Sorting technology firm says its systems can help meet ambitious landfill diversion targets.

Altshausen, Germany-based sorting equipment provider Stadler Anlagenbau GmbH says boosting the recycling rate for construction and demolition (C&D) provides an opportunity for the company to work with customers and for wider society to meet circular economy goals.

Stadler calls the construction industry “by far the biggest generator of waste in the European Union – about 870 million tons in 2017 – which accounts for 30 percent to 40 percent of the total waste generation in industrialized countries.”

Although recycling rates in EU nations may vary, Stadler states, “In all cases most of the recovered materials are downcycled – mainly used for backfilling in road construction, building foundations or embankments – or sent to landfill.”

Commenting on upgrading the materials, Juan Carlos Hernández Parrodi, a senior project manager at Stadler, says, “This represents a huge untapped potential. Typically, [C&D material] is made up of concrete, wood, metals, glass, masonry rubble, stones, soil, sand, gypsum, plasterboard, asphalt, plastics, insulation, paper, cardboard and salvaged building components. There is very little that can’t be recycled – the recycling potential of this [material] can be higher than 90 percent.”

He continues, “Some previous studies have pointed out that, if appropriately processed to remove moisture and impurities, recovered aggregates can even have advantages over raw materials in some cases, such as higher compressive strength and a wider range of applications in the construction industry.”

C&D recycling awareness among governments, environmental organizations, educational institutions and the general public is growing, according to Stadler. “This evolution is accelerating,” Hernández Parrodi says. “Legislation regulating the amounts of [C&D material] that can be disposed of in landfill is increasingly restrictive and aims to promote the recovery of secondary materials and recycling. At the same time, new regulations are setting high standards for recycled construction materials, encouraging a shift from downcycling to recycling and upcycling. All these factors are driving a fast growth in the demand for technology innovation.”

Stadler says it is able to bring its experience in the design of advanced municipal solid waste (MSW) sorting plants to the construction sector, developing tailored solutions to match the individual situations: “The consideration of all the specific factors, together with our know-how, enables us to provide effective, efficient and high-quality sorting facilities,” says Hernández Parrodi.

The company says its systems are conceived to process large amounts of mixtures of diverse materials in very challenging conditions, such as the presence of fines and humidity, as well as heavy and bulky objects. Stadler says it has successfully applied its sorting know-how in a number of C&D projects – the most recent ones for Sogetri in Switzerland and Remeo Oy in Finland.

The latter facility combines a mixed C&D sorting plant capable of processing 30 tons per hour and a commercial and industrial materials plant with 15 tons per hour capacity. It also features artificial intelligence (AI) technology from Finland-based ZenRobotics. Mauri Lielahti of Remeo says he was impressed with Stadler’s tailored approach to the project, commenting, “We appreciated Stadler’s capability to be innovative, their willingness to seek new solutions and that they were ready to listen to the customer’s needs.”

Stadler sorting plants can produce a range of end products, including sand, gravel, metal, wood and others. Recovered concrete can be used to produce recycled concrete. “This means that with recovery not only is it possible to close the loop in material life cycles and move towards a circular economy, but it also enables upcycling, consequently expanding the applications and increasing the added value of recovered materials,” concludes Hernández Parrodi.

Speakers at the Bureau of International Recycling Tyres & Rubber Committee discuss technology advances and recycled-content demand.

Industry experts at the most recent Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) Tyres & Rubber Committee meeting in late May suggested tires and rubber have rapidly developed into "one of the most dynamic segments of the recycling industry after having been previously viewed as the "poor relation," and Max Craipeau of Hong Kong-based Greencore Resources Ltd. said the sector is gaining "unprecedented traction" as the result of what he calls numerous emerging possibilities for breathing new life into tires and other rubber products.

According to Craipeau, current estimated demand in Europe for recycled rubber of 200,000 metric tons annually is expected to increase fivefold over the next 25 years. Sonia Megert, chief operating officer of Swiss sustainable technology developer Tyre Recycling Solutions SA, added projections of a compound annual growth rate of more than 10 percent for the global recycled rubber market from 2020 to 2028. 

Megert, participating in the meeting as a guest speaker, said recycled content in tires still is "very limited," but noted that new technologies have the potential to significantly increase proportions and added that 10 percent to 15 percent recycled content is achievable in tire treads, compared with the current 5-percent maximum.

According to Megert, Tyre Recycling Solutions SA had formed a "successful partnership" with Germany synthetic rubber manufacturer Synthos based around its water pulse jet system for pulverizing tire tread into a fine powder of what she called "very stable composition" for use in tires and other vehicle applications. Synthos Global Key Account Manager Christian Lemke said the major attractions of this solution are product consistency, level of certification and global scalability, with the possibility of establishing capacity where the demand exists.

Many investors and high-profile investors are now "stepping into the game" of tire and rubber recycling because of perceived technological readiness of high-volume solutions for providing sustainably produced raw materials, according to Robert Weibold, managing director of German tire recycling and pyrolysis consultant firm Robert Weibold GmbH. He also said the economics of recycling processes had been altered because customers now are prepared to pay significantly more for sustainably produced tire.

Martin von Wolfersdorff, a rubber recycling and recovered carbon black (RCB) expert with Germany-based Wolfersdorff Consulting, who co-moderated the session with Craipeau, described this process as a "change from a push to a pull," explaining that companies previously had struggled to push recycled products into a competitive marketplace, whereas now demand favors such products because end customers want to boost sustainability credentials.

When asked how manufacturers can evaluate the options for incorporating recycled content, such as RCB, devulcanized rubber and micronized rubber powder, von Wolfersdorff said tire producers are looking for what he calls the "smart combination" of all the materials based on considerations of quality consistency, supply-chain length, availability and price.

The BIR convention was held May 22-25 in Barcelona.

Doosan Machine Tools will become DN Solutions following its merger earlier this year with DN Automotive.

Doosan Machine Tools has announced it will change its name to DN Solutions and be reborn as a total manufacturing solutions provider, effective June 2.

DN Solutions, the new name of Doosan Machine Tools, signifies a new start after its merger with DN Automotive, which became its parent company in January.

“This name change was intended to signify our commitment to becoming a global manufacturer,” says Kim Jae-Seop, CEO of DN Solutions. “DN Solutions and DN Automotive create a synergistic effect by working together to find new growth engines and maximize manufacturing capabilities. We are committed to offering integrated manufacturing solutions to a wide range of industries based on competitive products."

The “D” in DN alludes to the 45 years of history and trust built among Daewoo and Doosan, the predecessors of DN Solutions, along with DTR Automotive, the predecessor of DN Automotive. The “N” represents “now and new,” the will of DN Solutions to open new paths by constantly taking on challenges now rather than being complacent following past achievements.

DN Solutions says is committed to being reborn as a global manufacturer under the new name by way of distinctive competitive advantages over current growth engines. The company plans to grow through aggressive investment in manufacturing capabilities and sustainable management for social responsibility. It will work closely with DN Automotive, its controlling shareholder, to identify new growth engines to become a solutions provider for the global manufacturing industry.

DN Automotive, the controlling shareholder of DN Solutions, is an automotive parts manufacturer founded in 1971 that produces tires, batteries and VMS (Vibration Management Systems). It is a top three manufacturer in the global VMS market and supplies approximately 30 global leading OEMs, including General Motors and BMW.

In addition, DN Solutions has participated in SIMTOS 2022, which took place at the Korean International Exhibition Center in Goyang-si, South Korea from May 23-27. During the expo, DN Solutions showcased various products featuring the latest technologies, including a 5-axis, large machining center, as well as a wide range of products and solutions for the information technology and semiconductor industries. A ceremony was held to announce the company's new name and share its meaning and the vision for the future.

Colorado's Front Range Waste Diversion is seeking proposals for the second phase of its Technical Assistance Service Provider program.

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment's Front Range Waste Diversion (FRWD) program is piloting a new model to help advance communities up what it calls the "zero-waste ladder," and its board is seeking proposals from qualified applicants for Phase 2 of its Technical Assistance Service Provider (TASP) program.

According to FRWD, the consultant will provide technical assistance to local governments that have an interest in establishing a new recycling program or expanding an existing recycling program for postconsumer and commercial solid waste in Colorado.

Proposals are due by 3 p.m. Friday, July 1, with detailed instructions provided here.

The FRWD program provides grants and technical assistance to Colorado's Front Range communities to increase recycling, composting and waste reduction. The FRWD enterprise consists of the FRWD board of directors and program administrative staff at CDPHE. Its current three-year strategic plan identifies goals in three focus areas: data collection and analysis, municipal solid waste, including organics and recycling, and nonmunicipal solid waste, focusing on construction and demolition debris.

The program and enterprise fund was approved by the Colorado state legislature in 2019 and collects funds from an increase in user fees at Front Range landfill to provide grants and technical assistance to increase recycling, composting and waste reduction.

The Sennebogen 822 G features what the company calls intelligent, resource-saving technology and comfort.

Sennebogen, Straubing, Germany, has updated its 22 t 818 E recycling all-rounder to the latest G series machine generation. The company says the update makes it possible to handle and sort material in a particularly environmentally friendly and economical way. 

The compact 822 G material handler has a reach of up to 10 meters and a comfort cab that can be elevated as standard. The machine can be individually configured and features numerous equipment variants.   

The company says the 822 G is highly responsive with hydraulics that can be adjusted precisely by the operator and fast, overlapping movements with a hydraulic system that is optimized for demanding tasks in recycling and scrap yards. Additionally, the machine uses green efficiency technology to save resources and work efficiently. Pumps and large-scale hydraulic valves and lines ensure optimum efficiency.   

The 822 G now has a 110 kilowatt Stage V diesel engine with 3.8 l displacement, which is ideally suited in terms of power and consumption to the operating conditions in recycling and scrap. In addition to the low operating costs, the G series is also synonymous with Sennebogen’s 6th-generation material handling technology.  

The company says a particular focus has been placed on maintenance and service with the G series. The machine features an outward-folding lubrication system and an improved refueling to make servicing the machine convenient and safe. The 822 G also features an e-box, protecting the central electrical distributors and electronic modules from environmental influences in extreme conditions and ensuring maximum machine availability. The result means the extended time between maintenance.   

The premiere of the 822 G will take place from May 30 to June 3 at IFAT 2022 in Munich. Discover the new G series at Sennebogen’s trade fair stand in hall C5, stand 241/340.