BIR stated that a government agency in the country continues to promote the development of new standards.

The International Recycling Agency in Brussels said that the Malaysian government may soon make a decision on the quality requirements of imported waste.

Six months ago, SIRIM QAS International, an inspection service agency affiliated with the Malaysian government agency, issued documents and presentations lobbying to impose strict restrictions on the import of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap into the country.

"In the last few months before implementation, after consulting with companies and associations in Malaysia and abroad and other stakeholders, [SIRIM} will promote its Metal Scrap and Waste Paper Approval (CoA) guidelines later in September And approve the Malaysia Material Recycling Facility Program," BIR said.

The Federation of Recycling Associations stated that it will "attend this conference on behalf of the global recycling industry and report to its members."

This week, Reuters Commodity Correspondent Andy Holm wrote that if the new restrictions take effect, “not only will it pose a potential blow to the recovering scrap copper supply chain, but it will also pose a potential blow to copper mines in cities around the world.”

For Malaysian scrap processing and secondary metal smelting plant entrepreneurs, this may deplete the value of several years of investment.

At the BIR online conference in mid-2021, Eric Tan, chairman of the Malaysian Non-Ferrous Metals Association, stated that his team has been in dialogue with government officials there to prevent the most stringent SIRIM QAS standards from being promulgated.

"If the [import] guidelines take effect, many existing investments will be in vain [and] Malaysia's potentially bright non-ferrous metals will be in trouble in the future," Tan told the conference participants.

Malaysia’s review follows a similar model established by the People’s Republic of China in the past few years and may further change the locations and ways of handling scrap metal globally.

These indicators are designed to provide transparency and help the company's customers achieve ESG goals.

DS Smith, a packaging manufacturer with US headquarters in Atlanta and global headquarters in London, stated that it has embedded its circular design indicators in all of its packaging sites to support the transition to a circular economy and help customers achieve environmental, social and governance (ESG) ) Target. The company said that as the business community embraces ESG and strives to set and achieve goals to reduce environmental impact, this action advances its "commitment to meet customer needs."

DS Smith reports that a recent KPMG survey of 1,325 CEOs indicated that 58% of people “see increased demand for increased reporting and transparency of ESG issues from stakeholders such as investors, regulators, and customers. "

In order to meet these ESG requirements, DS Smith stated that it can measure and quantify the sustainability performance of each packaging design through eight key indicators: carbon footprint, reuse design, supply chain optimization, recyclability, earth safety, materials Utilization, renewable resources, and recycled content. DS Smith stated in a press release on new indicator tracking that the circular design indicator will enable brands and retailers to compare DS Smith’s different design solutions, help them reduce waste and pollution, and make materials and products last longer.

In addition, circular design indicators provide brands and retailers with data that can be shared in their ESG reports to demonstrate their work to reduce their carbon footprint.

"Many of our customers have ambitious goals to improve packaging sustainability, and sustainable design is a key factor in approaching a circular economy," said Brian Romankow, Design and Innovation Manager, North American Packaging, Paper and Recycling, DS Smith. Using our circular design indicators, our customers can easily compare different design solutions and evaluate their circularity, so that they can use the solution that best supports their ESG goals. By working together, we can support our customers towards circularity The economic transition will create a better and more sustainable future for future generations."

DS Smith released its circular design principles in cooperation with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2020. The company stated that all its 700 designers have received training on how to apply these principles to design circular economy packaging solutions. In addition, DS Smith stated that its goal is to produce 100% reusable or recyclable packaging by 2023.  

The self-cleaning device can capture iron, iron oxide and stainless steel particles.

Goudsmit Magnetics of Waalre, the Netherlands, has introduced a rotary magnetic separator designed for iron-free metal processing of lithium ion powder used in batteries. The company stated that nickel, cadmium and lithium cathode powders must have the best quality to ensure battery operation. Goudsmit said that any ferrous metal contaminants present in the powder will reduce the quality of the material mixture and lead to shortened battery life.

Its self-cleaning rotary magnetic separator can filter metal particles as small as 30 microns from lithium powder. The magnetic separator contains nine rotating magnetic rods to prevent fine powder from sticking to the magnetic rods. According to the company, the rotation ensures that the product does not stick to the bar, so it can achieve a good iron removal effect. Pneumatically operated magnetic rods have a deep trapping field. In addition to iron particles, they can also trap paramagnetic particles, such as iron oxide and stainless steel.

The magnetic separator is dust-proof and can be automatically cleaned. The valve box in the system can remove captured metal particles on-site, as shown in the video below. 

CameraMatics is an IoT fleet and vehicle security technology company based in Ireland.

CameraMatics, an Internet of Things (IoT) fleet and vehicle safety technology company based in Ireland, said it has re-entered the U.S. market. New employees have joined a new website dedicated to helping decision makers in U.S. truck fleets and companies—vehicle operators. Improve safety, efficiency and compliance. 

CameraMatics was launched in 2016 and stated that it has more than 1,000 customers worldwide, including some leading mid-to-large fleet operators. The company said that since January 2020, its customer subscription base has also grown by 300%. 

In January, CameraMatics completed Series A financing. These funds will be used to support the expansion of its US branch, which is building a team covering sales, customer success and technical services. CameraMatics said it is also using recent investments to expand its access to continental Europe and the Middle East market, and expects to create more than 50 jobs in the UK and Ireland in the next two to three years. 

"CameraMatics has consolidated its position as a market leader in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and we are excited to bring our technology and continue our mission to promote new standards for vehicle and driver safety in the United States and the world," CameraMatics teamed up Said founder and director Simon Murray. "The launch of our dedicated U.S. website and strengthening our influence in this market is an important milestone for this business. We are very excited about the response we received in the U.S. regarding our solutions and look forward to helping all our customers Push new safety standards in their fleet operations and ensure the safety and protection of drivers and other road users in North America. The future looks very bright." 

The CameraMatics software-as-a-service solution is a modular and configurable software platform based on connected camera technology, vision systems, artificial intelligence, machine learning and telematics, combined with fleet safety modules. It aims to help fleet operators implement new safety standards in their fleets and drivers. The company says its technology can reduce accidents, improve operational efficiency and manage compliance. 

"Operating commercial vehicles has become a risky business," said Michael Menolascino, US sales director. "Whether it is operating a large fleet or a small number of light trucks, fleet operators need to be responsible for the safety and security of vehicle assets and drivers. Ensure compliance, control costs, and operate as efficiently as possible. With the soaring insurance premiums and the increase in nuclear energy and large-scale court decisions, the US fleet needs smart, easy-to-use solutions like CameraMatics. I am very happy to bring our Bringing cutting-edge technology to American customers." 

CameraMatics is a member of the American Trucking Association, Virginia Manufacturers Association, and Virginia Trucking Association.

The Indiana non-profit organization teaches recycling skills to previously imprisoned individuals.

Since 2006, RecycleForce, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, has hired and trained more than 2,000 personnel returning from prison to manage electronic waste, waste disposal, and hazardous materials in factory cleanup.

A strong non-profit material recycling company is the link between the flow of surplus and old products, workers in need of training and good jobs, and efforts to reduce hazardous materials in the environment.

Currently, 78 employees work in a 60,000-square-foot warehouse, and another 60 are assigned to Indianapolis' municipal waste cleanup and graffiti reduction team. There will be room for expansion soon, as the company is still a few weeks away from the transaction to build a 105,000 square foot warehouse on a 7.8 acre publicly owned 55 acre brownfield site.

As the flow of pre-consumer and post-consumer products from the logistics centers of dozens of manufacturers continues to grow, space and additional workers will be needed. The main sources or materials for RecycleForce come from various distribution centers within 10 miles of Indianapolis.

Most of the traffic is products returned to major manufacturers (OEMs) for disposal, as well as old medical equipment. This could be a batch of car seats, 100,000 dehumidifiers, dog collars with batteries, hair curlers, or flat-screen TVs. RecycleForce has received a flat-screen TV with radiant steel, and recently processed the dial of a World War II bomber plane, and radium was found on it.

Grants from state and federal agencies (U.S. Department of Labor and Health and Human Services, or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and local foundations have helped manage the ever-increasing flow of materials and helped train workers. Training can help workers handle a variety of materials, such as various batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, which are prone to fire and may pose a threat to landfill sites and recycling processors.

RecycleForce works with Indiana Purdue University and its industrial engineering students to develop protocols and procedures for the recycling of various hazardous materials, including batteries.

"We are looking for closed-loop solutions for workers and materials," said Gregg Keesling, co-founder of RecycleForce. "Former criminals return to civilian life with skills, good jobs, and meaningful purposes. Staff trained by RecycleForce work with bomb disposal teams to identify hazardous materials, and with hazardous materials (hazmat) officials to clean up."

The company estimates that 95% to 97% of the materials received and managed are recycled, which is in line with the state's maximum residue (discard) limit of 10% for recycling operations. The plastic recovered from the computer is sent to the Brightmark plant in Ashley, Indiana, where it is converted into wax and diesel fuel.

The steel is sent to processors and eventually to Nucor Corp.’s electric arc furnace (EAF) steel plant to produce construction rebar. During the renovation of the Bankers Life Fieldhouse (home of the Indiana Pacers basketball team), RecycleForce received nearly 4,000 stadium seats: 33,000 pounds of plastic and 42,800 pounds of steel.

RecycleForce's recidivism rate is less than 17%. In contrast, the national rate exceeds 70%. In addition to providing training and placement of workers, RecycleForce also works with workers to reduce the fees and fines that often plague newly released ex-offenders, and may become an obstacle to returning to civil society.

Keesling and Dustin Jones are the main employees of RecycleForce. Co-founder Kisling dropped out of college and has been an environmental activist for the Negril Coral Reef Conservation Association of Jamaica and the Negril Environmental Protection Trust.

Jones has worked at RecycleForce for three years and brought a high level of technical planning skills. In the past, he served as an economic development officer and private consultant for Metro Indianapolis. He has extensive experience in growth analysis, contract negotiation and logistics.

The author is the director of the Waste-to-Wealth Initiative at the Local Self-Reliance Institute in Washington, and can be contacted at nseldman@ilsr.org.