European company establishes partnerships to close loops for tarps, mattress foam and other products.
German-based polymers producer Covestro AG says it is working to “align itself comprehensively with circularity and help make it the global guiding principle” as it develops technologies to reuse plastics and return them to the value cycle, “often in close cooperation with partners.”
The goal of one new collaboration, with Switzerland-based backpack and messenger bag producer Freitag, is “the unlimited recycling of truck tarps, based on thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs),” Covestro says. At the end of their useful life, the tarps are to be recycled via a chemical recycling process and used for new tarps or other products, the firm says.
Covestro says its focus to date has been on proven mechanical recycling to obtain materials. More recently, it sees chemical recycling processes, in which polymer molecules are broken down chemically, as a way forward.
Calling mechanical recycling “particularly suitable for polycarbonates,” Covestro says numerous corresponding products from Covestro are already on the market, including polycarbonate blends for IT applications with up to 75 percent recycled material.
“In addition, new plastic products are designed from the outset to be easier to recycle at the end of their useful life,” the company says.
A consortium of industrial partners in the Circular Foam project is researching processes for the chemical recycling of rigid polyurethane foam, according to Covestro, which says it is guiding that effort.
Polyurethanes (PU) and other thermoset products are difficult to mechanically recycled, according to Covestro, which calls chemical processes “the obvious choice” for PU. Covestro says it has developed an innovative technology for recovering both core raw materials in PU mattress foam as part of a research project with partners.
These materials, polyols and the isocyanate TDI, are used in the production of mattress foam. The precursor is recovered from the TDI, and both raw materials can be reused for the production of new foam after reprocessing. “The results achieved to date are being tested in a pilot plant at the Leverkusen [German] site,” the company says, and Covestro has introduced the Evocycle brand name for the project.
Covestro is cooperating with recycling firm Interseroh, an Alba Group company, to developed collection and processing of recyclables so they ultimately can be supplied to Covestro for chemical recycling. Covestro is pursuing a similar goal in its cooperation with the French environmental protection organization Eco-mobilier, which specializes in the collection and recycling of old furniture.
The Circular Foam research project consists of 22 industrial partners from nine countries, coordinated by Covestro, says the firm. “Over the next four years, experts from science, industry, and society want to develop a comprehensive solution model for the waste management and recycling of such foams,” Covestro says.
The company estimates the Circular Foam effort has the potential to divert for recycling up to 1 million metric tons of waste material per year in Europe.
European firm is making base chemicals with discarded materials content, including plastic scrap and organic materials.
Borealis AG, an Austrian-based chemicals firm, says it is strengthening its EverMinds circular product line by offering Borvida, which it calls “a range of sustainable base chemicals.”
The product line will initially be based on what Borealis calls non-food waste biomass, and chemically recycled plastic scrap. In the future it may also draw from atmospheric carbon capture materials.
The Borvida portfolio will offer base chemicals or cracker products (such as ethylene, propylene, butene and phenol) with International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus-certified sustainable content from Borealis sites in Finland, Sweden and Belgium.
“We are committed to helping to solve the climate crisis through offering credible and sustainable solutions,” says Thomas Van De Velde, a Borealis senior vice president “With the Borvida portfolio, we’re enabling our customers to respond to the growing market demand for sustainably-produced base chemicals without compromising on quality or efficiency. With launching our Borvida portfolio, we are continuously striving towards reinventing essentials for sustainable living.”
The portfolio will initially consist of Borvida B, made from nonfood waste biomass, and Borvida C, from chemically recycled waste. In the future, the range may include Borvida A, sourced from atmospheric carbon capture.
The company labels Borvida as complementary and as a building block to Bornewables, a portfolio of polyolefins based on renewably-sourced second generation feedstocks, and Borcycle, which offers circular polyolefins produced from mechanically and chemically recycled plastic scrap.
The basis of the Borvida portfolio is mass balance, a chain of custody model designed to enable sustainable content to be tracked, traced and verified through the entire value chain.
The company says Borvida can be used for a several different polymer and chemical applications, such as in the production of polyolefins (PO), polycarbonates, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), super absorbent polymer (SAP) and other chemicals that are used for various end applications including coatings, plasticizers, adhesives, automotive, electronics, lubricants, detergents, appliances and sports equipment.
Borealis lists Finland-based Neste Oyj and German-based Covestro as strategic partners in the effort. Introduced on a smaller scale in early 2020, Covestro was an early renewable base chemicals customer. “The use of alternative sustainable raw materials is one important pillar of our strategic ambition to become fully circular,” says Frank Dörner of Covestro. “The new product line is a good example for joint solutions, another strategic pillar, in order to establish new and reliable supply chains creating benefits for our customers.”
Jeroen Verhoeven of Neste Renewable Polymers and Chemicals says, “Circularity is the key to more sustainable polymers and chemicals. The strategic cooperation for more circular solutions between Borealis and Neste has been a success story in the past already. Now we are looking forward to adding another chapter to the book and supporting the industry with this new portfolio of more sustainable base chemicals.”
The company says the acquisition adds a line of standard-size cartridges and bag dust collectors, expanding its ability to immediately provide in-stock solutions and quick shipment.
CECO Environmental Corp. an industrial air quality and fluid handling company based in Dallas, has announced it has completed the acquisition of industrial air quality consultancy and engineering firm, Western Air Ducts Ltd. Somerset, England. The acquisition includes Western Air’s patented air control system Inteliair. Both brands will be immediately folded into CECO's industrial air platform.
"This is another strategic and accretive acquisition for CECO and expands our industrial air addressable market by more than $150 million," says Todd Gleason, CEO of CECO Environmental. "The acquisition adds a standard product offering to our extensive dust collector portfolio and the Inteliair energy-efficient smart logic controls provide significant opportunity for growth and global product introductions."
Western Air specializes in dust and fume extraction solutions, providing industrial air consultation, design, manufacturing, installation and aftermarket parts and services. CECO says the acquisition adds a line of standard-size cartridges and bag dust collectors, expanding its ability to immediately provide in-stock solutions and quick shipment.
Additionally, Western Air's Inteliair uses smart sensor technology to sense demand, adjust and control airflow and particulate matter and reduce energy costs by 40 percent. Applications include hydrogen extract systems for offshore wind, waste extraction for aerospace composites and dust collection for engineered wood manufacturing.
"We are excited to welcome Western Air to our organization and we look forward to working with their leadership team to accelerate growth and new product and service offerings,” Gleason says. “This is another important addition to our leading industrial air portfolio as the business adds higher-than-CECO-average margins, 100 percent short-cycle business mix and niche leadership in new geographies.”
The goal of the legislation is to fund eligible projects that significantly improve access to recycling systems in underserved communities through a hub-and-spoke model for recycling infrastructure development.
The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), Arlington, Virginia, thanks Representatives David McKinley of West Virginia and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey for introducing the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act. The bipartisan legislation will focus on improving recycling and composting systems.
The goal of the legislation is to fund eligible projects that significantly improve access to recycling systems in underserved communities through a hub-and-spoke model for recycling infrastructure development.
“NWRA fully supports the bipartisan legislation proposed by Representatives McKinley and Sherrill to address the issues of improving rural recycling accessibility,” says NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “This legislative package, along with the bill sponsored by Representatives Neguse, Burchett and Foster, are integral to advancing America’s domestic recycling infrastructure and capabilities at a critical time when supply chain shortages are demonstrating the need for greater self-sufficiency.”
This comes on the heels of the introduction last week of the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act in the House by Representatives Joe Neguse of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Bill Foster of Illinois.
The NWRA has been meeting with and providing assistance to House and Senate staff as these bills were being drafted. The Association will continue to actively support these pieces of legislation to ensure that they become law.
Details of the proposed transaction and a time frame for completing the merger will be announced when the parties execute a definitive agreement.
Renovare Environmental Inc., a circular economy and sustainability technology services provider for the treatment of organic waste based in Chestnut Ridge, New York, has announced it signed a nonbinding letter of intent to merge with Harp Renewables and its affiliate, Harp Electric Engineering, Kentstown, Ireland.
Details of the proposed transaction and a time frame for completing the proposed merger will be announced when the parties execute a definitive agreement. The parties have entered a period of exclusivity to negotiate the proposed transaction in good faith. Following the definitive agreement, the transaction will require approval by Renovare's shareholders.
The letter of intent supersedes and replaces all prior oral and/or written discussions or understandings between the Company and Harp. Pursuant to the letter of intent, the Company and Harp each agree that it will not enter any public offering, merger, combination, divestiture, financing, joint venture, sale and/or acquisition agreement. Additionally, the letter of intent provides that if the Company terminates the letter of intent, it will be required to pay Harp a breakup fee in the amount of $850,000.