Last year, efforts to develop innovative technologies and facilities designed to divert more nonrecyclable waste away from landfills produced a mixed bag of results. It calls to mind the classic refrain: two steps forward, one step back.
Early in the year, the Wasatch Integrated Solid Waste Management District in Davis County, Utah, announced it would close its resource recovery facility. Over its 30 years in operation, this facility diverted over 3.7 million tons per year of nonrecyclable municipal solid waste (MSW) away from the district’s landfill, converting it into renewable steam for nearby Hill Air Force Base. Last year, the Air Force decided to switch its steam supplies away from this renewable energy source in favor of total reliance on low-priced natural gas-fueled energy production, rendering the Wasatch resource recovery facility uneconomic. The facility closed in May 2017, resulting in the loss of 30 jobs, but the district has a plan. The district will develop a new facility, converting MSW into an engineered alternative fuel for use at a nearby cement kiln and an organic feedstock for anaerobic digestion at a nearby wastewater treatment facility.
The engineered alternative fuel technology is one in which we see growing interest in the U.S. This technology is already widely used in Europe, where its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction value can be monetized. This past year, Entsorga North America, Wilmington, North Carolina, continued in the construction of a 500-ton-per-day facility in Berkeley County, West Virginia. In December 2017, RePower South, Spartanburg, South Carolina, completed the bond financing for a 600-ton-per-day alternative fuel facility. In these projects, the target fuel consumer is typically cement kilns.
There are better ways to manage nonrecyclable waste than burying it—a great New Year’s resolution for 2018 and beyond.
A significant waste management industry development last year was China’s new policies affecting the importation of waste-derived recyclables. China’s waste ban has taken effect, but the impacts are still unknown. The central question remains: Will there be a viable market for low-quality materials such as mixed paper? A group of communities in Maine isn’t waiting to find out. Known as the Municipal Review Community, or MRC, the group is moving forward with a 600-ton-per-day advanced mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility, which is being built, owned and operated by Fiberight LLC, Catonsville, Maryland.
This technology is designed to recover not only traditional high-value recyclables from a mixed waste stream, but also low-quality fibers which today are considered nonrecyclable. It will also convert food waste, one of the largest components of MSW, into renewable natural gas. Construction of the Fiberight facility began in 2017 and commercial operations are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2018. Sadly, the opening of the new Fiberight facility may result in the closure of another old conversion facility, the 1,000-ton-per-day Penobscot Energy Recovery Company (PERC) in Orrington, Maine. The PERC facility faithfully served the needs of the MRC communities for over 30 years, but again, today’s relatively low energy values have rendered it uneconomic.
I believe it is noteworthy that communities and leaders who were visionaries 30 years ago with the development of their resource recovery facilities, like the MRC and Wasatch, are once again on the forefront in the development of facilities utilizing innovative technology to divert their nonrecyclable waste from landfills. The leaders of these communities are putting into practice what we all know: There are better ways to manage nonrecyclable waste than burying it—a great New Year’s resolution for 2018 and beyond.
10 tips for staying safe in winter weather
Departments - Safety Zone
A collection of helpful information on and tips on safety.
Wear a high-visibility safety vest to make yourself easier to see in storm conditions.
Wear insulated boots with good grip that provide support and traction.
Dress in layers consisting of a base layer (not cotton), insulating layer and a waterproof outer layer. Also wear a hat and gloves to maintain body heat.
Slow down. Walk carefully and cautiously. Plant your feet securely on each step and use handrails for added support when possible.
Anticipate ice. What appears to be a wet surface may actually be black ice.
Enter buildings with caution. Anticipate wet and slippery surfaces.
Don’t put your hands in your pockets. Use your arms and hands to maintain balance.
Don’t overload yourself, which could cause you to lose balance.
Drink plenty of water. Dehydration is just as big an issue in cold winter weather as it is in the summer.
When shoveling snow, push instead of lift. If you must lift a loaded shovel, use your legs. Consider taking smaller scoops to avoid heavy lifting.
In addition to the above safety tips, NWRA and SWANA stressed the importance for managers to hold regular safety meetings with employees to prepare for winter weather. Some of the top issues included talking with employees to recognize the dangers of slippery surfaces; emphasizing the importance of three-points of contact; and ensuring every vehicle is equipped with ice scrapers, emergency supplies and warning devices such as triangles and cones.
Product Spotlight
Departments - Product Spotlight
New and updated products and technology for the waste industry.
Doppstadt, with U.S. offices in Rockville, Maryland, describes its new Doppstadt AK 310 EcoPower shredder as “at home everywhere.” It says the shredder processes preshredded trunks, roots and waste wood just as reliably as green waste or organic waste and can be used at the recycling yard, compost plant or for agricultural contracting. Features include:
weighs 16 metric tons
designed for on-road use and can be transported to a job site by truck
11.4 foot drop height
can be used together with other Doppstadt machines to create application-specific systems
Columbia Industries, Hillsboro, Oregon, has recently released its next-generation Horizon 50/65 T tipper. Originally introduced to the solid waste and recycling industries in the 1960s, the company says tippers have found market acceptance throughout the world. Features include:
automated leveling
digital joystick controls
greater accessibility for maintenance
a single platform design that will accommodate 50-ton or 65-ton loads
EvoQuip, a Terex brand in Dungannon, Ireland, has launched its Bison 280 jaw crusher. The crusher can be used in construction and demolition, asphalt recycling, quarrying or contract crushing applications. Features include:
easy to transport
crusher setting can be adjusted without the need for any tools using the hydraulic jaw adjustment system
can be used on a multitude of natural stone applications, including granite, river gravel and basalt
can be used on various recycling applications, including construction and demolition debris, recycled concrete and reclaimed railway sleepers
West Salem Machinery, Salem, Oregon, has released its vertical feed grinders with hydraulically opening pivot housing and interchangable tooling. Other features include:
designed to process a wide range of feedstock at rates up to 150 tons per hour
available with heavy-duty rotor with disc and hammer configuration options
an optional pivot housing designed for easy access to main wear components
can be used to finely grind wood chips for pellet fuel or chipboard or coarsely grind bark or wood waste for mulch or biomass
Caterpillar, Peoria, Illinois, says its new range of wheeled material handlers, the MH3022, MH3024 and MH3026, have been improved and include features designed to enhance overall performance, versatility and safety. Other features of the material handler range include:
ability to handle jobs with space constraints
ideal for tasks such as waste handling, recycling and bulk material handling when space is not constrained
an advanced cab filtration system for work in dusty, contaminated environments
Kansas City, Missouri-based Fairbanks Scales Inc. has released the FB4000 desktop scale instrument, available in a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 12-desktop enclosure and a NEMA 4X stainless steel wash-down enclosure. Features include:
a highway system application, enhanced inbound/outbound application and the kernel application
a single-board computer (SBC) running a Windows operating system
can operate up to eight scales, managed in groups of four
a 10.4-inch graphics display and an integrated touch screen
Designed to streamline installation and improve reliability of its integrated solutions, Yale Materials Handling Corp., Greenville, North Carolina, has announced a new line of attachment-ready trucks. Features of the trucks include:
allows paper roll and bale clamp attachments from Bolzoni Auramo, Piacenza, Italy, to fit on a range of Yale cushion tire and pneumatic tire lift truck models
truck-to-clamp interface designed to minimize installation inconsistencies and enhance attachment performance
can be used in paper and recycling applications
controlled clamp force, customized opening ranges and a wide selection of arm lengths and configurations are available to fit operational requirements
Landia, a manufacturer of mixing and pumping systems headquartered in Lem, Denmark, has introduced the BioBuster, a nonpumping pretreatment designed to break down solid matter to enhance the performance of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. Features of the BioBuster include:
designed with the ability to be dropped in and ready to work within seconds
produces a completely homogeneous substrate
lowers viscosity with a knife system
offers 20 percent savings on power consumption, according to the company.
BossTek, Peoria, Illinois, has announced the debut of the DustBoss DB-30 Fusion. The atomized mist unit is engineered with an electric motor and 30-kilowatt generator. The DB-30 is permanently mounted on a trailer as is the rest of the Fusion line. Features include:
water supplied by a standard 5/8-inch garden hose
equipped with an in-line 75 mesh, 200-micron filter
an adjustable throw angle from 0-50 degrees of elevation
a range of approximately 100 feet in calm conditions
Liftomatic Material Handling Inc., a material handling equipment manufacturer headquartered in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, has recently introduced the Ergo-Matic line of portable drum handling equipment. Features of the Ergo line include:
designed for manual handling of a single steel, plastic or fiber drum
high-lift capability up to 36 inches to double-stack drums
spark-resistant components for flammable areas
double Parrot-Beak clamps for fiber and plastic drums
Wisconsin Integrated Resource Management Conference, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Solid Waste Association of North America, Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Counties Solid Waste Managers Association, www.wirmc.org
March 4-7
31st Southeast Recycling Conference and Trade Show, Orlando, Florida, Southern Waste Information eXchange Inc., www.southeastrecycling.com
March 5-6
2018 Waste and Recycling Industry Conference, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, National Waste and Recycling Association, http://bit.ly/2AsEZW2
March 5-7
SWANApalooza, Denver, Solid Waste Association of North America, http://bit.ly/1gMqkue
March 11-13
Paper 2018, New York City, American Forest & Paper Association and National Paper Trade Association, www.paper2018.com
March 11-14
33rd International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management, Annapolis, Maryland, Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management, www.solid-waste.org
March 19-22
CRA 28th Annual Conference and Tradeshow, Cherokee, North Carolina, Carolina Recycling Association, cra-recycle.org/2018conf
March 20-22
Solid Waste Landfill Design, Madison, Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Madison, http://bit.ly/2DfNMQc
QED Environmental announces in-house machining capabilities
Dexter, Michigan-based QED Environmental Systems, Inc., a manufacturer of environmental pumping systems, landfill products, landfill gas products and air strippers, announces that the company now has new in-house machining capabilities.
QED will machine parts for approximately 90 percent of its finished goods. By machining in-house, the company is able to monitor every step of the manufacturing process from incoming material to the final product, leading to more efficient manufacturing and better quality products, QED says.
QED will use a Cincom L32 Swiss CNC lathe from Tokyo-based Citizen, an automatic band saw from Behringer, Morgantown, Pennsylvania, and a Multiplex 6300YR turning center from Florence, Kentucky-based Mazak to machine parts and components, and the company is now also manufacturing all applicable parts out of 316 stainless steel. Products impacted by this change range from AutoPumps and wellheads to groundwater and soil sampling solutions.
J&J Truck Equipment announces retirement of sales manager
Weir joined the company 34 years ago and held a variety of positions within the organization prior to serving as its sales manager. Before joining J&J, he worked at Solar Fuel and taught welding classes in the evening. He also served in the U.S. Army.
“I have enjoyed the work, the people and the challenges during my tenure at J&J, but I am excited about beginning the next chapter in my life,” Weir says. “I wish the company and its employees continued success.”
Weir also was an active member of several distributor councils, where he shared his experience and expertise in the truck equipment industry.
Since announcing his retirement, Weir has guided the sales team to ensure a smooth transition upon his departure, J&J says.
“Jim’s accomplishments and commitment to our company helped to increase our profitability, expand our product lines and allowed us to develop strong relationships with our customers and vendors. He will be missed,” Bill Riggs, president of Somerset Welding, says.
J&J Truck Equipment supplies field-service crane bodies, air and hydraulic-operated lubrication service units, hydraulic systems, mechanic bodies, flatbeds and snow removal equipment.
In addition, its service and repair department provides custom welding and fabrication, dump and trailer body repair and painting and a wide variety of other services.
Action Environmental adds 3rd Eye to entire fleet
The Action Environmental Group, Teaneck, New Jersey, announced it has equipped its fleet of more than 300 trucks with 3rd Eye technology.
Katy, Texas-based 3rd Eye’s Enhance Vehicle Behavioral Analytics (VBA) is designed to provide vehicle-based data collection and reporting. The technology was completely implemented by the end of the 2017.
Action began a pilot program in 2016 using 3rd Eye technology in one of its divisions. Since that program launch, Action says the system has proven to reduce risky behavior and improve safety so much so that the company equipped its entire fleet with 3rd Eye technology.
The company provides nonhazardous waste management and recycling services for New York City; northern New Jersey; Rockland and Orange County, New York.
Ken Levine, director of safety for Action Environmental Group, says in the first three months of technology deployment, he saw a 30 to 50 percent reduction in risky behavior among workers operating a vehicle.
“We have been using 3rd Eye cameras for the past year, and the cameras serve two main purposes: to provide day-to-day training and analysis and to learn from individual instances,” Levine says.
3rd Eye camera systems record the driver and the road, providing constant awareness of what’s happening inside and outside the vehicle. In addition to the hardware, a team from 3rd Eye analyzes the video that has been recorded and identifies any problems or issues, giving Action an edge in training and coaching operators about safe driving, says 3rd Eye.
“The 3rd Eye camera systems do more than help improve safety,” says 3rd Eye. “The systems help Action management with route optimization, service verification, risky behavior reduction and postcrash fault analysis, which helps eliminate false or fraudulent claims of damage. All of this adds up to a positive return on investment, making the decision to add 3rd Eye systems to Action’s entire fleet an easy one.”
Levine says, “In the first three months of deployment, I have personally seen a 30 to 50 percent reduction in risky behavior. And in some cases, we have even seen the system play a serious role in workers’ compensation claim investigations.”
Since implementing these smart safety tools, Action says it has seen a decrease in the severity of incidents and the amount of employee injuries.
“We enjoy our professional relationship with 3rd Eye,” Levine says. “They’re a national company, and they treat us with the same level of respect and attention to our business as they do large, nationwide companies.”
Autocar, Hendrickson partner on axle and suspension system
Autocar, headquartered in Hagerstown, Indiana, and Hendrickson, headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, say they have partnered to offer a new severe-duty axle and suspension system engineered by Hendrickson for Autocar’s ACX refuse truck line.
Autocar’s ACX truck features the Hendrickson Steertek NXT front-steer axle and integrated suspension, which are designed to deliver maximum performance as a complete system solution, Hendrickson says. “The fabricated Steertek NXT design integrates lightweight axle durability with advanced spring suspension technology, saving 60 pounds compared to traditional I-beam axle and multileaf spring systems,” the company says.
“Autocar has a very different strategy from other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) in the refuse business,” Adam Burck, Autocar vice president of brand management, says. He says that many OEMs use their own engines, transmissions, axles and suspensions. While he says this approach can offer efficiencies, it may not be able to address customers’ specific needs.
“We work with components suppliers to help us create the best possible tool for what the customer is doing,” Burck says of Autocar’s approach.
Autocar’s partnership with Hendrickson is not new; Autocar and Hendrickson have been working together for more than 50 years.
“We like to work closely with the customer and work with their specific requirements to bring added benefits,” Stephen Hampson, director of marketing and business development at Hendrickson, says.
He says that refuse vehicles traditionally use an I-beam axle that can be “quite heavy.” Hendrickson’s Steertek NXT solution features box-welded construction that is hollow inside, designed to make it lighter than a forged I-beam.
The company also is supplying Autocar with a suspension system. “We have developed a specific spring design that provides a softer ride but still has carrying capacity,” Hampson says.
The combination of the axle and suspension system allows Autocar to provide its users with a better ride and better handling, the partners say.
Burck says the Hendrickson axle and suspension system improve the ride quality of Autocar trucks when they are empty as well as when they are full.
These claims have been proven with field evaluation units that Hendrickson has placed with several key customers in real-life applications, Hampson says, and with “arduous” lab testing.
Ecube Labs files patent infringement suit against Bigbelly
Seoul, South Korea-based Ecube Labs Co. Ltd., a smart solar-powered waste and recycling station provider specializing in data-driven smart waste management and recycling solutions, has announced that it has filed a suit against Bigbelly Inc. for patent infringement in connection with an ongoing lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Ecube alleges in the suit that Bigbelly infringes Ecube’s U.S. patent No. 9,821,955, which covers Ecube’s system of smart waste management. Ecube’s patented technology enables its licensed partners to operate a smart waste and recycling management system using smart solar-powered compactors.
In August 2017, Needham, Massachusetts-based Bigbelly Inc., a manufacturer of waste and recycling systems that feature compacting stations with sensors designed to offer real-time reporting, filed patent infringement complaints against Ecube and EconX.
The company had filed a complaint with the U.S. Central District Court in California and the German court alleging Ecube Labs Co. Ltd. (South Korea), Ecube Labs Co. (U.S.) and EconX Waste Solutions B.V. (Netherlands) infringe on two Bigbelly patents covering energy management technologies for solar-powered compactors.
The company said at the time that it requested that the U.S. and German courts issue rulings confirming that certain Ecube and EconX products infringe Bigbelly’s U.S. and European patents.
“Ecube Labs is proud of the technology we have developed. We have leveraged deployments in smart city initiatives around the globe to develop the world’s leading smart waste management system,” Sean Gwon, CEO of Ecube Labs, said in a news release announcing the suit. “The patent we are asserting in this case represents the important technologies in our IP portfolio, which are vital to the autonomous and intelligent functions of a smart solar-powered compactor. We filed this suit to stop Bigbelly’s unauthorized use of our patented technologies.”
Ecube’s November 2017 statement mirrors that of Bigbelly’s in August 2017 when Brian Phillips, CEO of Bigbelly, said, “Bigbelly is proud of the technology we have developed. We have leveraged critical customer installations in regions around the globe to enable us to develop the world’s leading smart waste and recycling system. The patents we are asserting represent important technologies in our IP portfolio and are vital to the basic function of a solar powered compactor. They enable Bigbelly to operate with or without direct sunlight and in any location. These lawsuits seek to stop infringement of our patented technologies.”
Steinert modifies its name
Cologne, Germany-based Steinert has announced it has changed its name from Steinert Elektromagnetbau GmbH to Steinert GmbH to better reflect its product offerings.
With “magnet” historically part of its name, the company says its growing presence in sensor-sorting machines shows that its name should not focus on one technology.
“Changing the name is a logical step,” Uwe Habich, technical managing director at Steinert GmbH, says. “Sensor-sorting machines account for an increasing share of our business year by year. Moreover, they offer valuable solutions for the waste and metal recycling markets as well as for the mining industry. We are especially delighted about one project, in which we placed 20 sensor-sorting systems into a single facility for sorting lightweight packaging. This clearly shows that our name should no longer focus exclusively on magnet technology.”
At the same time as it is changing its name, the company has launched a redesigned logo and mentions both technologies in its tagline: “magnetic and sensor sorting solutions.”
EESS added the two New England states to its territory Jan. 1.
“We’re very excited to see Dan Cowher and his team step up to the plate and expand their sphere of influence in the Northeast,” Pat Carroll, president of Heil, says. “Dan’s long history in the refuse industry allows him to understand the demands of the equipment, and the services needed, in a way that resonates with refuse haulers. We’re excited to have him representing our products.”
EESS is owned and operated by Cowher, a Navy veteran with previous experience in management roles with several national haulers. EESS is a dealer for all Heil product families, including original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts and service, and has two service bays. In addition, EESS is equipped to make emergency roadside calls with a service vehicle that includes a crane, compressor, welder and the ability to make hydraulic hoses on-site.
“We’re very proud to be able to extend our reach to Vermont and New Hampshire,” Cowher says. “I’ve understood the importance of maintenance and uptime since I was a 13-year-old kid, so when it comes to garbage trucks, if they aren’t packing, they aren’t making money. At EESS, my job is to ensure that we keep our customers’ trucks up and running.”
EESS is one of 39 Heil dealers with 59 separate locations in the United States and Canada.
Heil, which was established in 1901, offers automated waste collection technology and a broad product line, including front loaders, rear loaders, side loaders, multicompartment vehicles and roll-off hoists, to the waste and recycling industries.
