling activity in the Land of Lincoln. Among the survey’s findings:

* 400 Illinois municipalities provide curbside recycling services to 2.5 million households serving 7.0 million residents

* the state also has 450 drop-off and buyback recycling centers

* an estimated 2.5 million employees at 50,000 Illinois companies have access to workplace recycling programs

* 3,000 schools (two-thirds of those in the state) have recycling programs in place, serving 1.5 million students

* the Illinois recycling rate for 1996 was 24%

* the average Illinoisan recycled 582 pounds of material in 1996.

HI-RISE LOOKS SOUTH FOR EXPANSION

Hi-Rise Recycling Systems Inc., Miami, and its Hesco Sales Inc. subsidiary are looking to Latin America for growth markets. Hesco has launched a Latin American and Caribbean sales campaign for its newly invented mini-garbage truck to aggressively expand its marketing program in those regions.

The new side-loading garbage truck, called the Mini-Pak, was introduced in June at WasteExpo ’98 in Chicago. The truck is being billed as an economical, side-loading compactor truck that was especially designed for use within the narrow streets and confined spaces prevalent in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Mini-Pak responds to the increasing demands for a narrow base garbage vehicle in the southern hemisphere, say Hesco officials. The company has been marketing several solid waste industry products for the past 15 years in the region, including containers, compactors, roll-off hoist systems, tarp mechanisms, balers, recycling equipment and refurbished disposal trucks. With the addition of the Mini-Pak, export sales, which totaled approximately $1 million in 1997, are anticipated to increase significantly.

“The Mini-Pak is giving us the opportunity to pursue a new marketing expansion in our Latin and Caribbean markets,’’ says Gary McAlpin, chief operating officer of Hi-Rise Recycling.

“We developed this truck as an all-purpose dumpster system for the narrow streets and access ways you find in Latin America,” adds Evelio Acosta, the system’s inventor.

EASTERN ENVIRONMENTAL KEEPS BUYING

Eastern Environmental Services Inc., Mt. Laurel, N.J., has signed agreements to acquire the assets of Allegro Transportation and Recycling Inc., New York, and Regional Recycling Inc., Newark, N.J. The Allegro assets being acquired include a C&D and asbestos transfer station in Brooklyn, and a municipal solid waste collection operation in New York City. The Allegro operations have about $8 million in combined revenues. The Regional agreement includes a municipal solid waste collection business serving northern New Jersey and a 600-ton per day transfer station in Newark. The Regional operations have about $13 million in combined revenues. Collectively, these companies are expected to add about $24 million in annualized revenues. Allegro Recycling will be integrated with Eastern’s collection operations in New York City, and Regional will be integrated into Eastern’s collection operations in northeastern New Jersey.

Eastern Environmental has been growing aggressively in 1998, having already acquired several other New York and New Jersey firms, including Crown Recycling Inc., New York City; F A Carting Company, New York City; United Container & Recycling Inc., Waterford, N.J.; and Richard Peterson & Son, Millville, N.J.