The drug store chain will add 20 units where CRV beverage containers can be redeemed in underserved areas of California.

CVS Health Corp. and CalRecycle have signed an agreement under which the pharmacy chain will install 20 reverse vending machines at its stores in unserved areas of the state, enabling Californians to redeem California Redemption Value, or CRV, beverage containers. CVS also will pay CalRecycle a settlement of $1 million in restitution for disputed back fees for bottle and can redemption obligations.

In addition to providing places for more Californians to redeem their CRV fees, this five-year pilot project will give CalRecycle data to analyze the potential for widespread use of reverse vending machines throughout the state, the agency says. RePlanet LLC of Ontario, California, used reverse vending machines but closed its network of 284 recycling centers and processing facilities and terminated its 750-person workforce in 2019.

In 2021, grocery chain Safeway began adding reverse vending machines in the Bay area. Lise Murphy with Olyns, a reverse vending machine manufacturer based in California, says four Safeway stores in Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara and Milpitas are using reverse vending machines supplied by Olyns after a pilot at the Sunnyvale store in 2021 in partnership with PepsiCo. 

CVS agreed to install the machines within one year and to operate them for all open store hours, according to a news release from CalRecycle.

“We appreciate CVS’ willingness to participate in this landmark agreement, partnering with CalRecycle to invest in innovations that will help California communities redeem and recycle their bottles and cans,” CalRecycle Director Rachel Machi Wagoner says. “Instead of simply settling a penalty for disputed compliance issues, the company is working with us to help modernize this important recycling program.”

“We’re committed to minimizing our CVS Pharmacy stores’ environmental footprint and contributing to healthier, more sustainable communities,” Maureen Cormier, division vice president of CVS Pharmacy, says. “We’re continuously working with our stores that participate in the in-store California Refund Value program to ensure that eligible recyclable containers are accepted and refunds are provided. In addition, we look forward to working with CalRecycle on the reverse vending machine initiative as  well as other innovative new ways to ensure communities have accessible and convenient ways to recycle.”

Under the state's CRV recycling law, retailers in defined zones without a recycling center must refund the 5- or 10-cent fee on CRV containers in-store or pay $100 per day.

*This article was updated March 4 to include information about the Safeway stores' Olyns units. CalRecycle originally said that reverse vending machines last operated in the state in 2019.

Aziz Aghili serves as executive vice president and president of the heavy vehicle group of Dana Inc.

Graphic Packaging Holding Co., Atlanta, announced that Aziz Aghili has joined its board of directors.  

"Aziz is an accomplished executive whose vast global experience in leading large, varied business units will provide a new dimension to our board,” says Phil Martens, chairman of Graphic Packaging.  “We are pleased to welcome Aziz and look forward to his guidance as we continue our global growth."  

According to a news release, Aghili currently serves as executive vice president and president of the Heavy Vehicle Group of Dana Inc., a producer of drivetrain and e-propulsion systems for commercial and industrial vehicles in Maumee, Ohio. During his 13-year career with Dana, Mr. Aghili has held various global executive roles, currently leading a team of more than 20,000 employees located in 27 countries and 110 manufacturing, assembly and service centers. 

Before Dana, Aghili spent more than 20 years at Meritor, Inc., where he ultimately served as vice president and general manager of the body systems division. Before joining Meritor, he worked for Nissan Motor Company and General Electric Plastics. 

"Aziz's diverse perspective and outstanding record of integrating acquisitions, achieving synergies in manufacturing and engineering and managing large capital projects will serve Graphic Packaging well in our mission to become the world's premier provider of fiber-based consumer packaging,” says Michael Doss, president and CEO of Graphic Packaging. 

The company also announced that effective March 1, 2022, board member David D. Campbell, is retiring from the Board.  

The upgrades were for facilities in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Duncan, South Carolina.

Machinex, Plessisville, Quebec, has announced the completion of upgrades at two single-stream material recovery facilities (MRFs) in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Duncan, South Carolina. These two projects resulted from a tight and efficient collaboration with Pratt Industries, Atlanta, according to the systems provider.  

According to a news release from Machinex, upgrades started in June 2021 at the Duncan location. This single-stream system needed to replace its rubber disc polishing screen and increase throughput capacity without adding additional sorters to handle around 15,000 tons of recyclables per year. The system was redesigned to sort materials from curbside collection using equipment such as a Mach Ballistic separator and two Mach Hyspec optical sorters to sort fiber, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE).  

The upgrade in Fayetteville was completed in August 2021. Pratt wanted to recover more HDPE and PET with the upgrade, which also involved adding a quality control station on its aluminum line to recover used beverage cans. The upgraded system includes a Mach Ballistic separator, two Mach Hyspec optical sorters to eject PET, 3D fiber and mixed paper. It is designed to process 20,000 tons of material annually. The upgrade aims to improve the uptime, recovery and capacity at the MRF. 

"Machinex worked very closely with our team to ensure that the design and components of the upgrades accomplished our objectives,” says Kurt Schmitz Sr., vice president of Pratt Recycling. 

Esther Bahne served as the company’s chief marketing & strategy officer before her appointment to the board. 

Rock Tech Lithium Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has appointed Esther Bahne to its board of directors. The company says Bahne will join the board effective March 11.  

According to a news release from Rock Tech, Esther will resign her position as chief marketing & strategy officer of Rock Tech to concentrate on the board of directors.   

Bahne was appointed as the company's chief marketing & strategy officer in October 2021. The company says she took on the role to reposition Rock Tech as a cleantech company and define the brand around ambitious sustainability goals. During this time, Rock Tech has successfully closed a large equity financing backing its plans to build Europe's largest lithium hydroxide plant and built up a strong team of employees and partners.  

"Esther brought on a strong strategic vision and is an expert in communication," said Dirk Harbecke, Rock Tech's Chairman. "Add to that her intimate knowledge of the automotive industry, and it is clear why we are pleased to see her join the team for the long-term."   

Esther has more than 16 years of experience in the car industry. Reporting directly to the board of BMW Group, she served as the global head of strategy and chief marketing officer at MINI after taking on the relaunch of the MINI brand in 2015. At Audi AG, where she started her career as the spokeswoman of the board, she set up the corporate sustainability strategy and ran the social innovation practice. Esther also founded the influential start-up accelerator URBAN-X, built a design center in New York City and steered the company as co-CEO.  

"We have achieved major milestones in record time," Bahne says. "Rock Tech Lithium is helping to future-proof our industry while spearheading low carbon, closed-loop industrial production. We are striking out on a new path and I am proud to help our strong team stay the course." 

The company says the project will be developed in partnership with the New South Wales government in Parkes, Australia.

Brightmark, a global waste solutions provider in San Fransisco, has announced plans to construct an advanced plastics renewal facility for the Parkes Special Activation Precinct in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.  

Brightmark says it will be the first new circular economy business in the Parkes Special Activation Precinct, as well as the first-of-its-kind advanced recycling, plastics renewal facility in Australia. Construction of the facility will be done in partnership with the NSW government, as part of its commitment to driving economic growth and prosperity in the area.  

“Brightmark is excited to expand our waste solution footprint into Australia, setting the new gold standard in advanced plastic recycling," says Bob Powell, Brightmark founder, and CEO. “Collaborating with the NSW government in their Parkes precinct is ideal due to the sustainably-minded business environment and community; and its location as a transportation and logistics hub.”  

The facility will repurpose all types of plastics (1-7) to be ultra-low sulfur diesel, wax and naphtha to produce fully circular plastics. The construction of the facility will also bring economic opportunity to the Parkes Special Activation Precinct, as it is supported by an AUD $260 million investment and will lead to the creation of 100 new jobs.   

The plant is expected to be operational by 2025, with construction planned to start in mid-2023. It will be capable of processing 200,000 tons of scrap plastics back into the circularity market. Special Activation Precincts are delivered by the NSW government and funded from the $4.2 billion Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund.   

“We are excited to be building what will be the largest facility of its type outside of America,” says Shakil Rahman, Brightmark senior vice president of global plastics development and origination. “Processing up to 200,000 tons of waste plastics back into the circularity market, creating import replacement products and assisting Australia to lower its carbon footprint.”  

“This is a huge opportunity for Parkes and regional NSW to get a slice of the AUD $66 billion global plastics recycling industry which will bring strong economic growth and jobs to the region,” says Paul Toole, the deputy premier and minister for regional NSW. “Brightmark’s AUD $260 million investment in Parkes sends a clear message to other global companies; Parkes is the perfect place to invest, now and into the future.”