Newsworthy

> SCRAP INDUSTRY NEWS

Indiana County Dismisses Criminal Charges against OmniSource

The Marion County (Indiana) Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) has dismissed all criminal charges and the resolution of all civil lawsuits pending against OmniSource Corp., based in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry says, “The judge in the pending criminal case has ruled that OmniSource was improperly charged as a corrupt business enterprise under Indiana’s law. Having now carefully reviewed the case, which was initiated by Grand Jury indictment under my predecessor (Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi), I can say that the evidence does not support those allegations. There is simply insufficient evidence that OmniSource or its employees knowingly engaged in any unlawful transactions. This office, therefore, will dismiss all pending litigation, and all money seized from OmniSource by criminal investigators will be returned to OmniSource, subject to the terms of the agreement below.”

The prosecutor’s office says OmniSource and the MCPO will work cooperatively to address the issue of metals theft, building on OmniSource’s training and internal anti-theft programs and procedures, to seek ways to enhance the detection, identification and prosecution of metal thieves in Marion County through law enforcement, scrap dealer training and advocating for legislative and local ordinance initiatives.

“I also want to make clear,” Curry says, “that there is no evidence that any of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers who worked part-time for OmniSource at its retail facilities as part of its anti-theft program were involved in any kind of criminal activity. During their service, dozens of arrests were made and police reports filed. There is no evidence that officers either condoned or facilitated the sale of stolen goods.”

Subject to current guidelines and the approval of the Department of Public Safety, officers will be able to resume their part-time off-duty scrap theft interdiction positions with OmniSource.

Jointly, OmniSource and the MCPO will train scrap company employees, law enforcement officers and property crime prosecutors throughout Marion County on how to spot potentially problematic materials offered for sale, how to properly question the would-be sellers as to the circumstances surrounding their possession of such goods, how to make responsible purchase determinations and how to properly preserve potential evidence, should it turn out that purchased materials were in fact stolen.

“My thanks to Prosecutor Curry,” says Mark Millett, president and COO of Steel Dynamics, OmniSource’s parent company, and former president of OmniSource. “He approached this case with fairness and professionalism. Long before this investigation occurred, our company invested over $1 million in anti-theft measures in Marion County, hired IMPD officers, lobbied for stronger scrap purchase regulations and installed cameras and monitoring software that takes and stores the photos and pertinent identifying information of every seller and his or her goods.”

Millett says OmniSource will donate the $300,000 that was seized from its yards as part of the investigation launched by Brizzi to the city of Indianapolis Law Enforcement Fund.

> SCRAP INDUSTRY NEWS

Upstate Shredding Completes Deal for Genesee Scrap & Shredding

Upstate Shredding, Owego, N.Y., has closed on the purchase of Genesee Scrap & Shredding in Rochester, N.Y.

Adam Weitsman, president of Upstate Shredding – Ben Weitsman, says, “Genesee Scrap is an important part of our growth strategy. With the purchase and planned upgrades for the facility, we will be making a sizeable investment in the community.”

Genesee Scrap has operated in the Rochester area since 1915. Weitsman says Genesee’s current management will remain in place.

Upstate says it will replace an old 2,000-horsepower shredder now operating at Genesee Scrap with a new 10,000-horsepower mega shredder from Riverside Engineering that features a 122-inch mill. In November 2010, Upstate Shredding purchased its first Riverside 10,000-horsepower mega shredder for its Owego, N.Y., processing facility.

“This 10,000-horsepower, 122-inch mill shredder is one of the highest producing shredders in the U.S., if not the world, and is the second one that has been purchased by Upstate Shredding this year,” says Randy Brace, president of Riverside Engineering. “When complete, it will be one of the largest state-of-the-art scrap metal processing facilities in the country.”

In addition to installing the auto shredder, Upstate will make other improvements designed to enhance Genesee’s environmental friendliness, including full paving of the entire yard.

> SCRAP INDUSTRY NEWS

Umicore Plans Upgrade and Expansion at Precious Metals Recycling Plant

Brussels-based Umicore has announced plans to invest an estimated $40 million to upgrade and expand the sampling facility at its main precious metals recycling plant in Hoboken, Belgium. According to Umicore, the investment will increase the plant’s capacity and reduce its throughput time as well as allow Umicore to react more rapidly to supply changes.

Umicore says it expects the expansion project to be completely operational by mid-2013. Engineering studies also have been initiated to address further expansion needs in sampling and may result in additional investments in the future, accordig to the company.

Sampling and assaying are the first steps in recycling. Determining the exact metal content of the supplied materials is essential, as it forms the contractual basis for metal value payment or physical metal return to the supplier. An efficient and transparent sampling and assaying process is essential, the company says.

Koen Demesmaeker, Umicore senior vice president of the precious metals refining business unit, says, “This investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to provide the best service to our customers and working environment to our employees. It will strengthen Umicore’s reputation as the world leader in the treatment of complex residues and end-of-life materials containing precious and specialty metals.”

> NONMETALLICS

Cascades Invests in Recycled Board Mill in New York

Cascades Inc., Kingsey Falls, Quebec, has announced its Norampac Mill LLC division will invest in Greenpac Mill LLC, the company created with the Fund dépôt et placement du Quebec, Jamestown Container and another industry partner, to build and operate a recycled containerboard mill in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

The $430 million plant will be built adjacent to an existing Norampac facility. When fully operational, the recycled board mill will have an annual capacity of 540,000 tons, according to Cascades.

The company says funding will be spread between Greenpac U.S., Cascades, Fund dépôt et placement du Quebec and Jamestown Container. The balance of the funding for the mill will be in the form of debt, including a credit agreement of $228.9 million, which will be led by GE Capital, and a subordinated loan of $ 61 million.

Alain Lemaire, president and CEO of Cascades, says, “The investment we are announcing today is the result of joint efforts of Cascade and its partners and is part of our development strategy aimed at positioning the company among the leaders in terms of productivity and profitability in the areas of packaging and tissue. As we have stated in the past, we strongly believe that the future success of Cascades depends on our ability to offer innovative and efficient products that meet further needs of our clients and whose costs are among the lowest in the industry. “

Cascades says it already has sales commitments for more than 80 percent of the mill’s production, with Norampac contracted to purchase 170,000 tons (39 percent) of the output. Startup is scheduled for the end of the third quarter of 2013.

> SCRAP INDUSTRY NEWS

GM Reaches Agreement for Funding Mercury Switch Recycling Program

A settlement has been reached between 12 states and the bankruptcy trust established to resolve claims against the former General Motors concerning funding for a program to dispose of mercury-containing switches. The settlement addresses mercury switches that were included in GM vehicles before the company dissolved.

The 12 states taking part in the suit are Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont and Massachusetts. Attorneys general from the 12 states filed the suit in November 2009.

“This step will help provide the funds necessary to retrieve these components from cars before they go out of commission,” says Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. “It is an important part of our efforts nationwide to reduce the level of mercury in the environment, which poses a health risk to everyone, but especially to children.”

Under the agreed order entered in Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York June 22, the 12 states will share in $2.85 million set aside by “old” GM for a program that will assist the participating states in collecting and recycling mercury-containing switches.

The money will be paid to End-of-Life-Vehicle Solutions Inc. (ELVS), a nonprofit corporation that operates the National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program, a voluntary, national program established in 2006 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, automobile manufacturers and related industries.

In a separate agreement, General Motors Co. (New GM) committed to contributing $4.5 million to the program to cover Old GM’s share of the program costs through 2017.

> ELECTRONICS

Synergy Recycling Achieves R2/RIOS Certification

Synergy Recycling LLC, Madison, N.C., has been certified to the Responsible Recycling Practices for Electronics Recyclers/Recycling Industry Operating Standard (RS/RIOS). In a press release, Synergy says receiving R2/RIOS certification demonstrates that the company’s end-of-life materials are processed and marketed ethically and environmentally.

The company recently installed a multi-million dollar shredding and separation system at its Madison plant. “We’re very proud of the high-quality products we’re able to generate with our automated systems,” Joe Clayton, director of U.S. sales for Synergy, says. “We are able to process 25 tons per hour in one pass.”

The R2/RIOS certification supplements the company’s existing ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications.

“The R2 and RIOS certifications provide consumers a quick way to understand that Synergy’s processes are as safe and reliable as possible,” Clayton says. “We’ve been dedicated to ensuring the top level of security since our inception and we continually strive to maintain and improve data security measures at Synergy.”

The R2 certification was developed by a group of representatives from electronics recyclers, equipment manufacturers, government representatives, trade associations and public interest groups led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

RIOS was designed by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington, D.C. It provides a framework for an integrated management system that includes operational and continual improvement elements for quality, environmental and health and safety performance.

> SCRAP INDUSTRY NEWS

Cozzi O’Brien Acquires Elixeon Assets

Cozzi O’Brien Recycling, headquartered in Franklin Park, Ill., has acquired the industrial scrap metal recycling company Elixeon, which was founded by Frank Cozzi Jr. in 2004, and later joined by Anthony Cozzi.

Cozzi O’Brien Recycling was formed in 2009 by O’Brien Recycling Corp. and Cozzi Partners. Cozzi O’Brien Recycling has opened three locations in the Chicago area.

Cozzi Partners, which is owned by Frank, Albert and Greg Cozzi, also owns Glendale Iron & Metal, Glendale Ariz.

Frank Cozzi Jr. will join Cozzi O’Brien Recycling as vice president, with responsibility for continuing Elixeon’s customer service as well as other operational duties. Anthony Cozzi will become vice president of operations, with the added responsibility of nonferrous sales.

The combined company will increase its tonnage processed by nearly 25 percent, Frank says. The three facilities will handle industrial ferrous and nonferrous scrap.

George O’Brien III, Cozzi O’Brien Recycling president and COO, says, “The addition of Elixeon is another great step in the company’s growth since our formation just two years ago. Personally, I could not be more pleased to welcome Frank and Anthony to the Cozzi O’Brien Recycling team.”

Details of the acquisition were not released.

> ELECTRONICS

E-Waste Systems to Acquire Ohio Electronics Recycler

E-Waste Systems Inc. (EWSI), London, has signed a letter of intent to purchase Tech Disposal Inc. (TDI), a Columbus, Ohio-based electronics recycling and asset recovery firm.

In a news release, EWSI says it recently implemented an acquisition strategy designed to create a globally integrated business and to unify the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) industry. The company says it is pursuing businesses facing regulatory and other mandates governing the handling of electronic scrap.

Martin Nielson, EWSI chairman and CEO, says, “We are extremely pleased to announce the signing of this agreement and are honored by the prospect of working with George Pardos and his team at Tech Disposal Inc. We believe that George’s extensive experience in this industry, superior customer base and prime location in the Midwest will be a great complement to our business, which will increase our direct access to half of the U.S. population.”

Pardos, founder and CEO of Tech Disposal, says, “We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with E-Waste Systems. We share the commitment that EWSI has to this industry and believe in their strategy to provide fully integrated end-of-life solutions for managing electronics. We expect to be able to grow our business at a much faster rate by being part of the EWSI team, and will be working hard with the team to finalize this deal so we can take advantage of the opportunities ahead.”

According to E-Waste Systems’ website (www.ewastesystems.com), the company intends to achieve the following objectives with its acquisition strategy: expanded infrastructure and local processing capacity, a complete nationwide presence in each country that it enters and increased penetration into key customer segments.

> ELECTRONICS

BAN Denies Certification to Illinois Electronics Recycler

According to a press release issued by the Seattle-based Basel Action Network (BAN), the electronics recycling company Intercon Solutions, Chicago Heights, Ill., has been denied the organization’s e-Stewards certification. BAN says the denial was based on “compelling evidence” that Intercon Solutions had been exporting hazardous electronic scrap to China.

Intercon has rejected the accusations that it was the party shipping the hazardous material and has filed a petition in the Circuit Court of Cook County (Ill.) against CMA CGM, the U.S. agent for the French shipping line CMA, the line on which the load in question was shipped. The petition seeks to reveal the identity of the party that shipped the load.

Cathy Pilkington, an attorney representing Intercon Solutions, says the claims by BAN “are completely false. Intercon is not a customer of the shipping line.” Pilkington adds, “We deny that it is our shipment.”

To identify the person or persons who engaged in the shipment of the hazardous materials load, Intercon is requesting that the court have the shipping agency furnish all documentation to identify the name, address, phone number of the trucking company and/or railway line that transported the suspect containers, the identity of the ocean shipper and the customs broker who authorized the export of ocean freight, the identity of the intended recipient of the container and the party that was to pay the shipping costs.

In response, BAN claims, “It is very likely that the petition, even if responded to, is unlikely to reveal anything. It is very likely that Intercon has used a freight forwarding agent to ship materials and, thus, entered the name of that agent as the shipper on the bills of lading. Possibly the only way records of Intercon as shipper will be revealed is through  court action which can force the forwarding agents/brokers (and not the shipping line) to reveal their books.”

On two separate occasions, BAN investigators say they photographed and tracked containers of electronic scrap leaving property leased by Intercon Solutions for transport to China. BAN says it alerted the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department. Given that the shipment allegedly contained hazardous waste, The Hong King Environmental Protection Department subsequently required that the shipment be returned to the U.S.

Hong Kong law forbids the importation of hazardous electronic scrap, such as cathode ray tubes. Further, the import by developing countries of such wastes from the United States also is illegal under the United Nations’ Basel Convention, an international treaty that regulates international movements of hazardous waste. In 1994 the Basel Convention members decided to forbid such exports from developed countries to developing countries; however, the United States has not ratified the treaty.
BAN says it denied the certification after an on-site audit and after direct discussions between BAN and Intercon Solutions failed to convince BAN that the company had not exported the toxic materials. Such export is a violation of the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment.

“We are asking BAN where the documentation is,” Pilkington says. “Once the company is able to obtain the information on the paperwork showing who the actual shipper was, we will take it to BAN and show it to them to prove they are wrong.”

> MUNICIPAL

County’s Recycling Education Program Receives Honor

The Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM), Miami, has won the 2011 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for its ongoing curbside recycling education campaign. 

Kathleen Woods-Richardson, DSWM solid waste director, says, “We are proud to win this prestigious award. It took a significant effort to educate our customers when we first converted to our current single-stream recycling program. We wanted to keep that momentum and excitement going for recycling, and our education efforts have continued paying off, as we are consistently seeing excellent results.” 

The DSWM began transitioning from its dual-stream recycling program to a new single-stream program in June 2008. The transition was completed by the end of 2008. The more than 59,600 tons collected in the first fiscal year of the new recycling program, which ran from Oct. 1, 2008, through Sept. 30, 2009, was nearly double the tonnage of recyclables collected in the last fiscal year of the old dual-stream recycling program. In its second year, Miami-Dade curbside recycling customers recycled 60,808 tons of glass, plastic, aluminum, steel and paper through the single-stream program.

The DSWM’s curbside recycling education program involves several components and is presented in English, Spanish and Creole. The DSWM reaches out to residents via print and electronic advertisements, campaign literature, news articles, presentations, e-mail alerts, educational videos and the Web.

The DSWM provides curbside recycling service to 348,000 single-family households in the unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County and to residences in 21 participating municipalities.

> SCRAP INDUSTRY NEWS

Sonoco Recycling, Shoosmith Brothers Open Recycling Center

Sonoco Recycling Inc., Hartsville, S.C., and Shoosmith Brothers Inc., Chester, Va., have opened a recycling center that Sonoco Recycling will operate at Shoosmith Brothers’ Chester landfill.

According to Sonoco, the recycling plant will handle mixed material loads for commercial and industrial customers that previously were landfilled. The facility will sort and process items such as mixed paper, metal and plastics.

“This new recycling facility is one of the first to be constructed at a landfill with the primary mission of diverting waste destined for land disposal,” Jim Brown, Sonoco Recycling vice president, says.

Fletcher Kelly, Shoosmith Brothers vice president, adds, “Few facilities exist to accept unsorted industrial and commercial waste destined for landfills. By recovering and repurposing this waste to alternative end uses, we’re not only generating additional revenue but lengthening the life of our landfills.”
 

> MUNICIPAL

Pennsylvania Transcyclery Opens

Republic Services of Pennsylvania LLC, York, Pa., has announced the opening of a $1 million recycling transfer station at Modern Landfill.

Recyclables collected in South Central Pennsylvania by the company’s York waste disposal division will be consolidated into tractor-trailer loads at the transcyclery and sent to Republic Services of Pennsylvania LLC’s single-stream material recovery facility (MRF) in King of Prussia, Pa.

Modern Landfill General Manager Tim O’Donnell says the transcyclery will handle up to five tractor-trailer loads of recyclables per day, the equivalent of about 70 to 75 tons per day.

In the past, the trucks that hauled trash 85 miles from the waste transfer station in King of Prussia for disposal at Modern Landfill made return trips with empty trailers. Now, he says, they will return with recyclables for the MRF.

O’Donnell adds, “It’s a much more efficient and cost-effective system.”
 

> SCRAP INDUSTRY NEWS

N.Y. Power Authority Approves Power Deal with Metalico Subsidiary

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has approved the allocation of low-cost hydropower from its Niagara Power Project to assist Buffalo Shredding and Recovery LLC, Hamburg, N.Y., in converting a vacant steel galvanizing mill in Erie County, N.Y., that was owned by ArcelorMittal into a scrap metal recycling facility that will include an auto shredder.

Buffalo Shredding and Recovery, a subsidiary of Metalico Inc., plans to invest $12.5 million to redevelop the facility, which was closed in May 2009. Buffalo Shredding expects the new facility to go into operation by the end of this year.

The facility will be renovated to accommodate the purchase and installation of a 4,000-horsepower shredder and metal-separation processing system. The renovation will include installing new lighting, pumps, motors and air-handling equipment at the facility.

“The Power Authority is pleased to play a part in bringing into operation the new metals recycling facility and contributing to an industrial process that conserves vital natural resources,” Richard Kessel, NYPA president and CEO, says. “The savings from the low-cost Niagara hydropower will help Buffalo Shredding manage its operating costs in a commodities business known for narrow profit margins and volatile raw-material prices. The hydropower provides important support for the company’s initiative in Hamburg.”

New York Sen. Timothy Kennedy says, “This new metals recycling facility is bringing new life and new jobs to an empty site that was once bustling. By taking a vacant industrial facility and putting it to good use, Buffalo Shredding is highlighting the opportunities for economic rejuvenation and job growth that can be achieved through creative re-use initiatives like this.” 
 

> MUNICIPAL

Dream Machine Comes to Chicago

PepsiCo Inc., headquartered in Purchase, N.Y., has announced that 2,500 Free Green Cans will be placed throughout the Chicago Park District. The company’s Dream Machine recycling initiative is the sponsor of the new program.

Free Green Cans are dual-purpose recycling/trash bins designed to provide residents and visitors with a way to recycle their plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

Based on the number cans and bottles collected in Dream Machine bins and kiosks, PepsiCo will donate to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), a national program offering free experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 United States veterans with disabilities.

Jeremy Cage, senior vice president of innovation and insights at PepsiCo and head of the Dream Machine recycling initiative, says, “We are thrilled to work with Free Green Can on this unique extension of the Dream Machine recycling program. By recycling a bottle or can in a Dream Machine-sponsored Free Green Can, residents and visitors of Chicago can help make a real difference for our planet and in the lives of disabled U.S. veterans.”

More information can be found at www.pepsico.com and www.freegreencan.com.
 

> ELECTRONICS

Texas Governor Signs Statewide Television Recycling Law

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed Senate Bill 329, also known as the television take-back law, which orders manufacturers to accept and recycle televisions at the end of their useful lives.

Environmentalists, local government leaders and recycling businesses in favor of the new law say it will keep toxic materials out of landfills and water sources.

The bill requires manufacturers that sell TVs in Texas to offer free recycling programs for Texas residents. The Consumer Electronics Association, which represents more than 2,000 electronics companies, supported the bill—marking the first time this trade association has supported any state producer take-back recycling law. Other business groups, local governments, recycling businesses and faith-based organizations also supported the bill, the Texas Campaign for the Environment says.

Robin Schneider, Texas Campaign for the Environment executive director, says, “We applaud Gov. Perry for signing the TV take-back recycling bill into law. This bill is the long-awaited companion to the computer take-back law that Gov. Perry signed in 2007. TV take back in Texas is long overdue, so this law is a crucial step toward bringing free and convenient recycling to all Texans.” Schneider adds, “That said, there’s still work to be done.”

Ed Janecka, Fayette County judge, says, “This law will help every county in the state of Texas. This is just the right thing to do.” He adds, “We also appreciate the hard work and dedication put forth by Texas Campaign for the Environment in its pursuit to better recycling in our state.”
 

> ELECTRONICS

ECS Refining Acquires ServoTerra

The electronics recycling company ECS Refining, based in Santa Clara, Calif., has acquired ServoTerra, Pleasanton, Calif., a company with a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that provides a business-to-business e-commerce exchange for remarketing and disposing of computer/IT equipment. The acquisition allows ECS Refining to broaden its service offerings with additional IT asset disposition resale capabilities.

The ServoTerra e-commerce exchange is designed to offer businesses a market to find the true market value of used capital assets. The exchange features a closed-loop, multi-market model that connects sellers and buyers, letting asset owners decide whether or not the asset will be redeployed internally, remarketed or consigned directly to a recycler.

“The acquisition of ServoTerra means that we’re better able to address the varying needs of enterprises, manufacturers and recyclers, who can now look to ECS Refining for a flexible approach that solves their asset disposal and remarketing needs,” Jim Taggart, CEO and founder of ECS Refining, says. “By placing control of IT asset disposal in the hands of our customers, we can help them maximize the value of their end-of-life assets and present them with a complete set of options, ranging from remarketing and refurbishment through environmentally focused end-of-life options.”

ServoTerra will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of ECS Refining.

Kevin Scanlon, ServoTerra co-founder, will join ECS Refining as president of ServoTerra and as general manager of United Datatech, ECS’ asset recovery and resale division.

ECS Refinining recently relocated its electronics recycling operation to a plant in Stockton, Calif., and upgraded its processing system.
 

> NONMETALLICS

GreenCentre Canada Launches Plastics Recycling Company

GreenCentre Canada, Kingston, Ontario, has launched a new plastics recycling company called Switchable Solutions Inc. (SSI), which will use a chemical process to recover and recycle polystyrene (PS), including expanded polystyrene, and other types of post-consumer plastics into pellets.

According to Mark Badger, president and CEO of SSI, the first plant, expected to be operational in a year, will be designed to process nearly 2 million kilograms of plastic per year. The plant will be located in Mississauga, Ontario.

Badger says the company plans to add two more systems fairly quickly after the first plastics recycling operation is built. The second plant is expected to handle nearly 10 million kilograms per year, while the third plant will be able to take in approximately 20 million kilograms per year.

Badger says the ultimate goal in the next five years is to have six facilities in operation throughout North America.

“Our company was launched in April and already we have powerful slate of industry partners,” says Badger. “We’re currently in discussions with other potential strategic partners that are capable of helping us to accelerate our plans.”

According to Green Centre, SSI will use proprietary technology to convert plastics.  This should cancel the need for intensive distillation, typically required by conventional solvent systems. Philip Jessop, a chemistry researcher at Queen’s University developed the process, which GreenCentre tested for the past two years.

Rui Resendes, executive director of GreenCentre Canada, says, “It is gratifying, and a testament to GreenCentre’s business model, to see the considerable potential of this green solvent being realized.”

Founding partners in SSI include Fielding Chemical, NexCycle Plastics Canada Inc., GreenCentre Canada and Stewardship Ontario. Badger says the first project, designed to be a demonstration project, will open on Fielding Chemical’s property.
 

> NONMETALLICS

Private Equity Firm Acquires Two Cascades Subsidiaries

OpenGate Capital, a private equity firm headquartered in Los Angeles, has completed its acquisition of two boxboard-manufacturing subsidiaries of Cascades Inc., Kingsey Falls, Quebec. The deal follows OpenGate’s acquisition of Norampac Avot-Vallee, also from Cascades, and Kotkamills, from Stora Enso, in February 2011.

The assets acquired include Cascades Boxboard Group – Connecticut LLC, a paperboard mill facility Versailles, Conn., and Cascades Boxboard U.S. Inc., a Hebron, Ky., converting facility. The Versailles mill can produce 165,000 tons of recycled paperboard per year. The Hebron plant converts boxboard into about 20,000 tons of folding cartons per year.

The two subsidiaries will operate under the brand name Fusion Paperboard and will continue conducting business from their locations with existing management.

Andrew Nikou, founder and managing partner of OpenGate Capital, says, “This closing marks both a significant addition to our wood and paper portfolio and an exciting new beginning for Fusion Paperboard. We look forward to working closely with management to enhance its operations, continue its legacy of innovation and capitalize on growth opportunities in the recycled packaging market.”    

Cascades President and CEO Alain Lemaire says, “The divestiture of the Versailles and Hebron facilities, following the sales of Dopaco and the Avot-Vallée mill announced earlier this year, is a further step in our overall strategy to gain more financial flexibility and streamline our portfolio of assets in order to better pursue the development of our core operations. We intend to continue focusing our efforts and investments toward modernizing our packaging and tissue paper facilities to improve productivity and profitability.”
 

> ELECTRONICS

Technology Conservation Group Achieves R2/RIOS Certification

The electronics recycling company Technology Conservation Group Inc. (TCG), headquartered in Lecanto, Fla., reports that it has earned the industry designation Certified Electronics Recycler® by being certified to R2/RIOS. The company says it is the first recycler to have facilities outside of the United States certified to the R2/RIOS standard.

In addition, the company has been recertified to the ISO 14001:2004 standard at six of its processing facilities in the United States, Mexico and Europe.

TCG’s certified facilities are in Lecanto, Fla.; Louisville, Ky.; Portland, Ore; Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico; and West Midlands, U.K.

R2/RIOS is the combination of two accredited standards: Responsible Recycling Practices (R2), which was developed by a group of stakeholders and facilitated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Recycling Industry Operating Standard (RIOS), which was developed by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI).

“We are extremely proud and excited to be a Certified Electronics Recycler in three different countries,” Hamilton Rice, TCG president, says. “TCG is a global company, so it only made sense for us to include our Mexico and United Kingdom facilities. Our goal is to provide our customers with the reassurance that we are processing their material in the most environmentally responsible manner possible, no exceptions. TCG is committed to all aspects of the R2/RIOS and ISO standards and hold ourselves accountable for the integrity of our internal processes that support those standards.”

Robin Wiener, ISRI president, says, “TCG has the very significant distinction of being the first U.S. company to ensure excellence in its facilities abroad through the latest and most rigorous environmental health and safety and quality standards. TCG is very clearly committed to the highest standards at home and around the world.”

She adds, “With more and more global and country-based directives being issued to ensure that recyclers are using the very best standards, R2/RIOS is generating a great deal of interest and investment. Achieving R2/RIOS certification is a triple shot of quality, safety and environmental management in electronics recycling facilities.”
 

> ELECTRONICS

New York Electronics Recycler Receives Industry Certifications

Regional Computer Recycling & Recovery (RCR&R), Victor, N.Y., has been awarded National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) AAA Certification with an endorsement for hard drive destruction as well as the organization’s Certification for Sanitization Operations. Additionally, the company has been certified to R2/RIOS (Responsible Recycling Practices/Recycling Industry Operating Standard), allowing it to claim the designation Certified Electronics Recycler.

RCR&R was awarded the certifications after internal audits conducted by an ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board third-party auditor. The company says it is the only electronics recycler based in New York to hold all three of these certifications.

“Since 1995, RCR&R has been an innovative leader in the electronics recycling industry,” Michael Whyte, RCR&R president, says. “These certifications are a testament to our organization and all of our employees, who have consistently operated at such a high level with dedication to customer quality, data security, environmental stewardship and professionalism.”

NAID AAA Certification and Certification for Sanitization Operations were developed by NAID, an organization that represents the information destruction industry. NAID’s certification program establishes standards for secure destruction processes, including areas such as operational security, employee hiring and screening, the destruction process, responsible disposal and insurance.

R2/RIOS is a quality, environment, health and safety certification program.

RCR&R also says it created and manages the Ewaste Alliance Network, with more than 225 registered collection sites across New York.
 

> ELECTRONICS

Universal Recycling Technologies Receives Certifications

Universal Recycling Technologies LLC (URT) has received ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and e-Stewards certification at its Janesville, Wis., headquarters and processing facility. URT is the 11th recycling company in the United States to achieve e-Stewards certification and is working toward having its four other processing facilities certified in accordance with the standard.

“We are so pleased that both the ISO and e-Stewards auditors validated our continuing efforts to recycle responsibly and efficiently, consistently providing a high-quality customer experience,” URT President Jim Cornwell says.

The ISO 14001:2004 standard recognizes the company’s environmental health and safety management system and is required to achieve e-Stewards certification. The ISO 9001:2008 certifies the company’s quality management system. Both of the standards were developed by the International Organization for Standardization.

The e-Stewards certification program, created by the Basel Action Network (BAN), Seattle, is designed to recognize electronics recyclers that adhere to environmentally and socially responsible practices when recovering materials from electronic scrap. The third-party-audited certification program bans exports of hazardous electronic scrap to developing countries and prohibits the use of prison labor and landfill disposal.

BAN Executive Director Jim Puckett says of URT, “As one of the few recyclers nationwide who can safely process leaded TV and monitor glass, the company not only benefits its direct customers but also is a great resource to other recyclers.”

Hendricks Holding Co. has owned URT since 2007. URT is a direct processor for Samsung and an approved processor for the Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Co. (MRM), a consortium of more than 30 leading OEMs.
 

> REGULATORY NEWS

EPA Proposes Safeguards for Hazardous Waste Recycling

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new safeguards for recycling hazardous materials that it says are designed to protect public health and the environment. The proposal modifies EPA’s 2008 Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) rule, which revised hazardous waste regulations to encourage recycling of hazardous materials. The proposal, open for public comment, is designed to improve accountability and oversight of hazardous materials recycling while allowing flexibility to promote its economic and environmental benefits.

The EPA also is releasing for public comment its draft expanded environmental justice analysis of the 2008 DSW final rule, which evaluates the rule’s potential impact on low-income and minority communities.

EPA says its re-examination of the 2008 DSW final rule identified areas in the regulations that could be improved to better protect public health and the environment by ensuring better management of hazardous waste. Facilities that recycle on site or within the same company under the reduced regulatory requirements retained under the proposal would be subject to enhanced storage and recordkeeping requirements as compared with the 2008 rule. Companies that send their hazardous materials off site for recycling would have tailored storage standards and be required to send their materials to a permitted hazardous waste recycling facility. The proposed rule also would require hazardous waste recycling to meet requirements designed to ensure materials are legitimately recycled. 

EPA will accept comment on this proposal for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. The docket for the rulemaking is EPA-HQ-RCRA-2010-0742 and can be accessed at www.regulations.gov once it is published.