The company says the new shredder is ideal for producing refuse-derived fuel.

Metso Outotec has introduced the M&J F320, a powerful flagship in the company’s new FineShredder series targeting the production of alternative fuels like refuse-derived fuel (RDF) or solid recovered fuel (SRF). Created in-house and equipped with an extra-long rotor, it can deliver 23 tons per hour (90 percent below 50 millimeters).

According to the company, the M&J F320 is particularly suitable to produce RDF and SRF in homogeneous sizes. It is built to perform with minimal downtime and has several advantages, including up to 35 percent lower operating expenses, low total installed power requirements and low operational energy costs.

Metso says the low operating costs are due to an innovative design, which features a unique cutting system that requires minimal daily maintenance. Once the rotor knives and static knives have been set in the initial setup, or after a change of knife holders, it does not require routine adjustment.

The M&J F320 also generates a limited amount of heat, so operators can avoid downtime due to materials such as molten plastic.

A unique feature of the M&J F320’s construction is the location of wear parts. The service team has easy access to everything and can replace all wear parts quickly to avoid lengthy maintenance. There is easy access to the shaft from both sides for servicing and cleaning—and the knife blocks have been designed for easy replacement.

Maintenance can be reduced by up to two-thirds with the M&J F320, according to the company, offering higher production yield and significant running cost benefits.

“The M&J F320 is the flagship of our new FineShred series. It delivers towering capacity and is extremely energy efficient. At the same time, you get thoroughly tested quality and a well-thought-out construction that makes servicing and maintenance easier than ever. It will set a new industry standard in the production of alternative fuels like RDF/SRF,” said Morten Kiil Rasmussen, commercial director for Metso Outotec Waste Recycling.

The sale will allow Fibertech founder Bill Scott to retire and provide growth opportunities for the company.

South Central Inc., Evansville, Indiana, has entered into an agreement to acquire Fibertech Inc., a leading manufacturer of custom-engineered, rotational-molded plastic products including bulk containers, plastic pallets, plastic lockers and more for a variety of industries including agriculture, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, maritime, recreation and recycling.

The sale allows Bill Scott, founder of Fibertech, to retire and provides growth opportunities and stability for the business and its employees. 

“Bill wanted to find a good steward for Fibertech who shared similar values, care for employees and commitment to the community. South Central Inc. and the Engelbrecht family check all of the boxes,” said Brent Rasche, chief operating officer of Fibertech Inc.

This acquisition will further expand and diversify South Central’s portfolio of investments across multiple industries including real estate, addiction treatment and private debt. 

“South Central Inc. was founded on the belief that business is an honorable calling and we can make a difference in the world by helping talented teams build great companies,” said JP Engelbrecht, CEO of South Central Inc., who today has been named CEO of Fibertech. “Fibertech Inc. is a solid company with a history of successful operations. We are thrilled to help take this local business to the next level by investing in new production capacity, talent and technology.”

Since its inception in Elberfeld, Indiana in 1999, Fibertech has become one of the industry’s preeminent plastics solution companies with a team that produces cost-effective and durable, 100 percent virgin polyethylene plastic material handling equipment.

The company says it’s offering a $500 bonus for new hires.

ERI, a cybersecurity and hardware destruction company based in Fresno, California, has announced that because of continued growth, it is looking to add 100 long-term employees to its staff this month. The company says it has immediate openings currently available at seven of its locations, including facilities in California, Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas and Washington state.

According to a news release from ERI, pay rates are competitive, positions are full-time and overtime opportunities are available. A $500 bonus is also being offered to new hires.

“As the world returns to a new better, we continue to grow exponentially and need new people to join the ERI family all over the country,” says John Shegerian, ERI’s chairman and CEO. “E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world today and the need to responsibly recycle electronics has never been greater. We’re very proud to continue offering great, green jobs across the nation. We know that many qualified people who may have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic are looking to ‘recycle’ their careers and grow with us and we welcome them.”

Those interested in positions can visit http://eridirect.com/about-us/careers for more information. 

The partnership seeks to produce a sustainable and circular battery supply chain for scooters and e-bikes.

Li-Cycle Corp., a lithium-ion battery recycler based in Mississauga, Ontario, and Helbiz, a scooter manufacturer based in New York, have announced a partnership to create a safe and sustainable recycling solution for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries used in e-scooters and e-bikes.

As the global shift toward electrification continues to accelerate, the popularity of micro-mobility is following suit, with the global market expected to grow to $150 billion by 2025, according to Market Research Future. 

According to a joint news release from Li-Cycle and Helbiz, Li-Cycle says it intends to utilize its hub-and-spoke technologies to efficiently, safely and sustainably recover the end-of-life batteries from Helbiz’s fleets and return the valuable materials contained within them back into the supply chain.

“We believe Li-Cycle and Helbiz are ideal partners as we are two innovative companies working toward the same vision for a sustainable electric mobility sector,” says Kunal Phalpher, chief commercial officer of Li-Cycle. “This partnership represents a critical first step for our collaboration as we seek to create a closed lithium-ion battery recycling loop on a global scale. Together, we intend to recover valuable materials from old scooters and e-bikes to be reused in new ones in cities around the world via a truly sustainable, fit-for-purpose pathway.”

Both Li-Cycle and Helbiz previously announced plans to become publicly traded companies in the United States via business combinations with special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and have plans to expand operations in Europe. Li-Cycle says it expects to recycle 500 lithium-ion batteries from Helbiz e-bikes and e-scooters in the coming months. The volume is set to increase heading into 2022 as Li-Cycle supports Helbiz’s operations in the United States and abroad.

“We are proud to partner with Li-Cycle and look forward to working closely with their team to develop and implement a safe and sustainable recycling solution for the batteries used in our e-scooters and e-bikes,” says Ruggero Cipriani Foresio, chief marketing officer of Helbiz. “This collaboration further supports our commitment to worldwide sustainability and our dedication to lead each city we operate in towards a greener future.”

Li-Cycle is supporting Helbiz’s net-zero emission target by 2022. It is also helping Helbiz to achieve a 100 percent recycling target.

The challenge aims to improve recycling participation from multifamily properties in the city.

The Recycling Partnership, Falls Church, Virginia, and several other groups are launching the “Do You Recycle?” challenge in Atlanta as a way to increase recycling participation among multifamily properties in the city and improve the quality of recyclables being diverted from the landfills. Other groups involved in the challenge include Live Thrive, Atlanta Housing, Livable Buckhead, Georgia Recycling Coalition, Atlanta Recycles, The Atlanta Apartment Association and The City of Atlanta Office of Resilience.

According to a news release from The Recycling Partnership, the challenge aims to engage with 100 multifamily buildings, providing training and education about recycling over the next 12 months. The Recycling Partnership says the challenge expands a pilot program that it conducted earlier this year with AMLI Residential and Gables Residential property portfolios, which reached about 5,000 residents across 10 buildings.

“As part of our three-year commitment to the city of Atlanta, funded in part by The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Recycling Partnership is excited to offer multifamily properties across the city resources that will keep valuable recyclables out of landfills while improving the quality of recyclables that can be used as feedstock for Georgia’s continuously growing recycling industry,” says Cecilia Shutters, community program manager at The Recycling Partnership. “Using our best-in-class education and outreach materials, property managers will work directly with local community partners to drive measurable change through the ‘Do You Recycle?’ challenge.”

According to The Recycling Partnership, participating properties will use a newly developed version of Zabble’s measurement app to track and measure progress.

Live Thrive, an Atlanta-based recycling nonprofit organization, will serve as the community hub for the Do You Recycle? challenge. Last year Live Thrive’s Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) diverted 1,370 tons from landfills, much of which came from multifamily residents, making Live Thrive a natural fit to be the managing program partner for the challenge. 

“Live Thrive is thrilled to be hosting the 'Do You Recycle?' challenge alongside The Recycling Partnership and the incredible group of change-making organizations who will work together to help multifamily properties do even more to make a positive impact for their communities, their city and the planet,” says Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe, executive director of Live Thrive.