The division provides new replacements and rebuilt cutters for dual- and quad-shaft shredders.

Granutech-Saturn Systems, the Grand Prairie, Texas-based manufacturer of Saturn and 3TEK branded industrial and mobile shredders, has opened a Cutter Sales & Rebuild Division. According to the company, the new division allows it to deliver new and rebuilt cutters up to 30 percent faster than competitors can. In addition to providing legacy customers of dual- and quad-shaft Saturn shredders with replacement rebuilt cutter blades, including spacers or brand new blades, it can support major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) shredder customers by providing spec-match replacement cutters.

“We are so pleased to be able to leverage our nearly 40-year legacy in shredder manufacturing to offer this enhanced cutter replacement and rebuild capability to customers and support a broad variety of OEM’s aging industrial shredders,” says Matthew Morrison, president of Granutech-Saturn. “This is due as much to our engineering expertise and expansive manufacturing capability as well as our own vertically integrated, state-of-the-art MAC Machine and Gear custom machining and tool operation, which allows us to meet growing customer needs for replacement parts faster.”

Jonathan Maly, a seasoned recycling and automation professional who rejoined Granutech-Saturn in 2021, is the national sales manager for the new division.

“Whether you need brand-new replacement cutters or need your existing shredder cutters rebuilt, we have the capability to deliver a quality product, regardless of OEM shredder brand, with extremely competitive pricing and lead times that are often up to 30 percent faster than available elsewhere,” he says.

Maly adds that the company’s integrated workflow, with all machining occurring under one roof, and tenured employees enable faster lead times.

Additionally, the alloy Granutech is using for its rebuilds is stronger, resulting in longer service life for its rebuilds, he says.

The company says its manufacturing capabilities and facility, including its own machining and tooling division, enable Granutech to provide cost-effective, high-quality rebuilt cutters for other OEM shredders, with each cutter going through rigorous testing for the correct tolerances to adhere to original spec design.

For a quote or more information on Granutech-Saturn’s new Cutter Division capabilities, contact Maly at 440-212-4989 or at jmaly@granutech.com or visit www.granutech.com to view a brochure.

The exclusion is retroactive to 2021 and extends to Dec. 31, 2022.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has announced it will reinstate certain previously granted and extended product exclusions in its Section 301 investigation into China’s acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation by excluding certain products from additional duties.   

This includes the tariff exclusion on shredder wear parts, retroactive to 2021, and extends the exclusion through Dec. 31, 2022. Shredder wear parts imported from China will not be assessed the additional 25 percent tariff that former President Donald Trump imposed in 2019 during this period.  

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington, says the USTR granted an exemption in 2019, and in 2020 the government allowed companies and organizations to request the continuation of the exemption for one year, which was granted to all that requested it.  

Last year, the USTR invited public comments on whether to reinstate previously extended exclusions of 549 products, including shredder wear parts. ISRI says it submitted comments explaining why the exclusion for shredder wear parts should be reinstated. It also explained how tariffs have caused economic harm to U.S. small businesses, employment, manufacturing output and critical supply chains.  

ISRI says wear parts are essentially the heart of a shredder and need to be replaced almost daily, so having them in bulk is vital for U.S. recyclers. Since more than 85 percent of shredder wear parts are sourced from China, and those costs amount to 60 percent to 70 percent of the cost of operations in this sector, the 25 percent tariff would make a huge difference, especially to smaller operators. 

The association says New York’s Extended Producer Responsibility Act could triple recycling rates for residential materials and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), Washington, has endorsed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recycling proposal to enact an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program to boost recycling in the state.  

“APR strongly supports Gov. Hochul’s proposal to create an extended producer responsibility program to enhance the recycling of packaging and paper products in New York,” says Steve Alexander, president of the APR. "New Yorkers deserve a modern, effective recycling system. We urge support for Governor Hochul’s budget proposal for EPR for packaging and paper products to reinvigorate recycling, reduce waste, and put an end to the undue financial burdens of waste management and recycling on municipalities, taxpayers and ratepayers across the state.”  

The APR says the proposed EPR act would require consumer brands to finance the recycling of their packaging and printed paper and invest in expanding and modernizing local recycling infrastructure so that programs can handle new packaging materials as well as those not currently recycled.   

The act also incentivizes producers to generate less packaging overall and make the packaging they do use nontoxic and easier to reuse and recycle, fostering a circular economy for New York, according to the APR. Recycling more material overall would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 2.3 million metric tons annually, equal to taking 500,000 cars off the road.  

New York’s average recycling rate is currently at 18 percent, and average contamination rates in the U.S. are more than 25 percent. Most plastic recyclers in New York are not operating at full capacity and need more material to meet the demand for recycled resin, Alexander says.   

“Enacting EPR for packaging and paper could triple recycling rates for residential materials in New York, as existing packaging EPR programs around the world have achieved recycling rates over 70 percent, with contamination rates well below 10 percent,” Alexander says. 

Recently, Reloop North America released a report examining five states in the Northeast with existing bottle deposit programs. Part of those findings showed New York should modernize its deposit system, saying it would save the city between $71 million and $101 million annually.

Lena Zodda brings over 20 years of experience in the paper industry.   

The Carton Council of North America, Denton, Texas, has announced the appointment of Lena Zodda as vice president of sustainability and school recycling. The council says Zodda will help drive access to carton recycling and grow recycling infrastructure.  

Zodda joins the Carton Council from Pactiv Evergreen, where she serves as the director of sustainability. As supply chains and recycling markets continue to be under pressure, Zodda’s 22 years of experience working in the paper and packaging industry promoting the recyclability of other paper-based packaging will be valuable in helping drive the Carton Council’s goals.  

In addition to bringing her expertise and relationships to all facets of the Carton Council efforts, Zodda’s role will also focus on strengthening school carton recycling programs across the country. The council says more than four billion milk and beverage cartons are consumed in schools each year with the average U.S. school of 545 students consuming about 75,000 cartons annually. There are approximately 11,000 carton recycling programs operating in schools across the country, leaving the opportunity for further expansion.   

“Lena brings vast experience in the paper industry which will no doubt bring a fresh perspective to our efforts to drive carton recycling,” says Ed Klein, president of the Carton Council of North America. “School recycling programs not only encourage children to learn about the importance of recycling, but they also help create lifelong recyclers while supporting communities in capturing larger carton volumes.”  

For more information about the Carton Council, click here.   

Officials say the funding will impact 98 communities, helping 362,000 households improve the quantity and quality of their recycling.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and The Recycling Partnership, Falls Church, Virginia, have announced nearly $791,000 in grants to nearly 100 Michigan communities to improve the capture of high-quality recyclables across the state through community recycling improvement projects that will be implemented this year.  

According to a news release from EGLE, the 98 Michigan communities involved will develop and implement operational and educational strategies to improve the quality of their recycling. The organization says this will lead to improved recycling statistics and a reduction in recycling contamination from trash getting mixed in with recyclables.

“We were so pleased to have the opportunity to again collaborate with The Recycling Partnership and Michigan communities on this important project,” says Emily Freeman, recycling specialist from the materials management division at EGLE. “The results from last year have been remarkable, and we’re thrilled to know that it will continue to benefit local recycling programs across the state.” 

The statewide initiative builds upon the success of Michigan’s “Know It Before You Throw It” recycling education campaign EGLE launched in 2019. It will also leverage The Recycling Partnership’s Feet on the Street cart-tagging recycling education program, an initiative designed to improve the quality of curbside recycling by providing residents with personalized, real-time education and feedback on their curbside recycling practices. Communities with drop-off recycling services will use a modified version of the Feet on the Street program to combat recycling contamination and illegal dumping at recycling drop-off sites while also improving awareness and participation in recycling. 

“The Recycling Partnership is thrilled to continue supporting the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and communities across the Great Lakes state to improve the quality of their residential recycling streams,” says Cassandra Ford, community program manager at The Recycling Partnership. “When we help Michiganders recycle, we’re creating a cleaner and less wasteful planet while building stronger, healthier Michigan communities.” 

Through The Recycling Partnership’s Feet on the Street recycling education program, some communities have seen a 57 percent decrease in nonrecyclables and an average 27 percent increase in the overall capture of quality recyclables that can then be transformed into new products and packaging.  

The community recycling education and quality improvement projects will begin as early as March and continue through the end of October. More than $790,000 in grant funding will be allocated to 13 recycling program grantees representing more than 362,000 households across the Great Lakes states: 

Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland;  

Saugatuck, Douglass, Saugatuck Township (Tri-Cities Recycling Committee); 

Washtenaw Regional Resource Management Authority;  

Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority; and 

In addition to supporting the 13 Phase II grantees, EGLE and The Recycling Partnership recently launched The Michigan Small Community Education Grant Program, which provides communities with fewer than 10,000 households recycling education and outreach materials to inform residents about how, where and why to recycle. 

This 2022 project is building on the impact made during a 2021 project with a similar goal to improve recycling across Michigan that reached 100 communities. Of the 13 grantees in the 2022 project, five of them are prior grantees using data gathered in the first round to continue and further their impact.  

Overall, EGLE says Michigan’s recycling industry supports 36,000 jobs statewide, an annual payroll of $2.6 billion according to a 2020 study commissioned by Michigan EGLE. To learn more about how Michigan EGLE and The Recycling Partnership are teaming up to improve recycling across the state, click here.