Company’s newest formulation, with 25 percent recycled content, receives a no-objection letter from the FDA.
Avient Corp., based in Avon Lake, Ohio, has announced its reSound REC thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) formulation has been approved for use in certain food-contact applications by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The reSound REC grade incorporates postconsumer recycled (PCR) material that has received a no-objection letter (NOL) from the FDA.
The company says its reSound TPE portfolio includes both recycled-content and bio-based formulations. The new reSound REC TPE contains 25 percent PCR content from recycled polypropylene (PP), adds the firm. The FDA NOL confirms the recycled material included in this formulation can be used for manufacturing certain food-contact articles, Avient adds.
Available in North America, the new PCR content formulation offers comparable performance to prime TPEs and can provide a more sustainable option in applications such as toothbrush grips and other personal care items, as well as certain FDA food-contact items like reusable crates, according to Avient. It is naturally gray, colorable and suitable for injection molding or “overmolding” onto PP.
“This FDA evaluation should boost OEM and consumer confidence in incorporating recycled materials into products that face stringent regulatory controls,” says Matt Mitchell, director of global marketing in the Specialty Engineered Materials business unit of Avient. “The expansion of our recycled-content TPE portfolio is rooted in our ongoing commitment to developing sustainable solutions with specialized performance requirements that enable our customers’ innovation and sustainability goals.”
Avient describes itself as having 2021 revenue of $4.8 billion and as being a provider of specialized and sustainable material solutions.
Canada-based metals recycling firm to extract tungsten, molybdenum from concentrates and scrap.
Toronto-based Almonty Industries Inc. says it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korean Mine Rehabilitation and Resource Corp. (KOMIR) and Hannae For T Ltd. to jointly recycle metals to include tungsten and molybdenum from “scrap resources and tungsten concentrates.”
Almonty says its processing techniques can yield “nano tungsten oxide and other essential products for Korean domestic consumption in the semiconductor and battery sectors.”
“Security of supply by global leading economies of strategic and rare metals such as tungsten has been a theme that has grown in importance over recent years,” says Almonty President and CEO Lewis Black. “More than 83 percent of the supply of tungsten is produced by China. Once our flagship Sangdong Tungsten Mine is in production from late 2022/early 2023, it will be the largest tungsten mine outside of China. Given South Korea is the largest per capita user of tungsten globally, it is no surprise that KOMIR, the Korean government agency responsible for national resource security, and other global leading companies, such as Hannae, are keen to work with Almonty,” he adds. “We see this [recycling venture] as an important further collaboration with the South Korean government.”
Hannae is described by Almonty as “one of the global leaders in rare metal recycling” and as having developed proprietary technology to extract metals such as tungsten, vanadium and titanium from selective catalytic reduction SCR catalysts.
“The parties have agreed to jointly, in good faith, investigate and undertake a feasibility study on the ‘public-private joint rare metal recycling project,’” Almonty says. The MOU will remain in effect for two years and can be extended by agreement between the parties before expiration. The agreement also can be terminated by notifying the other party, the firm adds.
U.K.-based firm secures financing to increase LCA reporting service.
Manchester, United Kingdom-based Sourceful, which describes itself as a platform for sustainable sourcing, has secured a $20 million Series A funding round led by Index Ventures, which has offices in San Francisco and London. That firm also backs global app providers Deliveroo, Dropbox and Just Eat.
Founded in 2020, Sourceful says it works with brands around the world “to shrink their environmental impact by helping them find, create and deliver products that are better for their business and the planet.” The company does this via its life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, part of which focuses on raw materials extraction and production—an aspect that tends to favor recycled content.
Sourceful says consumer products industries “represent three of the top four most-polluting sectors, accounting for around 35 percent of global emissions.” Adds the firm, “Approximately 83 percent of those emissions come from their supply chains. E-commerce packaging in particular has a worsening environmental impact as online sales grow by 15 percent annually, with little visibility or data available on its production and source material footprint.”
By starting with packaging, Sourceful says its platform “allows businesses to find products within a marketplace of vetted suppliers across the U.K. and Asia.” The company says its LCA methodology is verified “to the leading global standards (International Organization for Standardization) for estimating environmental impacts.”
“Pressure is mounting on businesses to reduce their emissions, due to the environmental urgency, increasing consumer demand, and the growing regulatory burdens around climate disclosure,” says Wing Chan, Sourceful’s CEO and co-founder.
Adds Chan, “Companies want to offer consumers sustainable choices, [and] businesses are still unable to accurately measure the total carbon footprint of their supply chain, despite it being responsible for more than 90 percent of companies’ emissions across the globe. We often hear about the ‘green premium’ making emission reductions unaffordable at scale, but we’ve seen the inverse with packaging. Presented with better choices, reducing footprint can also reduce cost.”
Sourceful says it will use the new Series A investment, which also involved New York-based Coatue and London-based Eka Ventures, to continue its expansion into international markets, maintaining a business presence in Europe, Asia, and the United States. The company also intends to double the size of its 65-person staff within the next two years. That will enable Sourceful to develop four new product categories, including integrating LCAs for plastics into the platform, according to the company.
“Supply chains represent one of the world’s biggest sustainability roadblocks, but they also contain one of our biggest opportunities to reduce global emissions,” comments Danny Rimer, partner at Index Ventures “Following Sourceful’s recent ISO verification, we believe the brand can go truly global and work with the world’s biggest businesses, to help build tomorrow’s sustainable world economy,” he adds.
Remarks David Cahn, partner at Coatue Management, “We share Sourceful’s belief that the power of data and software can be leveraged to enable businesses to improve the sustainability of their supply chains. With better technology, companies can make better decisions and more accurate commitments to consumers.”
Ellen Meijer, LCA consultant at Netherlands-based PRé Sustainability, who chaired the ISO panel that verified Sourceful’s methodology, comments,“PRé was happy to be involved in the critical review of Sourceful’s LCA methodology. We support their aim to make LCA results available to support decision making, and the methodology used to generate these results is critical for the reliable assessment of global warming potential.”
The founder of Metal Recycling Corp. was 85.
E. Lee Ronnel, the founder of Metal Recycling Corp., Little Rock, Arkansas, died of natural causes earlier this year.
Ronnel was born June 16, 1936, in Shanghai. His parents were professional musicians who fled Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution.
In 1979, Ronnel founded Metal Recycling Corp. in Little Rock. He guided the company successfully for more than four decades with the help of his sons, Mike, who joined the family business in 1989, and Steve, who joined in 1999.
During Ronnel's tenure as president, Metal Recycling Corp. grew to 90 employees at three metal recycling centers in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Searcy, Arkansas, and two metal commodity trading companies in Little Rock.
Ronnel gave back to the recycling industry by serving on the board of directors of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, which honored him with its Israel Proler Lifetime Achievement Award. He also served as chairman of the Arkansas Chapter of the National Association of Purchasing Management and was a member of its national board of directors.
According to his obituary, Ronnel is survived by his wife, Dale Grundfest Ronnel; daughter, Karen Ronnel Pear; sons, Mike Ronnel and Steve Ronnel; son-in-law, David Pear; daughters-in-law, Stacey Ronnel and Jennifer Ronnel; and five grandchildren: Jason, Marilyn and David Ronnel and Allie and Missy Pear.
Maria Stinson has won the Golden Wrench award, and Michael Cuson has been named Driver of the Year.
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington, has recognized two employees of Page Transportation Inc., Weedsport, New York, for their years of service and contributions to the waste and recycling industry.
Maria Stinson has been awarded the 2022 Golden Wrench Award for demonstrating outstanding efforts, achievements and contributions throughout her career in vehicle maintenance, while Michael Cuson has been named the 2022 ISRI Driver of the Year for completing 30 verifiable years of safe driving.
Stinson, a maintenance technician, has 14 years of service with Page Transportation.
“Ms. Stinson’s 14 years of service and dedication to her profession are outstanding,” says Tony Smith, ISRI vice president of safety. “ISRI recognizes her background, achievements and contributions to her position and company. We are proud to call her the 2022 Golden Wrench award winner.”
ISRI says the Golden Wrench Award is given to a heavy vehicle maintenance technician or manager who exhibits outstanding efforts, achievements and contributions to ensure that commercial vehicles are safe on the road.
“Maria is not only an exceptional mechanic but also a true trailblazer,” says Dan Titus, president of Page Transportation. “Whether she is replacing a transmission or simply greasing a tractor, her meticulous attention to detail ensures the job gets done well every time.”
The Golden Wrench Award is based on the following criteria:
Nominees must be full-time employees whose primary responsibility is to maintain commercial motor vehicles.
Nominations must be made by someone familiar with the nominee’s work history, such as a supervisor, safety director and so on.
No more than five vehicle maintenance technicians can be nominated from the same member company.
Nominees must meet the minimum requirement of five years of verifiable employment as a commercial motor vehicle maintenance technician.
Nominees must have a minimum of 40 hours of qualified medium/heavy or auto/light truck maintenance training within the last three years.
The member company's compliance, safety, accountiability (CSA) vehicle maintenance performance score cannot exceed 60 percent.
The member company cannot have a record of CSA intervention letters/alert notices within the past 24 months in any of the CSA Seven Basics.
Possessing National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence medium/heavy truck and/or auto/light truck test completion and current certification within the last five years and a current commercial driver’s license (A, B or C Class) are not mandatory requirements.
ISRI says additional criteria include contributions to improving company vehicle maintenance, letters of appreciation, deeds of heroism on or off the job and civic and fraternal organizations.
Regarding Cuson, Titus says, "Mike’s record speaks for itself. If you weren’t impressed with his resume, you would be by the way he cares for his equipment and those that operate around him. He is an exceptional example of what it means to be a Page driver.”
ISRI’s Driver of the Year Award recognizes drivers who have driven a commercial vehicle for at least 20 years without incurring a preventable accident. The award is based on the following mandatory criteria:
Nominations may be submitted by ISRI members in good standing.
Nominees must be full-time employees whose primary responsibility is to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
Nominees must be current employees of the nominating member company and must be employed for at least one year.
Nominations must be made by someone familiar with the nominee’s work history, such as a manager or safety director.
No more than three drivers may be nominated from the same member company.
Nominees must meet the minimum requirement of 10 years of verifiable employment as a commercial motor vehicle driver.
Other criteria are the driver’s contribution to highway safety, letters of appreciation, deeds of heroism on or off the job and civic and fraternal organizations.
“We are so happy to give this year’s Driver of the Year Award to Mr. Cuson,” Smith says. “His 30 years of dedicated, accident-free service is exemplary. Cuson’s 30 years of crash-free driving are highlighted by zero out-of-service violations. ISRI salutes the level of professionalism shown by Mr. Cuson.”