Nonmetallics

EPS Recycling Rate Up for Company

FP International, Redwood City, Calif., has announced a 23% in- crease in the amount of expanded polystyrene the company recycled in 2000. The company recycled 10.9 million pounds of the material, almost two million more pounds than what the company processed in 1999.

“We’re pleased we topped 10 million pounds for the first time on our tenth anniversary, making us one of the top three EPS recyclers in the U.S.,” says Arthur Graham, president of FP International.

The 10 million pound mark represents 18% of all post-consumer EPS recycled in the U.S., says Betsy Steiner, executive director of the U.S. Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers, Crofton, Md.

Electronic Plastics Recycling studied

A paper published by the American Plastics Council (APC), Arlington, Va., offers a look at some of the challenges facing recyclers of plastic components found in electronics equipment. The paper detailed a joint project between the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (MOEA), APC, Sony Electronics Inc., Matsushita Electric Corp. of America and Waste Management Asset Recovery Group, Houston.

The participants launched a state wide electronics recovery effort and had several findings pertaining to the recovery of plastics. MBA Polymers, Richmond, Calif., processed the matieral and found that televisions generated a great number of plastic components that were rejected as non-recyclable. Plastics from computers had much lower rejection rates, with only 36% considered unsuitable for recycling by MBA Polymers.

TIREX CORP. RECEIVES FINANCING

Tirex Corp., Montreal, has entered into an investment arrangement with an international group of institutional investors. The arrangement involves multi-stage financing under which Tirex could obtain, at its option, up to $5 million.

The financing is in the form of debentures convertible into the company’s common stock and provides warrants proportional to the actual amount invested for the purchase of additional common stock.

Initial financing will allow the company to complete the conversion of its patented tire recycling prototype and demonstration unit, the TCS-1, into a commercial production unit.

The prototype is expected to allow the company to generate revenue from the sale of the output of the system, as well as provide a technology showcase for potential buyers of the system.

The company has been attempting to perfect the TCS-1 system since 1999 so it will produce the purest crumb rubber and steel products available.