The Super Shredder reduces solids using a high-flow, spherical rotor design.

Franklin Miller, Livingston, New Jersey, has released the Super Shredder SS2400 in-line disintegrator to reduce a variety of liquid-borne solids with what it describes as "a unique, low-headloss design."

According to a news release from Franklin Miller, this unit features heavy-duty construction and is effective for operating in tough applications, such as with tar sands and dredging as well as sewage and sludge waste and process lines. The company says the unit reduces clogging and downtime, resulting in plant savings and a quick payback on the initial cost of the machine.

Franklin Miller says the Super Shredder reduces solids to fine bits with a high-flow, spherical rotor design. The unit reduces tough solids from wood, rags, plastics, agglomerates, sands, oil waste, petrified wood and more with its high-torque design. According to Franklin Miller, the processor remains practically invisible to flow because the Super Shredder’s design maintains a high percentage of open area. It quickly goes to work protecting pumps and enhancing the operation of process equipment. Plus, its design makes this unit ideal for applications where high capacity and low headloss are essential.

The Super Shredder is easy to install in straight-through pipe systems and connects via 150# ANSI-drilled flanges, the company says. This 24-inch Super Shredder SS2400 is driven by a direct-coupled gear drive that employs up to a 50-horsepower motor. Its cutters are constructed in stainless steel with a precision tungsten carbide hardfacing to withstand a high-grit environment. According to Franklin Miller, the hardfacing has many times the abrasion resistance of any alloy steel for long life and durability. This unit was provided with mechanical seals rated for up to 300 psi (or 20 bar).

Industry leaders from NWRA, SWANA, ISRI and Stifel discuss what to expect in the the new year.

Between dealing with a pandemic and slowed economy, more employees working from home, a new presidential administration and a change of power in the Senate, the waste and recycling industry has been forced to adapt to constant change within the last year.

To understand the state of the industry as we move through the first quarter of 2021, Waste Today reached out to Darrell Smith, president and CEO at the National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA); David Biderman, executive director and CEO at the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA); Michael E. Hoffman, managing director and group head diversified industrials at Stifel; Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) Chief Economist and Director of Commodities Joe Pickard and ISRI Chief Lobbyist Billy Johnson.

Smith: The waste and recycling industry responded quickly to challenges brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic. NWRA worked with federal, state and local governments to ensure that waste and recycling collection could continue. In the early days of the pandemic, as many Americans began to work from home, residential collection rose, and commercial collection declined.

While the waste and recycling industry faced challenges in 2020 and continues to face them even now, our service-based sector is more resilient than many other sectors in the broader economy. The industry reacted quickly to changes early during the pandemic addressing requests for pauses in service as the industry worked with their customers.

One bright spot over the past year has been the recovery of recycling commodity pricing. Fiber has experienced steadily increasing prices and natural HDPE (high-density polyethylene) hit record high prices. And, while many struggled over the past year, the ongoing worldwide shortage of shipping containers suggests that the waste and recycling industry will need to handle additional materials in the future.

Biderman: COVID will continue to have a substantial impact on the waste and recycling industry in 2021, particularly during the first half of the year. Many Americans continue to work from home, and many schools and offices remain closed. This means continued elevated levels of residential waste and decreased commercial waste. Unlike spring 2020, when SWANA estimates that residential waste and recyclables were 20 percent above normal, we believe current levels are about 5 to 10 percent above normal. As more Americans get vaccinated, schools and offices will reopen, people will feel more comfortable traveling again, and waste levels in both the residential and commercial sides of the industry will normalize even further.

Some solid waste companies have been hurt by the decline in commercial volume. There may be acquisition opportunities for well-financed companies to acquire some of these smaller haulers.

Hoffman: When discussing the pandemic and its impact on the overall economy, it really comes down to what political choices were made regionally on a state/local level—what was shut-down; for how long; and once open, were these businesses allowed to stay open even with varying degrees of restrictions coming on or off? If an economy is open, then commercial solid waste services are necessary.

The initial impact looks like a wave of lost business in the commercial and permanent roll-off markets. Suspending service looks like a “cancel” purely from an accounting standpoint. The immediate response of the service providers was to rein in costs … and rationalize assets—and do it quickly. The evidence shows that it did happen quickly, with little or no disruption of service overall. As customers reopened, that looked like new business growth on a leaner cost structure. 

Exiting 2020, down volumes will reflect what is not open or only partially open, and most service interval changes happened at the point of reopening. Operators have retained some of the time/cost savings with weight-based volumes coming back as business recovered. Pricing leverage remains in open markets with core prices expected to be in the 4 to 6 percent range and reported prices between 2 and 4 percent.

Residential trends were different as work-from-home mandates resulted in behavior changes early on with panic buying resulting in perishables being discarded and more home projects being done, leading to a lot of extra volume at the curb. That immediate bump settled into a sustained increase in cart weights of 5 to 7 percent on average, much of which cannot be recovered immediately based on contract language.

Pickard: In the second quarter of last year, we saw a significant contraction in the U.S. economy. The health of the U.S. economy, manufacturing and the scrap industry are all closely connected. 

Already this year, we see a resurgence in commodity pricing, especially for metals markets. Commodity prices have been trending higher on the back of positive manufacturing reports from China and the major developed economies, which generally bodes well for scrap demand. Additionally, the markets responded positively to the U.S. elections results. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) reports are signaling continued growth ahead, albeit at slower rates than previously reported.

For recyclers, capital investments and other efficiency gains have lowered certain risks due to COVID, but supply constraints, labor shortages, transport/logistical hurdles, regulatory costs and trade restrictions are all still uncertain.

Looking at potential opportunities, rising societal concerns about sustainable development, environmental protection and climate change increasingly reinforce recycling’s critical role in conserving natural resources, reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, and preserving low-cost raw material inputs for our manufacturing industries.

Smith: We anticipate there will be a number of bills that address recycling, PFAS, infrastructure and plastics introduced in Congress. Democrats have a small majority in the House, and the Senate is split 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris having the tie-breaking vote as president of the Senate. The makeup of the Senate means that Democrats may need greater support from Republicans to move bills. 

The new administration has taken a number of immediate steps with respect to reviewing various regulations that [were enacted or enforced] during the last administration and recommitted to the Paris Climate Agreement. The industry is eager to work with the new administration as they work to enact their policy goals.

Biderman: The Biden administration faces multiple crises. We have the pandemic, the economic downturn, the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol—including a likely trial of former President Trump in the Senate—and continued racial and social strife in the United States. These will be the top priorities for both President Biden and Congress. Addressing immigration reform and improving Obamacare are also top priorities. These issues will almost certainly consume most of the legislative and regulatory bandwidth in 2021 and possibly beyond.

Climate change and environmental justice are the two key environmental issues that the Biden administration will focus on, at least initially. The legislative and regulatory actions taken will likely impact the solid waste and recycling industry, and SWANA will be working with congressional leaders, EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and others to make sure the industry’s voice is heard. Federal regulations usually take years to be issued, so I would be surprised if major action is taken in 2021.

Hoffman: With the Senate split 50:50 and the House 222-213, the centrist Democrats in both chambers will limit the scope of tax changes, court-packing and other aggressive progressive policy initiatives. The Biden administration will be very focused on climate issues, but may be limited to executive orders to accomplish its agenda. Solid waste will not see any meaningful regulatory changes. PFAS is likely to get a federal maximum contaminant level (MCL), and solid waste is part of the solution managing PFAS as it cycles through the economy.

Johnson: Over the past several years, recycling has gained more and more of the public’s attention partly as a result of the public’s awareness of marine plastics and China’s discontinuation of imports of municipal recyclables.

In the 115th and 116th Congresses, there were numerous recycling bills introduced, primarily focusing on residential recycling. However, most of the proposed legislation does not address helping create and sustain markets for these materials. Without markets, we don’t have recycling.

We anticipate the Biden administration and the 117th Congress will continue addressing recycling, especially residential recycling. Moreover, recycling has become more and more bipartisan as lawmakers have found common ground towards addressing some of the challenges faced by recyclers.

ISRI believes the RECYCLE Act directly addresses the problem of residential recycling quality by educating citizens on what to recycle and what not to include in their recycling. The legislation enjoys bipartisan support in both Houses.

ISRI feels that recycling legislation should focus on two related areas: quality and markets. Without markets, recycling does not occur. And quality makes markets by delivering an alternative to virgin materials and, as a result, helps address climate issues and the environment.

The Biden administration and Congress have clearly indicated that climate will be a top priority. Recycling is one of the best ways to address climate by conserving energy and natural resources.

The Biden administration and Congress have also indicated that climate will be an integral element in infrastructure. Recyclable content should be a priority in these infrastructure projects as that will help satisfy these environmental, sustainability and climate goals.  Using recycled content also helps create markets and drive demand for these materials.

We look forward to working with the Biden administration and the 117th Congress to help advance recycling.

Smith: We will continue to be engaged on issues surrounding COVID-19. We are also committed to safety. According to the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), we are the sixth-most dangerous occupation. That’s down from fifth. Earlier this year, we made NWRA’s Safety Monday guidance, [which contains safety-related educational resources], free to those who register for it, and we will continue to work to make our industry safer.

Biderman: SWANA will continue to work with the EPA on finalizing its National Recycling Strategy. I expect the Biden administration EPA may be interested in a more aggressive approach to recycling, and we will be having conversations with the new appointees in the coming weeks.

I also expect activity on PFAS, including a proposed MCL under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the possible designation of PFAS as a hazardous substance under the Superfund program.

A trend that will continue in 2021 will be a high level of mergers and acquisitions in the industry: All of the larger companies have strong acquisition pipelines, and some owners of hauling companies may be looking to exit the business.

Hoffman: M&A is likely to return to its normal course in 2021, generally. [This is more] company-specific regarding deals [that may have been] long under discussion. Price and volume should be positive, with volume starting out negative but quickly swinging positive as the year over year comparisons ease. Capital spending should be relatively normal with the mix slightly more toward rolling stock than disposal. If household formation remains strong, then new business formation could provide an added volume kicker late in 2021.

The author is the editor of Waste Today and can be reached at aredling@gie.net.

Reverse vending machine maker says convenience and a “meaningful deposit” level are critical.

Norway-based Tomra, a maker of reverse vending machines (RVMs) and recycling-related sorting equipment, says it has identified four success factors held in common by “the world’s highest-performing deposit and return systems (DRSs) for can and bottle recycling.” DRSs are often referred to as “bottle bill” programs in the United States.

The company has issued a 68-page white paper titled “Rewarding Recycling: Learnings from the World’s Highest-Performing Deposit Return Systems.” The document, according toTomra, delves into what makes a high-performing system so “stakeholders can better understand why some deposit systems are succeeding, while others fail.”

The company says its 45-year presence in the RVM market has provided it with “unique first-hand insight into the workings of different systems,” prompting Tomra to evaluate DRS models against what it calls key metrics, including cost efficiency and the percentage of containers returned for recycling.

Tomra says it found the most effective deposit systems share four principles in common:

“With alarming growth in plastic waste worldwide and drive from businesses, consumers and governments alike to take action, it is vital that deposit return systems truly achieve the environmental objectives they strive toward,” says Wolfgang Ringel, a senior vice president with Tomra. “By taking a deep dive into deposit return systems across the globe, we can learn from the past and strengthen future policies for the benefit of people and the planet.”

“Our commitment to the circular economy is unequivocal,” says Volker Rehrmann, head of circular economy at Tomra. “We take pride in doing our part: sharing our know-how, developing new solutions and striving to make our planet more sustainable every day.”

Policymakers are turning to DRSs as a successful approach for tackling circular economy challenges, says the company. In the past three years, at least 22 states or countries have committed to update or develop deposit return systems, bringing the global total to more than 60.

Recent adopters include England, Portugal and Australia, according to Tomra. In addition, the European Union’s Single-Use Plastics Directive establishes targets for member states to collect 90 percent of all plastic bottles by 2029, a rate that may be difficult to reach without a deposit on beverage containers.

The white paper also examines what Tomra calls 12 key policy elements that can help put the four identified principles into practice and offers case studies of regions “that are best at delivering on those elements in their deposit return systems.”

The company is planning to offer more information on RVMs and DRS best practices to the North American and European markets, starting with a webinar on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 9 a.m. eastern time in the U.S. and Canada and 3 p.m. central European time. Registration information for that webinar can be found on this web page.

Tomra says the white paper can be downloaded at no cost from this web page.

The trays are made from a thermoplastic composed of food leftovers, paper, cardboard and mixed plastics.

Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc., Latin America’s largest restaurant chain and the world’s largest independent McDonald's franchisee, announced Jan. 25 that it will substitute the plastic trays currently used by its customers with trays made from a thermoplastic composed from household waste.

Since implementing its plastics reduction program in 2018, the Uruguay-based company says over 1.3 tons of single-use plastic have been removed from its operation.

The new trays represent the first step in the partnership between Arcos Dorados and UBQ Materials Ltd. (UBQ), an Israeli company that has patented a technology that converts household waste into a biobased thermoplastic. Through this process, UBQ receives waste destined for landfills, including food leftovers, paper, cardboard and mixed plastics. This mixed material is converted into a single-composite thermoplastic material compatible with industry machinery and manufacturing standards.

In the first phase of the partnership, 7,200 serving trays made with UBQ will be introduced in 30 McDonald's restaurants in 20 Brazilian state capitals, replacing old plastic trays. The initiative will be gradually extended to all McDonald’s restaurants throughout the country, with 11,000 additional trays already in production. Aside from the UBQ logo, McDonald’s guests will see and feel no difference in the serving tray, the company says.

 “As a company, we are fully committed to reducing the environmental impact of our operation as part of our ‘Recipe for the Future’ ESG platform. The partnership with UBQ is yet another step toward introducing increasingly innovative solutions to improve the world around us, and we are proud to take this next step, supporting a technology that will transform the way society recycles its organic waste,” Gabriel Serber, director of social impact and sustainable development at Arcos Dorados, says.

The new trays are produced by the Brazilian company Semaza Comércio de Plástico Ltda., in its plant in Santana de Parnaíba, in the Greater São Paulo region. The introduction of trays made with UBQ will be gradually extended to additional restaurants in the company’s footprint, and the old plastic trays will be reused in other circular economy projects promoted by Arcos Dorados.

Fleury has served on the board of directors for over eight years.

Brian Fleury, the general manager of facilities at Arkansas-based WeCare Denali LLC, a subsidiary of Denali Water Solutions LLC, has been elected the 2021 president of the board of directors for the United States Composting Council (USCC). He has served on the board of directors for over eight years where he has previously served as secretary, treasurer, vice President, and chaired multiple committees.

Fleury has served in various roles at WeCare Denali in the past 20 years, including sales and marketing, operations and project development. As general manager of facilities, he is responsible for operational excellence for all 20 WeCare Denali compost, mulch and soil facilities. Fleury is a graduate of SUNY Oswego and resides in New York state.

The U.S. Composting Council advances compost manufacturing, compost utilization and organics recycling to benefit their members, society and the environment. The council believes compost manufacturing and compost utilization are central to creating healthy soils, clean air and water, a stable climate and a sustainable society.

WeCare Denali operates a variety of technologies at compost facilities for some of the largest cities in the U.S. The companies contracts include composting green waste, food waste, biosolids and other organics to manufacture compost, engineered soils, and other organic products.