Page 11 from: October 2013

Business

N E W S

11October 2013

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www.recyclinginternational.com

Berry Plastics
US plastic consumer packaging and engineered materials specialist Berry Plas-
tics has introduced the polypropylene-based technology Versalite. This ‘fully-
recyclable thermal management packaging solution’ is said to take the to-go
cups sector to the next level of sustainability. The new cup fi lls a void in the
marketplace; it is recyclable and durable, while helping to keep their beverage
hot or cold for extended periods. www.berryplastics.com

HP/EACR/DEG
To help counter Kenya’s e-scrap struggle, a collaboration between Hewlett-
Packard (HP), East African Compliant Recycling (EACR) and German investment
and development fi rm DEG will see the opening of a new recycling plant in
Nairobi by the end of the year. The facility’s e-scrap management system will
span collection, separation, dismantling as well as recycling and resource recov-
ery of domestic appliances like ICT electronics. www.hp.com

Sealed Air
Plastics packaging company Sealed Air has unveiled an innovative new shrink
sleeve label that is said to offer ‘seamless separation’ to aid recycling. The new
Cryovac LT-1 labels are made from a multi-layer, polymer-based fi lm and allow
360-degree, form-fi tting bottle coverage. The main feature is their density of only
0.95 g/cc, ensuring that the new labels easily separate and fl oat from source
PET bottles once they reach the recycling process. www.sealedair.com

CRONIMET
Stainless steel scrap, ferro-alloys and primary metals specialist CRONIMET Hold-
ing has expanded its presence in Asia by taking over the Singapore-based ABCOM
Group through a joint venture. The enterprise plans further exploration of the
Asian scrap market under the name CRONIMET ABCOM. Its focus will be on
stainless steel and specialty metals, especially high temp alloys, titanium and
tool steel. www.cronimet.com

Komptech
German manufacturer Komptech is ready for ‘a new era’ with its umbrella Green
Effi ciency brand. Two years of development work have yielded novel drive
technologies that derive their energy straight from the sun such that the equip-
ment boasts ‘the highest possible effi ciency and the lowest cost to the environ-
ment’, according to the company. Komptech’s product range already comprises
a number of machines with this new technology, including the latest Crambo
direct mobile shredders. www.komptech.de

Sims Recycling Solutions
Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS) has installed what it describes as ‘the world’s
most powerful electronic waste recycling equipment’ at a 200 000-square-foot
facility in California, USA. The set-up features an enhanced workfl ow process
that will enable SRS to increase processing capacity by 36.4 million pounds per
year. ‘This is the equivalent of almost two million computers,’ the company says.
www.us.simsrecycling.com

PlasRecycle
PlasRecycle is setting up a £10.7 million (US$ 17.2 million) plant in London – the
fi rst such facility in the UK dedicated to recycling plastic carrier bags and fi lm.
The new plant is scheduled to open its doors by the end of the year and will be
capable of processing 20 000 tonnes of material per annum, or ‘the equivalent
of 2.5 billion high-density polyethylene (HDPE) shopping bags’.
www.plasrecycle.com

While the world economy has
continued to improve, there has been a
notable slide towards ‘blatant and
uncontrolled protectionism’, a report by
the European Commission’s Directorate-
General for Trade has warned. Citing the
car recycling ‘fee’ imposed by Russia on
imported vehicles as one of many exam-
ples, it also notes ‘trade abuses’ by Bra-
zil, Indonesia and China across a wide
variety of sectors.
One of the key fi ndings of the report is
that countries are ‘more eager’ to resort
to measures having a direct effect at the
border, ranging from import/export bans
to burdensome licensing and tariff quo-
tas and special border fees. In total, 154
new tariffs and restrictive measures
were introduced during 2012 while ‘vir-
tually none’ has been abolished.
Topping the list of concerns is a ‘sharp
increase’ in the use of higher import

duties. This is ‘particularly problematic’
as these ‘affect trade fl ows immediately
and directly and penalise exporters
through a very negative kind of fast-
track “à la carte” protectionism’, the
report states. Ukraine, for example, is
close to adopting a recycling fee law
which is scheduled to hit imported
vehicles as from this month; the Euro-
pean Commission says this law is most
likely a ‘WTO-inconsistent measure’ –
similar to the one challenged by the EU
with regard to Russia. Along with Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan are exempt
from this new recycling law.
‘It is a striking phenomenon,’ observes
EU trade commissioner Karel de Gucht.
‘Looming protectionism is now, more
than ever, a signifi cant threat to global
growth and welfare – especially as the
effects of the economic downturn are
still being felt.’ www.ec.europa.eu

‘ Blatant protectionism’
choking EU trade

‘If something looks like trash,
you are more likely to trash it – even if it
has value such as recyclable items like
aluminium cans or torn paper.’ So says
a new study published in the ‘Journal of
Consumer Research’.
Researchers Remi Trudel and Jennifer
Argo conducted a series of experiments

which had students handle paper cut
into various sizes: when they were asked
to dispose of the paper on their way out,
the large sheets were placed in the recy-
cling bin 80% of the time – whereas
60% of the smaller fragments of paper
were put in the refuse container. The
same happened when the researchers
carried out a test involving aluminium
soda cans: participants recycled well
over 80% of regular cans, only 40% of
the smaller ones, and only 20% of those
that were dented or otherwise dam-
aged.
The researchers note: ‘More than 2 bil-
lion tonnes of trash gets tossed away
every year around the globe. Figuring
out how people think about what
they’re going to discard should help the
effort to squeeze more use out of less
stuff.’ Consumer behaviour should be
factored in when trying to fi nd ways to
boost current recycling rates, they add.

Size equals recycling
value to consumers

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