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SPRING 2020 VOL. 25 NO. 1 Editor Emily Atkins emily@newcom.ca (416) 614-5801 Editorial Director John G. Smith johng@newcom.ca (416) 614-5812 Associate Publisher Kathy Koras kathy@newcom.ca (416) 510-6892 Group Publisher Lou Smyrlis lou@newcom.ca (416) 510-6881 Creative Director Tim Norton tim@newcom.ca (416) 510-6881 Art Director Elaine Borg elaine@newcom.ca Production Manager Jwad Khan jwad@newcom.ca
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THE ELECTRIC CIRCLE Opportunties for Canadian EV battery recycling
Safety .......................................................... 15
Departments
Solid waste worker fatalities climb in 2019
Opinion .................................5
SWANA report highlights need for safety
News......................................6 Innovations ..........................30
Guest Comment.......................................... 22
Regulations may boost less sustainable plastic alternatives Europe’s plastics bans may have unintended consequences
26
Trish Saltys
DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Pat Glionna
Fleet Management...................................... 25
The hidden impact of engine idling How to reduce the cost of idling in your fleet Trucks .......................................................... 26
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Leading the charge New York city deploys all-electric collection trucks Case Study .................................................. 28
28
Four generations of salvage This B.C. company grows with its equipment
Spring 2020 3
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EDITORIAL
Collecting ourselves Today is Monday, March 23, 2020. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has just finished announcing the closure of all non-essential businesses as of tomorrow. Hamilton, Ontario’s unionized waste collection workers walked off the job this morning, refusing to work until better safety measures are taken to protect them. There will no doubt be more announcements and actions of the same kind in the coming weeks as the country tries to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is telling its members to prepare their staff with letters to carry that say they are essential workers so they will be able to pass law enforcement roadblocks. But if waste workers do not feel that they are being given proper safety gear, those letters may be moot. So many people are being asked to step up to the front lines in this fight against the coronavirus attack. Every one
of them deserves the respect, admiration and support of those of us who have the luxury of working from home. Waste collectors have a scary enough time anyway, with the constant threat of dangerous or contaminated items in the trash, not to mention the risk of on-the-job injuries or death (see our safety report on page 15 for a glimpse at the risks). If they are going to be out on the road collecting waste during a pandemic, then they should have access to the proper personal protective gear, just as everyone in a public-facing role should at the moment. I hope that they will receive the protection they need as soon as possible. For as long as this pandemic crisis lasts, I wish you all well. Please stay safe, do the right thing, wash your hands and stay at home. See you on the other side. Emily Atkins 416-614-5801 | emily@newcom.ca
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NEWS
IKEA deploys food waste tracking Reduces loss by 30 percent in a year IKEA Canada achieved the goal of reducing food waste in its kitchens by over 30 percent within one year of implementing a new food waste tracking program. IKEA Edmonton led the way with a reduction of 40 percent in one year. More than 94,000 kilograms of food waste has been saved since the program started in Canada, the equivalent of approximately 200,000 meals. IKEA Canada has been using a food waste program provided by Leanpath since 2018. This program provides digital scales and touchscreens located directly in its kitchens that allow staff to weigh and track waste in real time. This data is then automatically uploaded onto an online platform that allows IKEA to see what is being wasted
in its kitchens, how much is being wasted and why it is being wasted. “Our co-workers use these insights to then identify ways that we can prevent food waste, such as more efficient meal planning,” said Meghan Hogan, an IKEA Canada communications business partner, in an email to Solid Waste & Recycling. “Once the waste saving strategies have been implemented, the program allows co-workers to see how many kilograms of food waste has been saved and how that impacts our carbon footprint.” This program is part of a larger global ambition to diminish food waste in all IKEA stores by 50 percent before the end of 2020. “Food is valuable and precious. We believe that everyone in the food
Part of the Leanpath digital food weighing system.
chain has a role to c play in preventing and reducing food waste,” said Melissa Mirowski, sustainability manager at IKEA Canada. “Our target is ambitious, but we believe that by setting actionable goals and drawing on the passion of our coworkers, we can help tackle Canada’s food waste challenge.” As part of its commitment to make its food services more sustainable, IKEA Canada also phased out single-use plastic straws from its product range and restaurants last year. Q
Blockchain for plastics recycling Blo BASF has launched a blockchain pilot project in British Columbia to help increase the circularity of the plastics llifecycle. Called reciChain, the project combines combin blockchain with a digital badge and loop cou count technology that enables the secured sharing of data among market participants, while improving the sorting, tracing and monitoring of plastics throughout the value chain. The result is intended to be a more competitive circular supply chain rather than a linear one, extending the lifecycle of plastics. Additionally, due to the increased transparency reciChain brings, the platform can provide better assurance to brand owners of the validity of the certificates they purchase from recyclers and converters. According to a report produced by Deloitte for Environment and Climate Change Canada, the country disposed of nearly 3.3 million tons of plastic waste in 2016. Of these plastics, less than 11 percent was recycled, meaning the rest was landfilled or lost into the environment. If the present trend continues, the report estimates that Canadians will dispose of $11.1 billion worth of plastic materials each year by 2030. “There is a clear global challenge around the economics of recycling plastic,” said Marcelo Lu, president of BASF Canada. “Much of the collection and sorting activities are
6 www.solidwastemag.com
challenged by manual processes and material contamination. Additionally, traceability is a concern as new commitments start to emerge from brand owners and retailers. With reciChain, our goal is to revitalize the value of plastics and significantly improve circularity in the supply chain.” Initially piloted by BASF in Brazil, the inspiration for reciChain came from a need in that market to deal with social inequality issues as well as regulatory concerns around recycling certificates. Given its ability to tokenize the recycling value of plastics, the platform enables a fairer distribution of value added along the supply chain, even to cooperatives, which traditionally generate lower returns compared to other businesses. As well, better visibility into material flow through the platform provides better compliance with recycling documentation. The project has secured participation of some major Brazilian players and will continue to be developed in parallel with the Canadian pilot. “A successful implementation of reciChain will result in a collaborative digital consortium that will bring together plastic manufacturers, suppliers, government entities, retailers, waste collectors and recyclers aimed at keeping the life of plastic molecules circular,” said Anthony DiPrinzio, head of the BASF Blockchain Lab. Deloitte is a strategic advisor on the pilot project in B.C. Q
Canadian manufacturer exports PVC
GFL goes public GFL Environmental Inc. began trading on March 3 under the symbol TSX:GFL. GFL’s initial public offering (IPO) raised $1.9 billion, ranking this as the third-largest IPO (by amount raised) in TSX history. In addition, the company raised $1 billion through concurrent financing. Patrick Dovigi, founder and CEO, GFL, joined Loui Anastasopoulos, president, capital formation, at the TMX Group to open the market on March 5. “Listing on TSX is a proud milestone for GFL,” said Dovigi. “Our success in building GFL into the fourth-largest environmental services company in North America and in completing this historic IPO in the face of the market conditions that we launched into are a testament to the continuing belief of our investors in this great GFL story. I feel so fortunate to share this success with our employees whose hard work and dedication to GFL have made today possible.” Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario, GFL provides solid waste management, infrastructure and soil remediation and liquid waste management services through its platform of facilities across Canada and in 23 states in the U.S. Q
Inscape, an Ontario-based designer and manufacturer of furnishings for the workplace, produces work surfaces made of MDF core and finished with 3D foil, which is 100 percent PVC laminate. In 2015 Ontario waste facilities stopped accepting PVC, leaving Inscape with no way to get rid of the scraps left over from the foil lamination process. As a result, the company found itself storing bales of compacted PVC offcuts that it had no outlet for. However, thanks to a listing on the Recycler’s Exchange website (www. recyclersexchange.com), BessTrade, a Netherlands-based recycler, found out about Inscape’s PVC bales. After sharing PVC samples and Inscape was stuck with more than arranging a site visit to Inscape’s Hol50,000 pounds of PVC laminate scrap land Landing, Ontario, facility through which it sold to a company in Holland. a local partner, BessTrade confirmed the PVC specs met their needs and agreed to pick up the 50,000 pounds of PVC waste Inscape had been bundling and storing at their facility for the last five years. BessTrade turns Inscape’s PVC waste into reprocessed granulate to be used in a broad range of consumer products manufactured by its clients across Europe. Q
Transcontinental moves into recycling Packaging and media giant TC Transcontinental is creating a recycling group within its packaging division. The new group will purchase equipment for converting flexible plastics recovered from sorting facilities and other commercial, industrial and agricultural sources into recycled plastic granules. It will also be on the lookout for potential acquisitions of companies in this sector. “The creation of the Recycling Group aims to vertically integrate the recycling of plastics in our packaging production chain in Canada, the United States and Latin America, ultimately ensuring stable procurement of this material for us,” said François Olivier, president and CEO of TC Transcontinental. The establishment of the Recycling Group will contribute to the achievement of TC Transcontinental’s
objectives as a signatory to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. The team will be led by Sylvain Levert, as senior vice-president of the Recycling Group, reporting to Thomas Morin, president of TC Transcontinental Packaging. Levert was previously senior vicepresident, procurement at TC Transcontinental. He will be supported by Mathieu Séguin, as general manager, and by Fabrice Laberge, as director, research and development, Recycling Technology. Séguin has experience in management and business development in the plastic recycling industry, while Laberge, with a PhD in chemistry, has worked in project management and research and development in the industrial sector in Canada, the United States and Europe. Q Spring 2020 7
NEWS
Waste association calls for relaxed regulations NWRA says flexibility needed in face of pandemic threat The National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) sent a letter to U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence, who is leading the country’s COVID-19 response task force, requesting additional regulatory flexibility during the declared national emergency. This letter follows similar outreach NWRA has made to Congress, federal agencies, and state governments. “NWRA appreciates Vice-President Pence’s leadership during this crisis. We know that where there is poor sanitation, disease and illness spread,” said NWRA president and CEO Darrell Smith. “NWRA has made this request of states to enable waste haulers to adequately respond to waste that will be generated during the COVID-19 pandemic. NWRA member
companies would like to be prepared for what we anticipate may be upheavals in the way solid waste is managed and the flexibility we are requesting will help us be better prepared.” Smith also said NWRA has made this request of states to enable waste haulers to adequately respond to waste that will be generated during the COVID-19 pandemic. It expects what may be “an upheaval in the way material is managed.” NWRA is concerned that without the necessary flexibility, disruptions may occur and impact the
collection and processing of waste and recyclables. Disruptions could occur for a variety of reasons, such as impacts to collection and facility operations as a result of employees becoming ill from community spread of COVID-19; limited availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) due to panic buying by the public; and difficulty marketing or moving recyclables due to limited exporting capacity and additional constraints at material recovery facilities. Q
Coronavirus. Covered. Follow industry-specific Covid-19 updates through our
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Audi upholsters with PET
The interior of a new Audi A3 includes recycled content from over 100 PET bottles
German luxury carmaker Audi is integrating recycled PET from returnable bottles into upholstery in its A3 cars. The company says that up to 45 1.5-litre PET bottles reclaimed from deposit return systems will go into a car’s seats. Up to 89 percent of the textile consists of yarn made from the recycled PET bottles. While the seats’ upholstery is not yet
completely made from recovered materials, Audi is working to make seats from unmixed material so that they can in turn be recycled. Recycled materials are also being integrated as insulating materials and sound absorbers, the side panel trim of the luggage compartment, the load floor and the carpeting. The company says another 62 PET bottles are used for the carpeting. Q
Battery recycling energizes Nearly three million kilos of household batteries were recycled in 2019, says Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. These are the highest battery collection results since the national program’s inception and a nine percent increase over 2018 results. There was also a more than 10 percent increase in batteries collected in regulated provinces – British Columbia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. PEI residents recycled 25 percent more batteries in the province’s first year under regulation, while in B.C. 14 percent more were collected from 2018 to 2019. According to a 2019 study by Call2Recycle Canada, nearly 80 percent of residents in the regulated provinces are aware batteries need to be recycled and 68 percent recycle theirs.Q
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NEWS
Waste industry needs women to meet driver shortage The latest trucking statistics show that the shortage of overthe-road (OTR) truck drivers in the U.S. is at the highest level it has been in 15 years – a driver shortage mirrored in the waste collection industry. According to a new report, Recruiting Personnel for Solid Waste Collection Services, by the Solid Waste Association of North America’s (SWANA) Applied Research Foundation (ARF), causes for the driver shortage include an aging workforce, occupational danger, increased demand for trucking services due to industry growth, and low participation of women in the industry. The report estimates that about 1,000 women are employed in waste and recyclables collection, which equates to about one percent of the 116,000 sanitation workers in the U.S. These data indicate the tremendous potential that exists for addressing the waste and recycling collection driver shortage through the recruitment and retention of female drivers. According to Jeremy O’Brien, SWANA’s director of applied research, “This report highlights the potential for women to play an increasingly important role in the provision of solid waste collection services and the valuable benefits that these jobs offer – such as regular hours, no time away from home, and the universal and permanent need for skilled employees in this industry.” The report reviews a number of recruitment programs instituted by companies and organizations to attract new drivers. These programs include strategies such as training and working one-on-one with employees who are studying for the Commercial Driver’s Licence (CDL) exams as well as paying for the costs of the exam. Another strategy is to target the hiring of persons who were formerly jailed. “With the CDL industry in high demand, Phoenix has embraced this challenge as an opportunity to expand our outreach to under-represented demographics among the solid waste ranks such as women, veterans, and youth,” said Felipe Moreno, the deputy public works director for the city of Phoenix, Arizona, which also participates in the ARF’s Collection Research Group. Q
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Swat® Roll-Off Tarp System • Replacement parts are completely compatible with competitor rack and pinion system parts. • Powder-coated parts provide premium finish and protection. • Steel arms, gussets and brackets are engineered to withstand the demands of the industry. • Low-profile arms avoid damage from wide containers and compactors.
Durabac buys Ginove As part of a partnership agreement with McLaughlin, Durabac took over the assets of Ginove, in St.-Casimir, Quebec. Taking over the Ginove plant in St.-Casimir means Durabac will continue to manufacture RotoPac automated side loaders along with the Mini SL and Lav-Bac brands with the company’s existing, experienced, employee base. Durabac also expects the acquisition will allow it to offer expanded customer service options for customers of its New Way products in the area. Q Spring 2020 11
• Quick-release tarp tube and standard tarp spline make tarp replacement a quick and easy 1-person job.
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NEWS
New technologies key to plastics recycling Polymer recycling needs to overcome barriers such as societal perceptions of recycling, economic barriers and technological shortcomings. Increasing customer awareness of the environmental impact of polymers with lifespans of several hundreds of years, as well as a global shift in attitudes towards carbon dioxide emissions from the use of petrochemicals to create new plastics, has resulted in renewed focus on polymer recycling and waste management technologies. These finding are part of a new report, “Green Technology and Polymer Recycling 2020-2030: Technology for a Sustainable Circular Economy in Plastic Waste”, by IDTechEx’s Dr. Bryony Core. Existing technologies rely on mechanically sorting and melting plastic waste, which frequently results in “down-cycling” of materials due to high levels of contamination. Issues with recycling processes are so severe that countries which used to import waste for recycling have closed their doors, leading to a significant build up of polymer waste. New technologies for recycling unwanted polymers are now needed to whittle down the growing mountain of waste. Polymer recycling is either a physical or chemical process. In a physical process, the polymer is separated from other
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polymers or impurities using a process that relies on a physical property such as melting point or solubility. The established recycling method is secondary mechanical recycling, which relies on the removal of impurities such as other polymers or non-recyclable contaminants manually or optically, before the polymer is turned into pellets. The downsides of mechanical recycling are that sorting prior to melting is imprecise and prone to impurity inclusion. Although steps have been taken to increase impurity removal with new optical sorting techniques such as near infrared, the primary route to reducing contamination relies on the individuals producing the waste to sort it correctly into constituent materials at the point of generation. However, even if the input polymer is free of contamination, the very act of heating to melt the polymer can impair the properties of the recycled output, as heat can break down the chemical backbone for certain polymer types. These issues, combined with other economic considerations, have acted as barriers to the widespread implementation of recycling; however, innovations in the field of polymer recycling are helping to address the technical hurdles to increasing recycled polymer quality. New processes fall into three categories: solvent extraction, plastic-to-fuel conversion, or depolymerization. Solvent extraction is a physical process and relies upon the difference in solubility of the target polymer and the impurities with which it is mixed. A handful of start-ups in the past few years have developed this process to recycle common polymers, including waste polyester fabrics. The two other processes, plastic-to-fuel conversion and depolymerization, are both chemical methods. Chemical recycling relies on the transformation of the waste polymer into chemically different products via a reaction. The more mature technology, plastic-to-fuel conversion, uses mixed polymer waste, which is otherwise very challenging to recycle, and outputs fuel fractions using chemical reactions such as pyrolysis or gasification. The relative newcomer, depolymerization, reverses how the polymer is created in the first place. It is thermally or catalytically broken down, either into raw materials that can be used directly to resynthesize the polymer, or into other useful chemical intermediates. Depolymerization is particularly exciting as it offers a route to access the polymer without any of the downsides experienced in other recycling methods; the resultant polymer has identical properties and it is reasonably tolerant to contaminants. The report concludes that the need for improved waste management protocols for end-of-life polymers is evident. Although some of the challenges are economic and social, developing new processes to address the technical barriers to increased global rates of polymer recycling will substantially assist in realizing a circular economy. Q
Groups say European circular economy plan is incomplete European organizations dealing with sustainable resource management say the European Commission’s A New Circular Economy Action Plan, published in March 2020, includes many proposals which will contribute to Europe becoming a cleaner and more sustainable circular economy, as well as climate neutral. However, they also say the cornerstone of a circular economy is missing: the measures required to prevent the leaking of waste streams suitable for recycling or recovery into large-scale landfills. The groups (Municipal Waste Europe; FEAD, the European Federation for Waste Management and Environmental Services; Euroheat & Power; ESWET, European Suppliers of Waste-to-Energy Technology; and, CEWEP, the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants) are disappointed that the action plan does not include further efforts on the diversion of waste from landfills. “Even with progress on recycling rates, approximately 175 million tonnes of waste are still being landfilled in Europe annually, and this does not include the enormous amount of mineral wastes also going to landfill,” the coalition said in a statement. “This leads to more than 140 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions.” While the targets for municipal waste landfilling were set back in 2018, municipal waste is just a small part of the total waste volume. Diverting other waste streams including industrial and commercial waste from landfills would not only bring environmental benefits, including soil and water protection, but is also the “easy win for greenhouse gas mitigation in the waste sector”, the group said. The signatories ask the European Commission and policymakers to use the most effective measures to minimize large-scale landfilling as soon as possible by ensuring the implementation of the existing targets on municipal waste. They also call for an integrated approach on industrial and commercial waste, with measures aiming at stimulating recycling, other recovery, and reducing landfilling of such waste flows, by setting a cap in the EU Landfill Directive also for (recyclable or recoverable) commercial and industrial waste, as was done for municipal waste in 2018. This would create a level playing field in EU members. The cap would have to take into consideration the need for disposal in a more circular waste management chain, after recycling and recovery. Q
Cruise line digesters BioHiTech Global, Inc. has received initial purchase orders for its Revolution Series Digesters worth over US$1.5 million as part of a purchase contract with Carnival Corporation that has an estimated final value of up to $14 million. The company had expected to begin delivery of these units in the second quarter and to continue filling orders on a rolling basis. BioHiTech will provide ships with multiple Revolution Series Digesters as well as ongoing cloud-based data analytics and supplies. The digesters will safely dispose of food waste on-site, and limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from conventional processing systems. The analytics platform, BioHiTech Cloud, measures and analyzes food waste to determine volume and type, generating insights that can be used to optimize supply orders to avoid unnecessary waste. The platform is secure and gives ships the ability to store highly detailed waste management data they can use to comply with environmental, health, and corporate regulations. Q
Spring 2020 13
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SAFETY
Solid waste worker fatalities climb in 2019 Nine Canadians among the losses By SWR Staff
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ine Canadian solid waste workers lost their lives on the job in 2019. This is an increase from 2018 when four fatalities were recorded in Canada, and 2017, when there were six. In total, at least 53 solid waste industry workers died on the job in 2019 in the United States and Canada, according to the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). The most common cause of death was being struck by one’s own waste vehicle, followed by single vehicle accidents involving only a waste vehicle. Over 40 percent of worker fatalities were a result of one of these two causes. Solid waste and recycling collection continues to have the highest occurrence of fatalities in the waste industry, with about 68 percent of worker deaths. Deaths at landfills increased slightly from eight in 2018 to 11 in 2019 and at MRFs deaths increased from three to four. “The number of solid waste-related fatalities continued at unusually high levels in 2019,” said David Biderman, SWANA’s executive director and CEO. “Although there was a small decline from 2018, and that slight improvement has continued into 2020, we remain concerned about the solid waste industry’s overall safety performance. We urge all employers and employees to take advantage of the growing number and variety of SWANA safety resources,” he added. SWANA collects data on solid wasterelated fatalities from a wide number
of industry and media sources to produce an annual safety report. In addition to the workers killed on the job in 2019, at least 80 members of the public were killed in incidents involving the industry. Almost all of these were the result of a collision with a solid waste collection vehicle. Two-thirds of the victims were a driver or passenger at the time, and about 16 percent were pedestrians. Incidents involving motorcyclists represented nine percent and cyclists 7.5 percent of fatalities in 2019. January was the deadliest month in 2019, with 22 total fatalities. It was also the month with the most fatalities in 2018, with 19. In 2019, June had the most worker fatalities with eight, followed by July with seven. January was also by far the deadliest month for members of the public with 15 fatalities, the only month to experience double-digit fatalities for that group. “Employers must look inward for causes and corrective actions,” recommended Suzanne Sturgeon, SWANA Safety Committee chairwoman and health and safety program manager for SCS Field Services. “Changing the culture of workers is essential to this effort. Training frequently in small and digestible doses is paramount to make this shift.” In response to the uptick in 2018, SWANA added new safety resources, including its Hauler Safety Outreach program, in which SWANA chapters and partners distribute safety materials at landfills and disposal facilities. In late 2018, SWANA initiated its Safety Pledge, in which it asks drivers, heavy equipment operators, managers, and others to pledge to do their job safely. More than 3,000 industry professionals have taken
Figure 1: 2019 Worker Fatalities by Location 1 4
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Q Collection Q C&D Q Landfill Q MRF Q Transfer Station
Figure 2: US & Canada Solid Waste Fatalities 120 101
100
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80 60
59
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40 20 0 Worker
Member of Public
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the SWANA Safety Pledge. SWANA’s Applied Research Foundation (ARF) also recently published a report on landfill safety. It identifies best practices for keeping employees and haulers safe at landfills. The main causes of injuries and illnesses at landfills are overexertion and bodily reaction, contact with objects and equipment; falls, slips, and trips; transportation incidents; and exposure to harmful substances and environments. The report is available to SWANA ARF subscribers. Spring 2020 15
EV BATTERY RECYCLING
The electric circle Developing a circular economy for EV batteries is a big opportunity for Canadian companies By Maria Kelleher and Samantha Millette
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N
ot much question about it – electric vehicles are likely to take over the market. The important question is when this will happen. Regardless of the timing, at end of life (EOL), which is eight to 10 years or more after introduction to the market, electric vehicle (EV) batteries need to be properly managed. Electric vehicles generally include hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs). These vehicles use batteries that range in weight and chemistry. Most hybrids use a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) chemistry and weigh about 100 kg, while PHEVs and BEVs need a lithium-ion battery. A BEV such as a Tesla uses a lithium-ion battery that can weigh up to 470 kg. This makes EV batteries challenging, and in fact dangerous, to handle at end of life, because they are very heavy, and cannot be lifted and moved without specialized equipment. More importantly, they retain a significant charge, which can seriously injure a
worker who has not received sufficient training on proper management.
Why it matters The cost of EVs is expected to fall as the cost of the EV battery (which makes up a third of the vehicle cost) continues to drop. It is predicted by 2022 the EV version will cheaper to buy than its internal combustion engine counterpart. With much lower operating costs than traditional vehicles, EVs will slowly penetrate the Canadian and US marketplaces. All vehicle OEMs are developing many EV options and investing heavily in EV battery technology. Part of the push is from China, which requires at least 10 percent of vehicles from any OEM selling more than 30,000 vehicles into Chinese market to be EVs, with the percentage growing in future years. For a company like Volkswagen AG (which owns Audi – see sidebar, page 20), with 40 percent of its sales in China, this has required a significant investment in EV technology. About 690,000 EVs were sold in the
U.S. in 2018 (327,000 hybrids, 122,000 plug-in hybrids, and 239,000 BEVs), and these numbers are expected to grow in future years, with projections varying widely. Projects suggest about eight percent or more of the auto sales in 2025 may be EVs. A study prepared for the American Petroleum Institute by Kelleher Environmental (with Millette Environmental and Gracestone) concludes that about 525,000 EV batteries will reach end of life by 2025 and over one million units will hit end of life by 2030. These figures are based on EV sales data from 2000 to 2018 and sales projections to 2023.
Exploring the options An April 2019 report by Propulsion Quebec suggests the number of EOL EV batteries in Canada could increase to between 140,000 and 210,000 by 2030. Options to manage these batteries at end of life include re-use and recycling. While recycling is getting a lot of attention these days, re-use is a better option, which extends the life of the EV batteries and cells. Some Canadian companies, with varying levels of support from the federal government, are already exploring recycling options for EV batteries, but lots of opportunities remain, particularly in the EV battery re-use market. Now is the time for Canadian companies to get ahead of the curve while the numbers of EOL EV batteries are small. Anecdotally, Canadian auto shredders tell us they are getting a few EV batteries now, but the numbers are beginning to grow. The metal shredders we spoke with say they store the batteries for a while until a good recycling or re-use option is available.
Re-using EV batteries When an EV battery is no longer suitable for use in an EV, it still retains up to 80 percent of its charge and can be useful in many applications. Estimates of the additional lifespan that re-use applications could give to an EV battery range from five to 30 years.
The EV battery lifecycle
Re-use applications for EOL EV batteries include both stationary and mobile options. These include applications that split the used EV into its constituent parts down to the cell or pack level, or where the unit is maintained intact with low-performing cells removed and replaced with new or reconditioned cells. There are now a number of examples of second life applications for EV batteries initiated by either vehicle or battery OEMs, sometimes in partnership with utilities, research institutes or universities. These includes for example re-use in EVs (after battery pack and battery cell testing and evaluation) as a refurbished unit; re-use of cells or packs in other battery applications, such as drones, wheelchairs and other devices; residential energy storage or back up power; energy storage in renewable systems (e.g. wind and power); and, for EV charging. Refurbishing EV batteries for re-use starts with partial disassembly of the battery pack. The next step involves testing the state of health (SOH) of each cell and pack and identification of cells that are no longer working, replacing them with other cells capable of holding a sufficient charge, and
reassembling the battery pack, either in its original format or in a format suitable for the new application. This process involves diagnostic and screening tests to identify the EV battery chemistries and designs. Generally, each EV battery needs to be evaluated individually, because each one has been exposed to different charging and discharging conditions during its use in a vehicle. Spiers New Technologies (SNT) of Oklahoma City is currently the largest company involved in EV battery re-use in the U.S. In addition to reconditioning batteries for clients such as Nissan, General Motors and Ford, SNT also uses EV batteries to construct a number of products such as “watt towers�, which are a smart energy storage solution that can be the primary power source for households and businesses. BigBattery is another major player in the U.S. EV battery re-use business. With four facilities, spanning 240,000 square feet located in the US, Asia, and Europe, the company converts used EV batteries into new battery packs that are re-used in emergency, portable and solar applications to give power to homes in remote communities. In the US alone, BigBattery processes more than 470 megawatt hours of EV batteries. Spring 2020 17
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EV BATTERY RECYCLING
When an EV battery is no longer suitable for use in an EV, it still retains up to 80 percent of its charge and can be useful in many applications.
No Canadian companies were identified to date that were involved in the EV battery re-use business but this is an opportunity that will be viable in the coming years as the flow of EV batteries increases.
Canadian lithium-ion battery recycling While a few companies across Canada are involved in collecting and preparing lithium-ion batteries for recycling, two companies – Retriev and Glencore – are involved in the actual recycling process itself. Retriev ( formerly Toxco) in Trail, British Columbia has been in the lithium-ion battery recycling business for over 35 years. Today, the focus is still mostly on lithium-based batteries. Retriev has had contracts with EV manufacturers for a number of years, and has disassembled, analyzed and processed over 90 different types of EV battery packs. Its current capacity is 4,500 tonnes per year. The first step in Retriev’s hydrometallurgical recycling process is manual disassembly, where skilled technicians dismantle the pack and separate assembly pieces and circuitry from the actual battery cells. Separated cells are then fed via conveyor into a hammer mill crusher, which produces three types of materials: metal solids (copper, aluminum and cobalt), lithium brine slurry (dissolved electrolytes and lithium salts), and Li-ion fluff (mix of plastics and some steel). The metal solids can all be used as raw materials in new products, while
This installation is a demonstration project showing how end-of-life EV batteries can be reused for energy storage.
the slurry is passed through a filtering technology to produce a cobalt filter cake which is sold to primary-metal producers. The recycling efficiency rate throughout the process is estimated at 65 to 80 percent of the incoming battery weight. Retriev provides customers with full reports on the time took to dismantle the battery, and also provides diagnostics on the SOH (state of health) of the battery cells. Glencore, in Sudbury, Ontario has been involved in Li-ion battery recycling market for many years, mainly to recover cobalt and nickel. Due to the input feed size limitations of their rotary kiln, the company asks collectors to break batteries down into smaller components before they are introduced to the kiln/calciner for metals recovery in a pyrometallurgical process. The matte produced by the process is shipped to a Glencore facility in Norway for further processing.
New recycling technologies Rather than preparing EV battery components to send to large smelters to recover metals such as nickel, manganese, copper and cobalt, a host of
new players in the EV battery recycling market are trying to recover the cathode materials directly from the batteries and produce an end product with much higher value to sell directly to battery companies. This approach is called “cathode to cathode” or “direct” recycling. The idea is to recover cathode materials through hydrometallurgical processes, which are much less energy intensive than the pyrometallurgical processes currently used by smelters. Another big advantage is that these approaches (if successful) would produce an output material with much higher value. Ontario-based Li-Cycle received a $2.7 million grant from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) in 2018 to construct a demonstration facility in Kingston. It has two core components. The ‘spoke’ is a mechanical size-reduction technology capable of processing 5,000 tonnes of Li-ion batteries per year. It processes the recovered cathode and anode materials into a mixed product. The ‘hub’ consists of centralized hydrometallurgical plants that can process 365 tonnes per year of material, and produces end products like lithium, Spring 2020 19
EV BATTERY RECYCLING
Audi’s electric cir circuit cuitss RECYCLING RECYCLING German car manufacturer Audi and its partner, materials expert Umicore, have been able to recover more than 90 percent of the cobalt and nickel in the high-voltage batteries of Audi’s e-tron vehicle. The companies are now collaborating on developing a closed loop for cobalt and nickel. The recovered materials will be used in new battery cells. Umicore will receive cell modules from the Audi e-tron model, which will initially be taken from development vehicles. From those cells, the materials technology expert will recover cobalt and nickel, and process them into precursor and cathode materials. New battery cells containing recycled cobalt and nickel can be produced from this precursor. “A closed loop for battery raw materials is a big leap technologically. We save precious resources and reduce CO2 emissions,” said Dr. Bernd Martens, member of the board of management for procurement and IT at Audi. “In this way we come significantly closer to our goal of a sustainable supply chain and reach a milestone on the road to achieving an overall carbon-neutral balance by 2050. It is our aim to think sustainability holistically. This includes dealing with the remaining ‘end of life’ as well as resource-saving development of our products.” “Umicore is committed to enabling the transition to electrified mobility,” said Marc Grynberg, CEO of Umicore. “Innovative technologies, responsible sourcing and closing the materials loop will lead the drive towards clean mobility. This project with Audi is at the forefront of the development of a sustainable value chain for electrified transport.”
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RE-USE Audi is testing factory vehicles powered by used lithium-ion batteries at its main plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. Like all automobile manufacturers, Audi is obliged by law to take back energy carriers after they have been used in cars. Because they still have a large proportion of their original charging capacity, an interdisciplinary project team is now investigating how batteries from Audi e-tron test vehicles or from hybrid models can continue to be used. Factory vehicles in Audi’s production plants, such as forklifts and tow tractors, have so far been powered by lead-acid batteries, with their long-charge times, and awkward removal processes. Lithium-ion batteries, by contrast, can be charged directly where the vehicles are parked during normal downtimes, in breaks between shifts, for example. This saves battery room space and eliminates the high manual effort required to replace the batteries. Audi estimates it would save millions of dollars if it converted its entire fleet of factory vehicles to lithium-ion batteries at its 16 production sites worldwide. “Every lithium-ion battery represents high energy consumption and valuable resources that must be used in the best possible way,” said Peter Kössler, member of the board of management for production and logistics at AUDI AG. “For us, a sustainable electric-mobility strategy also includes a sensible second-use concept for energy carriers.” The remaining charging capacity of a lithium-ion battery after use in a car is more than sufficient for the requirements of material handling vehicles. The battery of an Audi e-tron consists of 36 individual battery modules and is located under the car’s passenger cell between the axles, in the form of a flat, wide block. After batteries are taken back, the project team checks each individual module for its continued usability. They then install 24 modules in each new battery tray. This has the same dimensions and weight as the previous lead-acid batteries of the factory vehicles, so the company can continue to use all of those vehicles without any major investments. In the future, Audi sees the possibility of a team of specialized employees that could take over the assembly of the second-use batteries in the company’s own battery centre. A project team from production, logistics and development has been working on this second use of used battery modules for about two years. After the first tests were successful, they are now testing the first converted factory vehicles in everyday production.
cobalt, nickel, and manganese that can be re-used in new battery production. The company claims its technology can recover 80 to 100 percent of all materials in lithium-ion batteries. Li-Cycle announced in February 2020 that it would be establishing a commercial-scale 5,000 tonne per year Li-ion battery recycling facility in New York state. It is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2020 at a cost of US$23.3 million over three years. Quebec-based Lithion Recycling also received $3.8 million from a SDTC program to develop its hydrometallurgical process. Working in collaboration with Seneca experts-conseils, Call2Recycle, Hydro Quebec’s Centre of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage (CEETES), and the Centre d’étude des procédés chimiques du Québec (CÉPROCQ), the company has developed a process to recover 95 percent of the various components of spent Li-ion batteries. Lithion is currently in the process of building a $12 million pilot factory in Montreal, which is slated to begin operations in 2020. The goal is to produce purified battery-grade materials –cobalt, graphite, nickel hydroxide, and manganese oxide – that can be used by battery manufacturers in the production of new batteries. American Manganese Inc. in Surrey, British Columbia, recovers the cathode materials in Li-ion batteries using its patented five-stage RecycLiCo process. The company claims their process provides near 100 percent extraction of battery-grade-purity cathode materials with a minimum of processing steps. A pilot plant located in Richmond, B.C., is providing the company with data to optimize a planned three- to five-tonne per day commercial demonstration plant expected to be operational by late 2020. Their ultimate goal is a 30- to 50-tonne per day recycling plant producing cathode precursor material that could be sold for use in the production of new Li-ion batteries. Funding
Audi is one car manufacturer that is working hard to develop a circular lifecyle for its EV batteries.
from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program, will support collaboration between American Manganese and Battery Safety Solutions (BSS). Neometals is an Australian lithium mining company that in February 2019 awarded SGS Canada a contract to construct and operate Stage 1 of its Li-ion battery recycling pilot plant at its Lakefield, Ontario, facility. Neometal’s hydrometallurgical process targets the recovery of cobalt from consumer electronic batteries (with lithium cobalt oxide cathodes) as well as nickel-rich EV and stationary storage battery chemistries (lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt cathodes). In November 2019 Neometals announced it had successfully recovered a very high purity (over 99.9 percent) nickel sulphate solution from the hydrometallurgical processing stage of its recycling technology. The pilot-test work currently being undertaken will supply the company with data for feasibility studies for a proposed commercial Li-ion battery recycling venture targeting greater than 90
percent recovery of battery materials. An investment decision on this plant is expected in December 2020.
A powerful future In Canada, the EV battery re-use and recycling sectors are still underdeveloped, but a number of promising projects and technologies are currently being developed and slated for piloting or commercial development over the next few years. The recycling and re-purposing of EV batteries will not only prevent a huge burden on landfills, but will also help keep critical materials (such as cobalt, nickel, manganese and lithium) in productive use for as long as possible, a core element of the circular economy. Maria Kelleher is principal of Torontobased Kelleher Environmental. Samantha Millette is principal of Millette Environmental. They completed a study on EV battery recycling and re-use for the American Petroleum Institute with Anne Peters of Gracestone Inc. The report is available at https://tinyurl.com/ battery-report. Spring 2020 21
GUEST COMMENT
Regulations may boost less sustainable plastic alternatives By Mark Wilson, Senior Editor, ICIS
O
ver the past couple of years plastics have become the public face of the waste pollution crisis, prompting an unprecedented consumer and regulatory backlash that shows no sign of stopping. Industry is responding by switching to other materials without considering their environmental impact relative to plastics, or whether sufficient local waste collection systems are in place. This is the finding of a recent report, Plastic Promises, by independent UK-based think tank the Green Alliance.
Gap in understanding
Coupled with this, food-contact paper and cardboard packaging typically needs to be treated with a plastic barrier, making it more difficult to recycle thus doing little to counterbalance the problem of micro-plastic ocean leakage.
Plastic is not homogeneous For consumers, plastic is a homogenized entity rather than a series of different materials with different degrees of sustainability, recyclability or local collection rates. PET, for example, has post-consumer collection rates of plastic bottles across Europe at 63 percent according to the ICIS 2018 study – the latest year for which data is available – but country by country collection varies from as low as 21 percent in Bulgaria, to as high as 96.2 percent in Germany. These facts have done little to stem the tide of announce-
â‚Ź/tonne
Although its findings will come as little surprise to those involved in recycled plastics markets, and are mirrored across Europe, it once again highlights the gap in consumer understanding of the relative environmental impact of non-plastic alternatives and the unintended conseFigure 1: R-PET Food Grade Pellet prices minus virgin PET spot prices (2009-2019) quences this is having across the recycling industries. 600 For example, non-plastic food-packaging alternatives, 500 on average, increase energy use by 2.2 times, carbon diox400 ide (CO2) emissions by 2.7 percent, and weight by 3.6 300 times, according to a UK parliamentary select committee 200 report released late in 2019. Indeed, the shift in pack100 aging for products like bottled drinks from glass to 0 materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that took place across -100 recent decades was in part driven by its lower carbon 2019 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 usage and weight.
2020
Source: ICIS
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ments of switches to non-plastic packaging from retailers and consumer brands, because public perception is these alternative materials are always more sustainable, leading to rising pressure to abandon single-use plastics. The same consumer pressure is not being felt to the same extent on other packaging types, despite plastics accounting for less than a quarter of packaging waste generated in Europe. Plastics account for 19 percent of packaging waste generated in Europe, compared with cardboard and paper at 41 percent and glass at 19 percent, according to Eurostat figures collected in 2016 – the latest year for which data is available. Because of the public focus on single-use plastics, regulatory efforts are being disproportionately focused there. This has led to a raft of upcoming regulation specifically targeted at the plastics industry, the latest of which is a plastic tax due to be introduced in Italy on July 1, 2020. This will tax plastic at €0.45/kg with the exemption of recycled plastic and bio-based plastic. The law is clearly targeted at encouraging recycling. In recent years, a two-tier market has opened up across European recycling markets between companies that are driven by sustainability targets – typically from the packaging sector and bowing to public pressure – willing to pay above virgin values to secure material, and those purchasing for cost-saving reasons. Southern Europe has typically seen a higher percentage of cost-based packaging purchasing of recycling than other regions. This is on top of EU legislation mandating minimum average recycled content of 25 percent in PET bottles by 2025 – on a country-by-country basis – and 30 percent across all beverage bottles by 2030. Effectively allowing prices of recycled material to trade significantly above virgin values before cost-saving kicks in through taxation will no doubt increase buying interest in recycling from companies that had previously shown little interest, as will minimum average recycled content mandates. Nevertheless, while these measures are targeted specifically at the plastics industry and not across environmentally harmful packaging as a whole, the regulatory framework runs the risk of giving other packaging materials an unfair competitive advantage. Rather than helping solve the problem of packaging waste and encouraging recycling, this could drive firms to move to alternative materials that are equally, or even more, damaging to the environment – shifting the problem rather than tackling it. The risk is doubled by ongoing consumer pressure and lack of detailed knowledge on the impact of different materials. It’s further compounded by the inability of waste collection rates to meet sustainability targets. Waste collection in Europe is predominantly controlled by municipalities. Under-funding in the wake of the global
recession of 2008 has meant that collection systems have not kept pace with packaging growth or complexity. Shortages of material for in-demand grades of recycled material – typically transparent material most attractive to the packaging industry – led natural recycled polyethylene (R-PE) pellet and natural recycled polypropylene (R-PP) pellets to trade above virgin grades for the first time in 2019, while the spread between virgin PET and recycled R-PET food-grade pellets reached a record high. Faced with shortages of suitable recycled material, a growing consumer backlash and a hostile regulatory environment that is not mirrored in non-plastic packaging, it is no wonder that some companies are deciding to shift away from plastics. Further encouraging this shift towards material choices that do little to improve end-of-life environmental impact would be the worst possible outcome for the planet. Regulation that encourages recycling or responsible waste disposal can only be a good thing, but narrowly focussed laws that shift the problem to other sectors could intensify the damage, or at a minimum leave it unchecked. All the while, the major challenge of increasing collection rates and infrastructure remains unsolved. If lawmakers were determined to help the recycling industry, this is where their efforts would be concentrated.
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FLEET MANAGEMENT
The hidden impact of engine idling Idling is a fact of life for waste collection fleets. Here are some ways to reduce the damage it causes. By Darryl Purificati
V
ehicles in the waste sector operate under some of the toughest conditions, with fleets regularly idling for significant periods of time. Additionally, fleets are exposed to a wide variety of harsh operating conditions that are known to increase fuel consumption, risk heightened engine wear and consequently lead to unplanned 24 www.solidwastemag.com
maintenance and downtime. To protect against wear, boost reliability, and improve fuel economy, waste fleets must be aware of and address the hidden impact that regular and prolonged idling can have.
The impact of idling Waste fleet vehicles spend a lot of time at idle. Every time the vehicle stops
for a pickup it is idling. Komatsu estimates that an average vehicle will spend 40 percent of its time idling when in use. And, given the environment that waste fleets operate in and their stop/start nature, the impact is higher for this industry. Just a single hour of idle time can cost the equivalent of approximately 40 kilometres of driving, in terms of fuel and wear. The detrimental impact on engine wear increases the likelihood that oil temperatures will drop below 100oC due to reduced engine loading. A drop in temperature can alter the
Just a single hour of idle time can cost the equivalent of approximately 40 kilometres of driving, in terms of fuel and wear.
Not only does idling affect engine wear but it can also increase upfront costs. It is estimated that as much as four litres of fuel is used each hour a vehicle is left idling. Reducing engine idling presents benefits for environmental and financial gains, whether increasing fuel efficiencies or reducing emissions.
Choosing the right oil
combustion process and is often overlooked as an issue to address. When the process is altered, water can accumulate, leading to an increased risk of acid formation and fuel dilution as well as reduced oil viscosity. These factors can accelerate the rate of engine wear and shorten oil drain intervals. Furthermore, when increased fuel dilution occurs, the volatility of the oil rises, which can lead to a heightened amount of soot finding its way to the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). Significant fuel economy is then lost due to the increased regeneration cycles needed to clean the DPF.
Using a quality lubricant can improve an engine’s pumping and rotational efficiencies while minimizing metal-to-metal contact between components. Quality engine oils also protect the vital internal hardware of the vehicle, while enhancing engine performance and fuel economy. The choice of lubricant can have a considerable impact on the engine. For those in heavy-duty industries such as waste fleets, API CK-4 oils are now widely adopted. These oils protect against oxidation and aeration and offer increased shear stability. Heavy-duty vehicles can benefit enormously from improved aeration control as they can take on more air than others in their engine oil, especially at the bearings, which require an oil film to ensure protection. To help reduce the work rate of the engine, a lower viscosity oil is recommended. This is particularly beneficial for fleets operating during the colder winter months as the lower viscosity oil enables easier cold starts and provides added protection against frequent stop and starts. In these colder conditions, a high viscosity could mean that the oil resists easy movement and delays lubrication, ultimately hindering the protection of the engine and increasing wear on parts. Industry standard
tests such as ‘Cold Crank Viscosity’ (CCS) and ‘Low Temperature Pumpability’ (MRV) should be used to ensure that the chosen oil will lubricate critical components even in the coldest of operating conditions.
Monitoring impact To monitor the impact that engine idling has on waste fleet vehicles, operators should incorporate used oil analysis into their maintenance routine. Used oil analysis can highlight maintenance issues caused by extensive idling before they become too serious or expensive to repair. Waste fleet operators can then adjust maintenance schedules in line with the findings of the report to prevent costly unplanned downtime. Oil analysis and robust maintenance programs are key components of tackling the impact of idling in harsh conditions. Waste fleet operators should take time when selecting their engine oil as a superior lubricant can offer vital protection for engine components, shielding them from the hidden impacts of engine idling. The nature of their role means that waste fleets are likely to always be subject to longer idling times and tough operating conditions. However, there are proactive measures that can be taken to reduce the effects of that idling on fuel efficiencies and engine wear, and address risks to reliability. Regular oil analysis, a proactive maintenance program and, above all, a quality lubricant can have a dramatically positive effect, especially on the company’s bottom line. Darryl Purificati is OEM technical liaison, Petro-Canada Lubricants Spring 2020 25
TRUCKS
Leading the Charge Mack set to deliver first electric refuse truck By James Menzies
M
ack Trucks has taken the wraps of the industry’s first fully electric refuse truck to be put into service, a Mack LR Electric, which will soon be deployed by the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The truck was demonstrated Jan. 9 at the Mack Customer Center in Allentown, Pa., to a group of truck editors and DSNY representatives. Jonathan 26 www.solidwastemag.com
Randall, senior vice-president of North American sales and marketing, said DSNY – the world’s largest sanitation department – is the ideal fleet to put the truck through its paces. “There’s no tougher testing ground for something like this,” he said. DSNY is on a mission to become carbon-neutral by 2050, and to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2035.
“We can’t do it without this electric truck,” said Rocky DiRico, deputy commissioner of the NYC Sanitation Department. The fleet runs 2,346 collection trucks, 99 percent of which are Macks. It collects about 12,000 tons of residential and industrial waste every day. The truck was slated to arrive in New York City by January 13 and will be put into service sometime around Earth Day in April. Its initial route has already been chosen – a 29-km waste collection route in a middle-class New York neighborhood. But don’t read into the
“I look forward to beginning the process of testing, piloting and beating the hell out of that truck.” – Rocky DiRico, New York City Department of Sanitation
short distance, DiRico said. “The real test is how many times you stop and start in the course of the route,” he explained. “The route could be 10 miles (16 km), or 40 miles (64 km). We deal more with hours than miles, with house-to-house stops. It’s hours of operation and how many stops there are in the route.” The truck is expected to handle an eight-hour collection route, at which time its remaining battery capacity will be analyzed. Uniquely, New York City uses its collection trucks to plow residential streets. DiRico said this first-generation electric LR may fall short of that capability, but he’s confident subsequent versions will be able to handle both duties. “Ultimately, we have to get to plowing,” he said. “We can’t have a fleet for plowing and collection. Our success and the uniqueness of us is we plow with our collection trucks. Battery technology has improved dramatically already and we feel within the next year, battery technology is going to be 50 percent more efficient, and that should take us to plowing.” DiRico isn’t expecting cold winter weather to significantly impact the truck’ s range or performance. “It appears that has already been factored in,” he said about the cold weather. In addition to reduced emissions, other benefits of electric refuse trucks include reduced noise and lower maintenance costs. “There’s less wear-and-tear componentry on the truck,” said Roy Horton, director of product strategy for Mack Trucks. The trucks use less oil and
In addition to their waste collection duties the electric trucks will be used to plow New York streets in the winter.
lubricants, incur less brake wear, and there’s no diesel engine to service. Refuse is an ideal application for electrification, Horton noted, because it’s a closed-loop duty cycle in which the trucks return to home base daily for charging. The frequent starts and stops allow for regenerative braking, during which energy is captured, stored and then used to assist propulsion. The electric LR uses two AC motors and produces 496 peak hp and 4,051 lb.-ft. of torque. The truck is equipped with a Heil 25-yard capacity DuraPack 5000 rear loader. The LR being delivered to DSNY has a two-speed Mack Powershift transmission and Mack axles. But instead of being adorned with a gold bulldog on the front to signify a vertically integrated vehicle, this truck’s bulldog is copper-colored to denote its fully electric powertrain. When the electric LR is put into service, DSNY will be closely monitoring several metrics, including: uptime; range; miles; driver feedback; acceleration; payload; regenerative braking; gradeability; state of charge at start and end of route; charging time and duration; and overall functionality. DiRico is looking forward to putting
The Specifications Model: Mack LR Electric Horsepower: Two AC motors – 496 peak hp Torque: 4,051 lb.-ft. Traction voltage: 600 volts Transmission: Two-speed Mack Powershift Axles: Mack FXL20 20,000-lb. front axle, Mack S522R 52,000-lb. rear axles Batteries: Four lithium NMC (nickel manganese cobalt oxide) batteries Charging: Up to 150 kw charging power at 200 amps max current, 600-750 volts, SAE J1772 compliant
the truck into service, and says it won’t be babied. “I look forward to beginning the process of testing, piloting and beating the hell out of that truck,” he said. James Menzies is Editor of Today’s Trucking and trucknews.com. Spring 2020 27
CASE STUDY
FOUR GENERATIONS OF SALVAGE Allied Salvage Metals grows with savvy equipment acquisitions By SWR Staff
F
or four generations, the Weinstein family has been steadily expanding its capabilities to provide recycling services to the lower mainland of British Columbia. The company offers recycling and salvage of ferrous, non-ferrous metals, wire and copper along with a automotive motor-breaking service. Founded by Isadore Weinstein in 1952, Allied Salvage Metals has evolved through several changes in location and equipment. Today, with facilities operating in the cities of Richmond and Squamish, Isadore’s great-grandson Ian Weinstein sees his growing fleet of equipment, which includes material handlers, baler/shears, cranes with grapples and magnets, forklifts, and skid steers among others, as an important turning point in the company’s history. He has been involved in the family business most of his life and now serves as director of operations alongside his father, Arthur.
loader, modified to move scrap. He notes that there were some purpose-built material handlers on the market at the time, but with no dealers or parts inventories stocked in the region, service support proved to be a challenge. Allied has occupied its current Richmond site location since 1991, starting with a small 1.25-acre property, later
doubling it with the purchase of an adjacent property Allied continued to grow steadily through the years. “We have a great crew that makes it happen; to keep the material moving,” Weinstein said. The increasing volumes processed and shipped through the yard drove expansion of the equipment fleet.
Growing capabilities The younger Weinstein recalls that the yard’s material handling needs were given to an old excavator, which was fitted with a boom & stick “that it could hardly handle”. Later, they added a log 28 www.solidwastemag.com
Allied Salvage relies on Sennebogen purpose-built equipment in the tight surroundings of British Columbia’s lower mainland.
Moving up to “purpose-built” Finally, the Weinsteins were able to add their first Sennebogen purpose-built material handler in 2007. The next year, they acquired a Sierra 500 baler/shear. “That’s when we, as a company, really started to grow in ferrous production,” Weinstein said. “We were geared up for growth and our new equipment made it possible. The new Sennebogen gave us more speed, more capacity and higher piles in our tight surroundings and the ability to better organize our process.” Now the fleet has now grown to five Sennebogen machines, including one unit working at the yard in Squamish. The workhorses in Allied ferrous operation are the company’s four 835 M rubber-tired models. The Richmond yard also runs a smaller 821 M Sennebogen, primarily for loading non-ferrous material; because of its convenient transport size, it’s easy to transport to offsite locations.
Higher capacity, less downtime
The Weinsteins were able to add their first Sennebogen machine in 2007, adding the Sierra 500 baler/shear the following year.
“Personal connections are important to us. Personal relationships make the business side easier. Whether it’s our suppliers or the brokers I sell to, personal relationships are important to solve problems.”
With the 835’s combination of mobility, load capacity and fast cycle times, Allied was also able to add another shear to its process: a Sierra T900 shear that can churn out as much as 26 tph. Still operating on a site with just two and a half acres to work in, Allied is moving 3,200 to 4,000 tons of ferrous per month, plus another 500,000 pounds of non-ferrous.
us back in throughput with reduced downtime and less maintenance cost. Our latest Sennebogen machine is the first time we traded in equipment instead of adding to the fleet.”
Keeping the fleet fresh
The strength of relationships
In the 12 years since Allied first began its move to a Sennebogen fleet, Weinstein has already retired and replaced two of its original green machines. Of the five units now in service, the oldest is approaching 25,000 hours service and another has over 15,000 hours. “We have always bought machines to bring in additional capacity”, Weinstein explained. “As you can imagine, with our high need for production, downtime can be a killer. These days, replacing older equipment with new pays
Ian Weinstein credits the Sennebogen support team with keeping his fleet productive. “Our dealer, Great West Equipment, has done a great job looking after us, being there for us,” he said. “They are a dependable parts supplier, and get strong back-up from Sennebogen in North Carolina. They have offered us a great amount of training onsite and we are planning to have our own technicians attend free sessions at the Sennebogen Training Center in Stanley.”
The strong connection with Great West reflects the family values at Allied. Sennebogen, too, is one of today’s few family-owned OEMs. With 65 years of history behind it, the company specializes in building equipment for recycling and scrap metal yards, transfer stations and waste facilities across North America. “Personal connections are important to us. Personal relationships make the business side easier,” Weinstein said. “Whether it’s our suppliers or the brokers I sell to, personal relationships are important to solve problems.” “As a 10-year customer, we have a great relationship with Sennebogen. We enjoy meeting them at events like ISRI. Sennebogen and Great West take our problems seriously; they get on top of it.” Spring 2020 29
INNOVATIONS
FROM COFFEE CUPS TO OIL CANS New recycling options on both coasts By Emily Atkins
B.C. pilots coffee cup recycling for IC&I locations Every year, millions of coffee cups are disposed of in the City of Vancouver at industrial, commercial and institutional (IC&I) locations and public spaces. To help address this challenge, Return-It and Metro Vancouver are working with Tim Hortons and A&W Canada to pilot British Columbia’s first initiative to recycle coffee cups in commercial and public buildings. Currently, coffee cups are collected and recycled through the province’s residential recycling program, however, more than half of hot and cold coffee cups that are disposed of as garbage in Vancouver come from IC&I sources. This pilot will measure and identify a recycling solution that diverts this material from the landfill. “Achieving less waste by improving recycling systems reflects the public’s expectations of strong environmental stewardship in the region,” said Sav Dhaliwal, Metro Vancouver chair. “By addressing the recyclability of these common items, this pilot is an important first step towards zero waste and the transition to waste prevention and the circular economy.” Available to consumers today, the pilot program seeks to find a recycling solution for disposable coffee cups that are not included under the residential recycling program. The initiative is evaluating a new collection network at commercial and public buildings in five downtown Vancouver locations, with customized bins designed to determine the most effective signage and configuration. Materials – including coffee cups, lids and sleeves – collected during the pilot will be used to test and develop new recycling solutions. “At last count, Vancouverites were throwing out 2.6 million poly-coat paper cups a week. These cups represent a significant amount of otherwise recyclable material that is heading to landfill or the incinerator,” said Pete Fry, a Vancouver city councillor and member of the Metro Vancouver Zero Waste Committee and National Zero Waste Council. “Ultimately, we need to change our relationship with single use items – but in the meantime, diverting this stock from the waste stream is an essential intervention and this industry-led pilot is innovative, convenient and worth celebrating.” Managed by Return-It, the pilot will evaluate recycling end markets for the items collected, test the marketability of different disposable coffee cup materials (such as laminated cups), encourage public participation, and determine the viability of a broader, permanent program. Recycling Alternative will support the operations of this pilot and The City of Vancouver is supporting the program by providing building access and maintenance staff. Once the pilot wraps up, results and learnings will be gathered to develop next steps. The six-month pilot – which accepts all brands of coffee cups – will include a market analysis to determine the long-term viability of a broader program. Bin locations can be found at www.Return-It.ca.
30 www.solidwastemag.com
Nova Scotia launches oil container recycling Businesses and consumers in Nova Scotia can now recycle their used oil and glycol products and containers. Under new provincial regulations, collectors refistered with Used Oil Management Association (UOMA) Atlantic will collect at no cost, used oil and glycol (antifreeze), used oil filters, used oil and glycol containers, Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) containers, and aerosol containers for lubricant and parts cleaner from waste generators such as garages. Consumers can drop off containers and used products at a network of collection facilities. UOMA Atlantic is a non-profit organization established by the producers of oil and glycol products to manage the collection and recycling of their products from the point of production to end-of-life treatment. It is approved by Nova Scotia Environment to manage and deliver the used oil and glycol recycling program in Nova Scotia on behalf of the producers of these products. “We are pleased to be a partner in changing the way that used oil and glycol products are disposed in Nova Scotia”, said Jean Duchesneau, the general manager of UOMA Atlantic. “This program has brand owners take responsibility for their products to ensure they are collected and given a second life.” UOMA Atlantic visited more than 1,600 generators across the province to introduce the program and establish a network of Collection Facilities for residents. More than 550 sites have registered to collect.
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