Michael Brunn

Plastic scrap from Waldorf is returned to EcoCortec's plant in Beli Manastir. This partnership enables the recovery and reuse of plastic scrap, incorporating it back into high-quality finished goods. Upon arrival from the German facility, the recycled polymer is inspected at EcoCortec, re-granulated using reprocessing equipment, and tested in the lab.

A specialist in the wood sector for over 20 years, Alexandre is tasked with developing Tomra's market in the wood domain across Europe, working in collaboration with local sales teams. He is based at Tomra's French office in Salon-de-Provence. Alexandre joins Tomra's established wood team, which includes the wood segment director, waste wood application specialists and key service account managers.

Mineral waste, particularly Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW) and Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA), plays a crucial role in closing the loop for the construction value chain. CDW accounts for more than a third of all waste generated in the EU1 and in 2022, 295 million tonnes of aggregates were recycled in the 27 EU Member States2. This partnership will focus on addressing key matters related to mineral waste, the biggest waste stream in Europe, to support our Circular Economy goals.

This RNG, above gas grid specifications, is processed using advanced membrane-based gas upgrading technology to deliver 272 standard cubic meters per hour (159 SCFM), which is compressed, bottled and transported to a gas grid injection point. This strongly carbon-negative RNG is drawn off the gas grid elsewhere, significantly enhancing the sustainability of the transportation fleets of the buyers.

The revised directive introduces mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles across all EU Member States, ensuring a level playing field for all textile manufacturers, by holding producers accountable for their products throughout their lifecycle, regardless of location and including e-commerce. While strongly supporting this move, EuRIC regrets the 30-month implementation timeline, given the current crisis in the post-consumer textile sector and the immediate need for support to prevent further disruption.

The agreement covers SMS's "Metallics Optimizer", a learning charge-mix optimization solution designed to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and optimize the scrap mix. The roll-out of the Metallics Optimizer considers the integration of the melting and holding furnaces for aluminium, as well as the furnaces used for magnesium production.The installation of the Metallics Optimizer will cover other Speira-specific use cases with a focus on business processes and will enable step-by-step charging and the related sequencing of heats. Considering factors such as availability, process costs, and purchasing costs for different types of scrap, the Metallics Optimizer is set to enhance the alloy recipes in use today. Furthermore, the Metallics Optimizer will support Speira's Recycling Services with optimized recipe suggestions, including the possibility of comparing different charge-mix scenarios. Optimized recipes play a significant role in improving cost competitiveness. By using scrap in an optimal way, the Metallics Optimizer can reduce energy consumption and raw material losses during the melting process.The easy integration into the existing IT landscape with multiple types of third-party equipment and automation systems contributes to the enrichment of charge-mix calculation-related data when required, and also means additional planning-related functions can be set up.In consideration of Speira Recycling Service's existing processes in various plants in Europe, the Metallics Optimizer will be fully customizable to meet the requirements of the production and business processes. It offers a range of supporting functions such as the reuse of in-house circular materials and post-consumer recycling materials, as well as compliance with environmental and legal requirements. Being web-based, the package of customizable and learning digitalization solutions for scrap handling enables systems to be operated and controlled remotely, thereby facilitating an integrative exchange among all Speira locations. The project is supported by a long-term software and maintenance contract to ensure continued operation after implementation and to keep the operational functions up to date with the latest technology.

The EEA assessment, which takes stock of progress toward objectives set out under the so-called 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP). It sets the framework for EU environmental policy until 2030. Progress is assessed based on a set of 28 headline indicators and corresponding targets in areas that cover climate neutrality, a resource-efficient economy, reversing biodiversity loss and cutting pollution.

Aimplas joins forces in the REFEST project, which aims to retrofit traditional fishing fleets with innovative, low-cost technologies to significantly reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

In fact, in the UK alone, the sector generates approximately 5 million tonnes of packaging waste, a significant portion of which is from retail products. Food waste is particularly troubling, with UK retailers wasting around 200,000 tonnes of food each year, much of it still edible. 

Like in most recycling processes, companies such as World PET Recycling face the challenge of removing contaminants from recycled PET to meet the strict quality standards for food-grade materials. A major source of contamination is metallic foreign bodies, which can enter the material during the collection, processing, and preparation of plastic waste. To tackle this challenge, World PET previously used a GF metal separator to inspect PET flakes in the main material feeding line and remove metallic contaminants. However, this process led to significant PET material loss, as the entire contaminated fraction, including valuable material, was rejected. This resulted in an unnecessary loss of valuable material, impacting the company's efficiency and driving up production costs.