A R Recycler · scrap metal businesses and all other suppliers closely tied to it, so all sup- ......

According to economists in arecent Wall Street Journal forecastingsurvey, the United States economy isnow in the midst of the worst part of arecession, but growth is expected toreturn by the second half of 2009.

Gregg Lemos-Stein, a credit ratinganalyst for Standard & Poor’s auto andauto supply group, covering major automanufacturers and publicly traded autorecyclers had this to say: “Auto makersare in a very difficult position as arescrap metal businesses and all othersuppliers closely tied to it, so all sup-pliers are facing hard conditionsbecause some of their big customersare Ford, General Motors and Chrysler.If your business is refurnishing partsfrom totaled vehicles and selling themin the aftermarket, relatively speaking,that’s a much better place to be inbecause they are not dependent on theproduction schedules of the majorautomakers.” He confirmed that everyother area in the automotive business isbeing affected by the bad economy andlack of access to credit. Any kind ofrecycling and aftermarket business,compared to any other part of the auto-motive business, he believes is in a bet-ter business position right now. Lemos-Stein also confirmed that scrap steel

prices, which are correlated to spotsteel prices, have come down consider-ably since skyrocketing for much of2008. “Spot steel prices often comedown quicker than scrap. Same forrecycled lead for batteries, it generallytracks the LME (Lead MetalsExchange) price of lead. Recycled met-als over time generally track the sameprice of spot, but often with a lag. Withmetal prices so volatile, the challenge

is to be quick to turn inventory to mini-mize risk to whatever degree possible,”he said.

With our economy reeling fromthe September financial crisis, many inthe auto recycling industry have beengiven an unexpected, unwanted time-out to reassess their business plans. Asevere, broadly-based economic turn-down like this presents stiff challenges,

ecyclerRA R ®

Vol. 12 • Issue 1 January 2009

NewsVoice of Salvage, Waste and Recycling AmericanRecycler.com

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FEATURES AND INTERESTS

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On TopicScrap Metals MarketWatchSalvaging MillionsBusiness BriefsEvents CalendarNew Product Showcase AR ClassifiedsFocus SectionEquipment SpotlightA Closer Look

WHAT’S INSIDE

Ohio’s first master’s program inrenewable energy. Page A9

Staying afloat in troubled times. Tips forauto recyclers. Page B1

Environmentalists have Schnitzer Steelscrap yard in their sights. Page A16

Domestic manufacturers continue strongshowing. Page B3

Justice Department requires divestituresin Allied Waste acquisition. Page A19

Old airbags may see new use in carrepairs. Page B5

by Mike Breslin

Continued on Page 8

Surviving tough economictimes in auto recycling

The diversion and collection of compostablematerials is increasing in jurisdictions across NorthAmerica and Canada.

These materials – yard waste and/or food scrapsfrom households, restaurants or food processing com-panies – comprise a large element of what is current-ly disposed of in landfills. Many solid waste man-agers and experts question the practice of paying toship this material to landfills when it can be processedand reused locally, be it for agricultural, landscapingor storm water pollution control.

The U.S. Composting Council promotes the col-lection of compostable material, expansion of theproduction infrastructure and the sales of compost.

Stu Buckner, executive director of the Council,said the goal of composting and recycling is similarin that they both promote diversion from landfills andreusing valuable resources.

“We often share the same infrastructure, messageand facilities,” he said. “Composting is just recyclingof the organic waste stream and a lot of the recyclingcompanies are involved in composting as well. Com-posting is incredibly important and in some commu-

Composting increasesacross North Americaby Irwin Rapoport

Continued on Page 4

According to a survey by SynovateMotoresearch, the majority of Americanswere opposed to financial assistance from theUnited States government for domestic auto-motive manufacturers. Despite this, almost30 percent claimed that they will likely con-sider a domestic vehicle for their next newvehicle purchase.

The survey began on December 5, sever-al days before President Bush extended limit-ed aid to General Motors and Chrysler onDecember 19, found that 64 percent of Amer-icans were not in favor of the government

providing financial assistance to the DetroitThree, despite the Congressional hearings. Ofthose who thought assistance should begiven, 27 percent said all of the big threeshould receive help, while 6 percent citedonly General Motors and 4 percent said justFord. Chrysler was listed as the manufacturerthat least deserved financial assistance, atonly 3 percent.

Scott Miller, CEO for Synovate Motore-search said, “We’re seeing consumer opposi-tion to financial assistance for the domesticautomotive manufacturers continuing to go

up. It’s apparent that the hearings and all theattention around this hasn’t helped the situa-tion as consumers still aren’t sure if this is theright direction.”

When reviewing the results by age, it’sclear that younger respondents overall weremore supportive of the government providingfinancial help to the manufacturers. Surveyrespondents based in the southern UnitedStates were least likely to support financialassistance while those in the Midwest weremore in favor of it. Those with lower house-

Consumers still don’t support financialassistance for automotive industry

NEW EDITORIALFOCUS SECTION!

Continued on Page 5

Parts suppliers, such as LKQ, can not only survive, but prosper, in a recession.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LKQ CORPORATION

PHOTO BY SCOTT FAULKNOR | DREAMSTIME

Three million volunteers across theUnited States contributed their time andeffort this year during the annual GreatAmerican Cleanup.

Volunteers created over 48,000 gar-dens, xeriscapes and green spaces andremoved over 86 million pounds of litterand debris from America’s landscape.Additionally, 15,200 junk cars wereremoved and the number of illegal dump-sites that were cleaned up nearly doubledfrom the previous year to 6,500. Great

American Cleanup events improved over144,000 miles of roadway (nearly 6 timesthe circumference of the earth), 91,000acres of parks and public lands, and6,000 miles of hiking, biking and naturetrails.

Over 30,000 local events were organ-ized throughout the United States, involv-ing 17,000 communities and logging acombined time commitment of over 6.7million hours. “It is truly amazing howmuch litter you can pick up and how

much natural beauty you can create giventhat many hours,” noted Keep AmericaBeautiful senior vice president and GreatAmerican Cleanup managing directorGail Cunningham.

The mission of the Great AmericanCleanup not only focuses on litterremoval, but educating communitiesabout the importance of keeping publicspaces clean and cared for. This year8,500 educational workshops were con-ducted with a combined attendance of

over 600,000 participants. “Every yearthe number of volunteers participating inthe Great American Cleanup increases,and we believe that is a direct result ofour ongoing outreach and educationabout the importance of a cleaner andgreener America,” added Cunningham.

The importance of recycling is top-of-mind for Americans, and the numbersbehind the volunteers’ efforts support thattrend with over 189 million plastic (PET)bottles reclaimed, 10.2 million pounds ofaluminum and steel recovered, 5.3 mil-lion pounds of electronics collected forrecycling, and 37 million pounds ofnewspaper recycled. Beautificationefforts have increased significantly withover 100,000 trees planted. In addition tothese accomplishments, a record 37,000graffiti sites have been cleaned up, thehighest number ever recorded.

Other highlights included:•7,000 miles of rivers, lakes and

shorelines cleaned; •2,700 acres of wetlands cleaned and

improved;•3,000 playgrounds and community

recreation areas were constructed orrestored.

National sponsors of the Great Amer-ican Cleanup were: American HondaMotor Co., Inc.; The Dow ChemicalCompany; Firestone Complete Auto Careand Tires Plus; GLAD ForceFlex TrashBags; Pepsi-Cola Company; Sam’s Club;The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company; SprintFoundation; Troy-Bilt Lawn and GardenEquipment; Waste Management, Inc.;Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company; and Educa-tional Partners: ReCellular, Inc. and theRubber Manufacturers Association.

For the sixth consecutive year, Presi-dent George W. Bush served as honorarychair of the Great American Cleanup,with Laura Bush joining him as honorarychair for the fourth consecutive year.

Section A • American Recycler, January 2009

Our engineers have years of experience designing and developing state-of-the-art non-ferrous separation systems with cutting-edge equipment. We have set the industry standard for recovery rates from the non-ferrous streams incorporating metering feeders, trommels to condition the material and split the flow, standard and high-frequency eddy currents along with metal poppers and X-ray technology. Our system designs have proven to be the most robust and trouble-free in the industry, making Metso the benchmark for all to follow. Whether a new installation or an upgrade of an existing plant, our engineers welcome the challenge to increase your recovery rates.

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Another successful annual Great American Cleanup

Students celebrate their success in the“Return the Warmth” school PET recy-cling program in Lake Wales, Florida.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL, INC.

Veolia ES Waste-to-Energy, the waste-to-energy division of Veolia Environmen-tal Services North America, announcedthat its facility in Montgomery County,Pennsylvania, has been awarded the Gov-ernor’s Award for Safety Excellence fromthe state of Pennsylvania. The award waspresented on behalf of Governor EdwardG. Rendell at the state’s annual Governor’sOccupational Safety and Health Confer-ence. Veolia ES Waste-to-Energy was hon-ored for exemplary safety practices andrecords.

Veolia Environmentalawarded for safety

A recent New York Times articlefrom December 8, 2008 regarding thestate of national recycling marketsoffered some interesting national statis-tics, statistics which, for Minnesota, donot necessarily ring true. The New YorkTimes article is specific to the east coast;Minnesota’s recycling programs have astrong advantage due to their heavierreliance on local markets and much lesson global markets that the east and westcoast states have. Paper was a focus ofthe report. In Minnesota, there are twomarkets for that material: Rock-Tenn inSt. Paul and LDI Fibres in Becker, Min-nesota. Commodity markets are notdoing as well right now as they have inthe past; however, we have seen this pat-tern in the mid-nineties and as with anymarket, it is cyclical, based on supplyand demand.

For most materials, recycling stillmakes good economic sense; it is stillless expensive to recycle versus throw-ing that material away. This is especiallytrue when considering the benefits to theenvironment, recycling is still the bestoption by far. Some other benefitsinclude reduced energy costs, reducedpollution clean-up costs and mitigationof greenhouse gas emissions. These areall environmental benefits which can bequantified and which adds great value toMinnesota’s recycling infrastructure.

Recycling supports approximately20,000 jobs in Minnesota and adds$2.98 billion to the state’s economy. Therecycling industry in Minnesota is aneconomic driver — for every single jobcreated by landfill operations, recyclingcreates five jobs.

While it is true that recyclable com-modity prices are down, so are trans-portation costs, and there is a decline indemand for all materials. These declines

will lead to more innovations in collec-tion processes.

It is most important to consider theMinnesota recycling markets in thelong-term. When demand is up, pricesare good; when demand goes down,prices decrease.

It is simple economics, and it isimportant to understand the need to rideout the lows with the highs. It is alsovery important to understand that ifsomething is collected to be recycled, bylaw it must be recycled. Many compa-nies who collect recyclables are stillable to sell them for a competitive price,or some have been warehousing thematerial until prices are more favorable.

Fortunately, there is an easy solu-tion: When making purchases, chooseitems made from recycled content, orthat have packaging made with recycledcontent. Whether you are at the grocerystore, your favorite discount store, ordoing holiday shopping, look for labelsthat indicate the product or package wasmade with recycled material. It’s a goodchance that what was once in your recy-cling bin, is now in your shopping cart.That paper, metal or plastic did a greatdeal of good for the economy and envi-ronment along the way.


Market for environmental protectionin China worth $34.4 billion by 2013

According to a new technical mar-ket research report, “The EnvironmentalProtection Market in China”(MST033B) from BCC Research, theglobal market for environmental protec-tion products and equipment in China isexpected to be worth $13.4 billion in2008. This will increase to over $34.3billion in 2013, a compound annualgrowth rate (CAGR) of 20.7 percent.

The market is broken down intosegments for products and equipmentthat address air pollution, water pollu-tion and municipal solid waste pollu-tion. Of these, products and equipmentfor water pollution have the largestshare of the market, worth an estimated$6.5 billion in 2008. This shouldincrease to $16.8 billion in 2013, for aCAGR of 21.0 percent.

Products and equipment for air pol-lution control have the second largestmarket share, worth an estimated $6.1billion in 2008 and $15.4 billion in2013, for a CAGR of 20.5 percent.

The third largest segment, munici-pal solid waste pollution products andequipment, was estimated at $860.0million in 2008. This should increase ata CAGR of 20.5 percent to reach $2.2billion in 2013.

In recent decades, China hasachieved rapid economic growth, indus-

trialization, and urbanization. Annualincreases in gross domestic product of8.0 to 9.0 percent have lifted some 400million people out of poverty.

Although technological change,urbanization, and China’s high savingsrate suggest that continued rapid growthis feasible, the resources that suchgrowth demands and the environmentalpressures it brings have raised graveconcerns about the long-term sustain-ability and hidden costs of growth.Many of these concerns are associatedwith the impacts of air and water pollu-tion.

China’s domestic industry includessome strong companies, but the rest aresmall and don’t use the most currenttechnology. During the eleventh FiveYear Plan period (2006 to 2010),China’s environmental protection andcontrol industry offers significant poten-tial for foreign companies.

For additional information, visitbbcresearch.com.

Minnesota recyclingmarkets remain viable

China’s current environmentcontrol resources offer great

opportunities for foreigncompanies.

In a multi-year deal announced inNovember, the Indy Racing League (IRL)named APEX-Brasil as the official ethanolsupplier for the IndyCar Series. As aresult, the Indy 500, an American institu-tion, could be powered with foreign-sourced fuel.

“It’s amazing that amid all theprogress we have made toward energyindependence, the IRL decides to set usback,” said American Future Fund com-munications director Tim Albrecht.

The IRL’s decision blocks more than180 ethanol producers in the United Statesfrom supplying American-made ethanolfor Indy Racing cars.

Indy Racingchooses foreignfuel supply

Recycling Association ofMinnesota indicates NewYork Times article notapplicable to their area


American Recycler is published 12 times per year, postage paid at Colum-bia, Missouri.

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Submission of articles, artwork and all photography must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope if a return of materials is wanted. Byline contributors’ views should not be construed as representing the opinion of the publisher.

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877-777-0737 Fax 419-931-0740nities, the volume of yard waste and foodwaste can outweigh the volumes of bottles,cans and paper altogether.”

Composting, said Buckner, can bedone across North America and that it isimportant for cities, counties and states todo what they can to help replenish the top-soil in rural and urban areas.

“It’s absolutely silly to be burying thematerial into landfills when we are losingtopsoil annually,” he said, noting that ittakes many years for natural processes toreplenish soil and that intensive agricultureon an annual basis requires that soil nutri-ents be added to replenish the existing soillevels and rebuild them.

Rising energy costs have increased theprice of artificial fertilizers. Buckner saidthis has helped to strengthen the agricultur-al sector market for compost.

But while agriculture is a key market –the prime market for compost in California(farms and vineyards), the horticultural andlandscape market is also important. Ademand by state highway departments forcompost as a storm water pollution preven-tion measure could seriously expanddemand.

“Texas has done a fantastic job in mak-ing that connection,” said Buckner. “Com-post is an excellent engineered solution toan ongoing problem. Other states are tryingto replicate what Texas has done, but it hasbeen slow going.”

Buckner said the composting industryis expanding.

“The number of facilities and the vol-ume that they are producing is growingevery year,” he added. “The collection of

food waste is taking off and new feedstocksare being accepted. Currently, there areabout 4,000 facilities that we know of. Mil-lions of dollars have been invested in facili-ties over the last five years.”

Buckner said it is important to securereliable national production statistics and tocreate an infrastructure to tally those num-bers. Even producing rough estimates con-tinues to be a problem.

“We would love it if the EPA wouldhelp us do that,” he said. “Compost is reallya regional phenomena and state-by-stateproduction levels vary tremendously – noone has really tracked production. Pricesare regional and they don’t depend on eco-nomic fluctuations. Individual businesseshave tracked production for themselves, butthe mechanisms for reporting all produc-tion have not been developed yet.”

Farming operations that compost areoften not permitted and Buckner said inmany states, on-farm-composting activity isessentially unregulated.

“With rising fuel costs, fertilizer pricesand disposal costs of residue, compostingon-site makes a lot of sense if you are gen-erating enough material,” said Buckner,“just as it makes sense for restaurants toparticipate in compost collection programs.In San Francisco they are offered a pricebreak on collection fees. Over 1,200 super-markets in California have their food wasteand cardboard collected and sent to a com-poster.”

The Council endorses compost collec-tion programs because it is good resourcepolicy, helps to reduce green house gasemissions and promotes environmentalawareness to individuals and companies.

Matt Cotton, the president of the Com-posting Council, is also a principal withNevada City, California-based IntegratedWaste Management Consulting, LLC.

Having worked with large commercialcomposters in the state for many years, hehas witnessed the growth of the industryfrom the initial surge (1995-2000) and itssteady growth since then. Cotton credits thestate’s solid waste diversion legislation,starting at the 25 percent level, for the rapidexpansion of the industry.

“Prior to the 1990s it was predominant-ly a few private companies,” he said, “butwith the landfill diversion legislation,municipalities needed to deal with the yardwaste stream and we developed a lot ofinfrastructure for collection and process-ing.”

In terms of production, according toCotton, California composters and mulchproducers handled over 6.1 million tons in2001. A subsequent survey in 2004revealed that 9.8 million tons wereprocessed. He is currently working with theCalifornia Integrated Waste ManagementBoard to put together the statistics for 2008.

The biggest purchaser of compost inCalifornia is the agricultural sector.

“It makes sense in California wherewe’ve got one of the largest agriculturalproducing areas in the country,” he said.“Wine grapes are particularly suited toannual applications of compost. Agricultureconsumes a huge amount of water, soadding organic matter back to the soil isincredibly important to sustain it. On a vol-ume basis, we are probably leading thenation on certified organic acreage, whichuses a lot of compost.”

This year has been a good year forcomposters selling into agriculture as risingfuel prices have raised the price of fertiliz-ers. Many growers are starting to realizethat adding compost can help make theirlimited fertilizer budget go farther.

Cotton stresses that composters have“barely scratched the surface” of the agri-cultural market. He credits the CaliforniaIntegrated Waste Management Board forplaying a critical role in helping to developmarkets, educate farmers and municipali-ties, finance demonstration projects anddealing with problems that have arisen.

“We have a lot of resources for otherstates to look at,” he said. “It’s a model forhow a state can facilitate productive use ofresources [www.ciwmb.ca.gov/organics].”

The biggest challenge facing the com-post industry is overcoming the status quoof dumping material into landfills.

“If people understood the benefits ofnot landfilling,” he said, “then it becomeseasier to develop a robust compost infra-structure. Getting the word out to have acollection program and a facility startedand to develop a market can be challenging.

“But we are succeeding,” he added,“and people are increasingly looking atcomposting to solve a number of problems.”

While recognizing that states with lowtipping fees have less composting, Bucknerstresses that composting should be done tomanage resources in a more sustainablemanner and while a landfill will leave along-term imprint, a composting operationcan be “relatively superficial”.

Expanding the market for compost willrequire an increase in production to meetdemands by the agricultural, landscape andhighway department sectors; educating thevarious sectors that can utilize compost andpersuading people to take a chance on com-post. Using compost for green roofs andLEED construction projects is another sec-tor that is beginning to take off.

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hold incomes were also more supportiveof government assistance.

Interestingly, while consideration ofdomestic brands was strongest for theyoungest and oldest consumers, supportfor import brands was more balancedacross age groups.

Even though brand support is weaken-ing, consumers agreed that many of themwill consider the Detroit Three for theirnext new vehicle purchase. Toyota rankedhighest at 36 percent, followed by GM andHonda at 29 percent each, and Ford at 23percent. Chrysler and Nissan ranked a bitlower at 17 percent each while Volkswa-gen, Hyundai and BMW were selected by10 percent or less of respondents.

Among domestic brands, Americanssaid they would most consider GeneralMotors (29 percent), followed by Ford (23percent) and Chrysler (17 percent). Eight-een percent of respondents said that theywould not consider a domestic brand at all.

Not surprisingly, Toyota and Hondawere ranked as the top two import brands,at 36 percent and 29 percent respectively,followed by Nissan at 17 percent.

“The real question here is what’sgoing to happen next?” said Miller. “Ithink people are going to be much morewary about buying domestic vehicles over-all. When shopping for a new vehiclethey’re now going to wonder about thefuture financial stability of the manufac-

turer, if there will be a warranty, if carparts and service will be available downthe road. The current environment unfortu-nately will lead to a serious erosion of thebrand. These manufacturers will have bigchallenges when it comes to marketing thevehicles, not to mention the impact of theresidual values, which will make it moreexpensive to buy cars to begin with.”

The survey was conducted with 1,000consumers aged 18 and over in the UnitedStates, using Synovate eNation, Syno-vate’s national omnibus research service.

Bailout supportContinued from Page 1

Hartford, Connecticut Mayor EddieA. Perez announced promising earlyresults of Hartford’s single-stream recy-cling pilot program “Go Green UseBlue.” The pilot program was institutedin May along selected recycling collec-tion routes in the city.

As part of the program, approxi-mately 4,500 households were provided64 gallon carts to replace existing 14 and18 gallon bins. All recyclable materialscan be placed into the carts without sep-aration, a process known as single-stream recycling.

In addition, households were given theopportunity to establish accounts withrecycling rewards program, RecycleBank,to receive reward points for each pound ofmaterial placed in the cart. Points can beused to redeem goods and services at anumber of local retail stores. The City andRecycleBank also provided an extensive,coordinated campaign to educate house-holds about the program.

“So far, we are making the grade,”said Mayor Perez. “After 20 weeks ofoperation, Hartford’s recycling tonnagehas more than doubled in the participat-ing households – going from 8 tons perweek to 17 tons per week of recyclablematerials. More households have alsoincreased the variety of items they arerecycling as a result of educationalefforts to inform citizens about what canbe placed in the blue cart.”

Hartford has already saved approxi-mately $22,000 by avoiding disposalfees for each ton of material diverted tothe local Connecticut Resources Recov-ery Authority facility. The City currentlypays $72 per ton to dispose of trash atCRRA’s trash-to-energy facility, butreceives a $10 per ton rebate for thevalue of the recycled materials fromCRRA.

“The City realizes about $75 in sav-ings for each ton of material that we cantake to the recycling facility,” said

Clarence Corbin, director of the Depart-ment of Public Works.

The Hartford Recycling Pilot is apartnership between the National Recy-cling Coalition (NRC) and the City todemonstrate the effectiveness of bestrecycling management practices. Fund-ing for the project was provided by theNational Recycling Partnership (NRP), acoalition of beverage companies, gro-cers and grocery manufacturers, and theNRC to promote the implementation ofsuch practices in all communities.

The Recycling Pilot is scheduled torun until May 2009, at which time NRCand the City will provide a more com-prehensive analysis of program perform-ance. In the meantime, a city-wideexpansion of the single-stream programis already in discussion, and CRRArecently converted its recycling facilityto accept single-stream materials fromits member jurisdictions.

Hartford, Connecticut improvesrecycling numbers with new program

The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) has finalized the expansion to theComparable Fuel Exclusion rule. The ruleallows certain secondary material, calledemission-comparable fuel (ECF), to besafely burned for energy recovery inindustrial boilers.

“This action recognizes that ECFshould be managed as a commodity val-ued for its energy content,” said Susan

Bodine, assistant administrator for EPA’sOffice of Solid Waste and EmergencyResponse. “This action will removeunnecessary regulation to promote energyrecovery, while maintaining protection ofhuman health and the environment.”

EPA issued the Comparable FuelExclusion in 1998 to establish standards toexclude certain hazardous secondarymaterials from the regulatory definition of

solid waste. These materials have levels ofhazardous constituents and properties thataffect burning. Under the final regulation,ECF is subject to the same requirementsthat currently apply under the ComparableFuels Exclusion, with an allowance forECF’s higher hydrocarbon and oxygenatecontent. Higher hydrocarbons and oxy-genates levels are allowed as they con-tribute energy value to the fuel.

Comparable fuels exclusion rule expanded

The American Forest & Paper Associ-ation (AF&PA) kicked off its 2009 Recy-cling Awards and invited the nation’s busi-ness, community, school and college/uni-versity paper recycling programs to telltheir stories and get the recognition theydeserve. Applications and information areavailable at www.paperrecycles.org.

Recycling is one of America’s greatestenvironmental success stories. Thanks tothe dedication of millions of Americanswho recycle every day, a record high 56percent of the paper consumed in Americawas recovered for recycling in 2007. Thepaper industry’s efforts to steadily increasethis recovery rate, educate the public andensure that recovered fiber is used to makenew products are all a critical part of theindustry’s efforts to improve and protectthe environment.

The 2009 AF&PA Recycling Awardwinners will be flown to New York Cityfor AF&PA’s 132nd Paper Week in March,where they will receive a cash prize andoriginal framed artwork.

Those engaged in successful business,community, school and college/universitypaper recycling programs are encouragedto apply for one of the following:

•AF&PA Business Leadership Recy-cling Award

•AF&PA Community RecyclingAward

•AF&PA School Recycling Award•AF&PA College/University Recy-

cling AwardVisit www.paperrecycles.org for com-

plete information and entry forms. Entriesmust be submitted by February 4, 2009.

AF&PA launches2009 awards

T. [email protected]

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CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION

Recycling a priority in NewJersey demolition project

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Serv-ices, Inc., a contractor providing totalplant dismantlement, building demoli-tion, rigging and decommissioning serv-ices, recently completed the demolitionof a large chemical manufacturing facili-ty in New Jersey.

Universal wastes (mercury switches,ballasts, fluorescent light tubes, etc.)were collected, characterized, container-ized and the shipped off-site for properrecycling.

Buildings were demolished in a con-trolled manner and special attention wasgiven to sorting of materials.

R. Baker & Son optimized the per-centage of construction and demolition(C&D) materials recycled.

In order to maximize recyclingefforts, masonry, metals and concretewere carefully separated from debris andwood materials. Some concrete andmasonry was crushed on-site and usedfor grading purposes but because thebuilding slabs remained, a majority of

the concrete and block was shipped off-site for recycling. Metals were sortedinto ferrous and non-ferrous and shippedto a local recycling company.

R. Baker & Son estimates nearly 90percent of the C&D materials were recy-cled due to the segregating techniquesutilized by the dismantling crews. Thiseffort is not only environmentally soundbut also has positive financial impactsfor the company as recycling of thematerials is more inexpensive then land-filling.

Massachusetts constructionand excavating companiesfined for clean water violations

Two Massachusetts’ residential con-struction companies and an excavatingcompany have agreed to a settlement of$110,000 for violation of the federalClean Water Act (CWA) including a$50,000 cash penalty and a $60,000 sup-plemental environmental project (SEP).

The companies’ violations includeillegal storm water discharges from aconstruction site and violation of theFederal Construction General Permit forstormwater discharges.

The three companies, Alden Woods,Inc., C.B. Blair Development, andMcManus Excavating, are developing asubdivision in Holden, Massachusetts.Sediment laden storm water was repeat-edly observed discharging from the con-struction site to a nearby brook, which isranked as a “Class A” waterway by Mas-sachusetts. Class A waters are designat-ed by the Massachusetts Department ofEnvironmental Protection as a source ofpublic water supply. The companies

failed to install and maintain controlssufficient to prevent the muddy dis-charges to the stream.

On top of the cash penalty, the com-panies will convey a 5.57 acre parcel pri-marily comprised of wetlands as theirSEP, and donate it to a land preservationentity. The wetlands parcel also containsswamp forest and two small uplandareas.

Because they are operators of a sitedisturbing more than one acre, the com-panies were required to apply for eitheran individual permit or a promulgatedGeneral Permit for Storm Water Dis-charges from Construction Activities.The permit requires the use of “bestmanagement practices” to prevent ero-sion and sedimentation of waterwaysthat can result from construction activi-ties. Though construction began in 2002,none of the operators applied for aNPDES permit until February 2006.

Wisconsin construction projectrecycling 100% of its waste

Mortenson Construction is currentlyrecycling 100 percent of the waste generat-ed on the construction site of AmericanTransmission Co.’s (ATC) new corporateheadquarters in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.

Construction of the 118,000 square-foot office building and 34,000 square-footoperations center has produced more than300,000 pounds of cardboard, concrete,wood and office paper waste since April.The project’s construction waste is beinghauled by Veolia Environmental Servicesto various area recyclers.

Interstate Partners, LLC and TowneInvestments, the project owners and devel-opers, are seeking gold certification from

the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leader-ship in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) program. In order to achieveLEED gold status, the project has estab-lished a recycling goal of at least 75 per-cent to help meet the program’s require-ments for construction debris recycling.

Mortenson Construction is workingwith WasteCap Wisconsin, a local non-profit organization specializing in com-mercial construction and demolition wasterecycling to monitor and document theresults of the project. The project is sched-uled for completion in August 2009 when275 ATC employees will begin movinginto the building.

__________________

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but also opens up new opportunities forthose savvy enough to adapt, survive, evenprosper during a recession while otherswither away and thin the competitive herd.Those who emerge intact on the nextupward cycle will be smarter, stronger andpoised for new growth.

Scrap metal prices that reached recordhighs last September dropped as a directresult of the Wall Street credit crisis. Inearly November east coast scrap pricesshowed signs of recovery and it is hopedthat prices will rise as the stock marketbottoms and begins to climb back, or asmills experience demand and raise prices.Many in the industry who deal in scrapmetals have refocused efforts on recycledparts due to market demand and lowercosts to acquire vehicles. Meanwhile,scrap yard managers look to control inven-tory, lower operating costs and conserve orraise cash to weather the economic storm.

J. Jeffrey Griffis, vice president atDade Capital Corp., a provider of financ-ing for the salvage, recycling and solidwaste industries, noted increased volumein refinancing equipment. “Over the pastfew years and through most of 2008, manycompanies were selling scrap at recordprices and making record profits. As aresult they invested cash in new equip-ment. Recently, we have been very suc-cessful at financing the equipment thatthey paid cash for so they can get thatmoney back to use for day-to-day opera-tions.” Although the media sensationalizesthe unavailability of credit, Griffis statedthat his company has money readily avail-able for commercial loans for equipment.

Griffis suggested one way to conservecapital is for business managers to have adiscussion with their accountants. Theyneed to make sure that they’re up to speedon the various taxincentives in theEconomic Stimu-lus Act of 2008. Itoffers businessesa one-time depre-ciation tax deduc-tion equal to 50percent of thecost of specifiedkinds of newinvestments during 2008. Qualifyinginvestments include tangible property,such as industrial or business equipment,expected to remain in use for less than 20years. It also raises the limits on the valueof new productive capital equipment andother property that businesses may excludefrom their income as business expensesduring 2008. Previously, the limit onexpensable productive capital investmentswas $128,000, reduced (but not belowzero) by the amount by which the value ofthose investments exceeded $510,000. Thenew law raises limits to $250,000 and$800,000 respectively. In addition, TheEnergy Improvement and Extension Act of2008, signed into law in October as part ofthe $700 billion “bailout bill” providesaccelerated depreciation for the purchaseof new recycling equipment for up to 10years.

Brad Giordano, sales manager forGiordano’s Recycling of Vineland, NewJersey confirmed that his company hasseen the metals end of their business dropby 50 percent since the Wall Street crisis.Giordano’s has been in business since1948 and has grown to become one of thetop five recyclers in the New York-New

Jersey-Philadelphia region. “Since ourfounding, we have survived many majoreconomic turndowns. As a result of theseexperiences, we’ve become diversified inall aspects from non-ferrous, ferrous, plas-tic and waste papers. Our diversified salesand marketing ability will help us getthrough this. We’ll hold off on certainshipments until steel and other mills comeback into the market or run into shortagesand begin to raise prices,” Giordano said.Diversification is a wise way to spread riskeven in the best of times.

Many recyclers deal in both scrapmetal and recycled parts and as scrapprices tanked they have, by necessity,reemphazied on parts. Many see recycledparts as a bright hope during this reces-sion. One is Bruce Luther, owner of Rockand Roll Auto Parts that operates in theSan Francisco Bay area and processesapproximately 250 autos a year. “Whenscrap peaked at $350 a ton, I was payingfor older model cars and recycling them.”Now his primary focus is back to sellingrecycled parts.

Luther, who is both president of theState of California Auto Dismantlers Asso-ciation and the San Francisco Bay AreaChapter, has seen recent, dramatic marketchanges. “The demand to get rid of end-of-life vehicles still exists. Instead of pay-ing for old junkers, we now charge theconsumer the cost of recycling. Right nowit’s $150 per vehicle. When people callthinking they are going to get money fortheir car, that’s when I offer the option.Today, you have to be able to roll with thechanges very quickly.”

Luther believes that because of tight-ening consumer credit, the slump in newcar sales and households tight on cash,people will want to keep their old cars run-ning. Demand for affordable, quality usedparts have increased and will continue togrow. “I think our industry is in a verygood position, not only to survive therecession, but profit from it.” Rock andRoll is economizing on operating costs,improving product quality and being anaggressive marketer with ads on local TVand newspapers and continuing its activeword-of-mouth campaign. Since Rock andRoll is a family-owned business, it mar-kets to family-owned gas stations, repairshops, bodyshops and dealerships. “I tellthem that we need to work together to suc-ceed. Please buy your parts from me ratherthan from the large, nationwide corpora-tions. We take customers to ball games,hold picnics and build close personal rela-tionships,” Luther said.

Quality is an important aspect of Rockand Roll’s plan. They do not sell dirty ordamaged parts. All parts are washed,cleaned, tested, re-tested and come with aminimum warranty of six months or anextension up to one year for a few dollarsextra. All parts are packed in fresh bubblepack and delivered in new cartons. Thecompany put off plans to buy a new deliv-ery truck, but instead replaced the 300,000mile engine and transmission in their oldtruck and cleaned it up cosmetically. Othereconomies include energy savings by turn-ing off lights, keeping thermostats downand greater use of hand-trucks rather thanburning propane on forklifts.

Luther offered a suggestion. “Beactive. Join an association. There’sstrength in numbers. From every conven-tion I have gone to – local, state or nation-al – I bring back something that saves mybusiness money or makes my businessmoney. Everytime!”

LKQ Corporation, which providesreplacement systems, components, andparts to repair cars and light trucks,expects revenues of approximately $2 bil-lion for 2008, but is not immune to the tur-moil in the financial markets. CEO JoeHolsten, believes there are characteristicsof the industry that make it recessionaryresistant. “The use of recycled auto partsoffers a less costly alternative for car own-ers and insurance carriers. Our contacts inthe insurance industry are telling us carowners are increasingly opting to resolveclaims through cash settlements and man-age the vehicle repairs themselves.”

Holsten also stated that insurancecompanies are finding controlling repaircosts more important than ever beforebecause investment returns have been hurtby the downturn in the capital markets andpremium increases have not kept pacewith inflation. “The volume of salvagecars available has been strong and helpedus to build our inventory levels andimprove our fulfillment rates. Despitehigher operating costs, weaker used-vehi-cle demand has further helped us controlprice increases,” Holsten said.

Holsten emphasized that LKQ has astrong balance sheet, minimal debt andgood liquidity to support company opera-tions and fund growth. “In the long-run,we believe that current market conditionsplay toward our strengths. We anticipatethat consumers will now be operating theirvehicles for a longer period, and our prod-uct lines should aid them in their goal toachieve a lower cost of lifetime vehicleownership.”

SurvivingContinued from Page 1

Anheuser-Busch increases recyclingAnheuser-Busch announced that

even with production increases, theweight of material it contributes to com-munity landfills from its 12 United Statesbreweries has been reduced by nearly 22percent (or approximately 2,400 tons) in2008 compared to the same time periodlast year. All of this is part of the brew-er’s ongoing efforts to recycle at a rate ofmore than 99 percent.

“Our employees are to be commendedfor their efforts to find ways to recycle andreuse materials throughout our opera-tions,” said Peter Kraemer, vice presidentof operations for Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Ateach of our breweries, our people are look-ing for ways to use fewer materials and

keep the solid waste we do generate out oflandfills.”

Recycling at Anheuser-Busch is a tra-dition that began in the late 1800s whenthe company first recycled brewers’ graininto cattle feed. The items reused and recy-cled at the breweries include spent brew-ers’ grain, stretch wrap, aluminum, glass,cardboard, plastics, paper, metals, palletsand beechwood chips. This amounted tonearly four billion pounds in 2007.

Anheuser-Busch is also expandingits use of alternative fuels and announcedearlier this year that more than five bil-lion 12 oz. servings of beer are expectedto be brewed using renewable fuel by theend of 2009.

—J. Jeffrey Griffis



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Ohio’s first master’s programin renewable energy to meetneed for qualified workers

Ohio Board of Regents ChancellorEric D. Fingerhut has approved thestate’s first master’s program in cleanand renewable energy.

The University of Dayton (UD),Wright State University, Central StateUniversity and the Air Force Institute ofTechnology will collaborate to start thetwo-year program. Students can enroll inthe program on a full-time or part-timebasis starting January 2009.

“This is another example of theworld-class collaborations in the MiamiValley that will move Ohio’s economyforward,” Fingerhut said. “Students willgraduate from this master’s programwith the leadership, management,research and technical skills needed tohelp grow one of the most critical indus-tries of the 21st century – clean andrenewable energy and advanced energysystems. The program has the potentialto be a regional academic center ofexcellence where new ideas are incubat-ed, developed, tested and refined.”

Besides developing more engineers,the partners say the program is designedto help address the need for stable, cleanand economical energy sources. Theprogram also is in line with the state ofOhio’s interest in research within Ohio’s

Third Frontier Project and the UniversityClean Energy Alliance of Ohio. Further-more, organizers hope graduates willstart new businesses to create new Ohiojobs.

“It is important for Ohio companiesworking in fuel cells and other energysources to have access to a qualifiedworkforce,” said Scott Swartz, chieftechnology officer of NexTech Materi-als. “Having these students trained inOhio makes it easier for these companiesto recruit the best possible workforce.”

The program will operate within theUniversity of Dayton’s mechanical andaerospace engineering department andWright State University’s mechanicaland materials engineering department.Students will receive a UD or a WrightState degree, depending where theyenroll.

The Air Force Institute of Technolo-gy and Central State University also willoffer classes and instructors but will notgrant degrees.

Classes will focus on developmentof energy-reducing design techniques,renewable energy and manufacturingsystems, and better forms of solar ener-gy, fuel cells and biofuels.

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Settlement clears way for cleanupof Massachusetts superfund site

The Justice Department and theUnited States Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) announced that a multi-party settlement involving the federalgovernment will ensure that cleanupefforts proceed at the Shpack LandfillSuperfund site in the towns of Nortonand Attleboro, Massachusetts.

The defendants signing the agreementinclude: The City of Attleboro, Massachu-setts; Avnet, Inc.; Bank of America N.A.;BASF Catalysts, LLC; Chevron Environ-mental Management Company; Cono-coPhillips Co.; Handy & Harman; Interna-tional Paper Co.; KIK Custom Products,Inc.; Town of Norton, Massachusetts;Swank, Inc.; Teknor Apex Co.; TexasInstruments, Inc.; and Waste Managementof Massachusetts, Inc.

Under terms of a consent decreelodged in the United States DistrictCourt in Boston, the defendants will per-form the remainder of the site-wideclean up of chemical wastes and othercontaminants. The work is estimated tocost $29 million.

The site is contaminated with bothchemical and radioactive wastes as aresult of landfill operations at the site. Inaddition to performing cleanup work,the defendants will pay up to $2.9 mil-lion for the EPA’s costs. The UnitedStates Army Corps of Engineers is cur-rently cleaning up the radioactive con-tamination, which is expected to becompleted during the fall of 2010. Whilethe Army Corps clean up continues, thedefendants will perform design work,ecological studies and other activities.Once the radioactive soil cleanup iscompleted by the Army Corps, thedefendants will move forward with theexcavation of the remaining contaminat-ed soils.

Under the terms of the settlement,the defendants have agreed to imple-ment a September 2004 clean up deci-sion for the site. Among other measures,the defendants will prepare designplans; excavate contaminated soil andsediment, with off-site disposal; restorewetlands; implement a surface, sedi-ments and groundwater monitoring pro-gram; extend the public water supplyline to two residences adjacent to thesite; and place restrictions on uses of thesite property and groundwater.

The Shpack Landfill is a 9.4 acresite located in Norton and Attleboro,Massachusetts. A portion of the siteknown as the Dumont parcel operated asa town dump from 1946 to 1965. TheShpack portion of the site receivedwaste from 1946 to 1975. During itsoperation, the landfill received industrialand household waste including chemicaland radioactive wastes.

In 1978, a citizen reported the dis-posal of radioactive items at the landfill.Subsequent site investigations revealedcontaminants including volatile organiccompounds, PCBs, heavy metals andradioactive wastes. EPA listed theShpack Landfill on the Superfund“National Priorities List” in 1986.Remedial investigation work was con-ducted during the 1990s by some of theresponsible parties.

The proposed consent decree,lodged in the United States DistrictCourt in Massachusetts, is subject to a30-day comment period and final courtapproval.

The proposed consent decree isavailable for review online at www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.

Lake Erie cleanup sets recordfor volunteers, trash collected

The sixth year of the Pennsylvania-Lake Erie International Coastal Cleanupset records – 1,305 volunteers collected55,300 items of trash throughout theLake Erie watershed.

The Department of EnvironmentalProtection, along with other state agen-cies, community leaders and organiza-tions, organized the yearly cleanup andgave credit to two new cleanup areas inErie for the big surge in numbers.

“Volunteers who signed up throughthe Erie Downtown Partnership and Lit-tle Italy Revitalization Associationbrought their energy and enthusiasm toareas within the watershed that had notpreviously been covered,” said DEPregional director Kelly Burch. “Thenumber of trash items that were collect-ed this year swelled to new highs insome categories. For instance, the num-ber of cigarette butts nearly doubledfrom the amount we’ve recorded in pastyears.

The 25 volunteers who pitched in toclean up Little Italy came from Erie

County Juvenile Probation, Gannon Uni-versity and Skaterie. The majority of the100 Erie Downtown Partnership volun-teers were students from Gannon Uni-versity.

Pennsylvania-Lake Erie Internation-al Coastal Cleanup documented everypiece of trash collected including:

•32,004 cigarette butts and cigar tips•5,165 beverage containers•8,420 food wrappers/containers•6,930 beverage caps/lids/straws•2,781 plastic bagsIn the past six years, 3,390 local vol-

unteers have collected and documented71,311 pounds of trash within the LakeErie watershed. This year’s InternationalCoastal Cleanup included more than adozen sites, from Raccoon Creek inwestern Erie County to the northeastmarina and Freeport Beach on the east-ern end of the county.

Students from 10 Erie Countyschools participated in this year’s cleanup.

To cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.—Samuel Johnson

Sonoco announced that it is perma-nently closing its Rockton, Illinois,uncoated recycled paperboard mill,according to James Harrell, division vicepresident and general manager, PaperNorth America.

The mill has the capacity to produceapproximately 38,000 tons of paper-board annually. It is used primarily tosupply coreboard and edgeboard mar-kets. The plant closure will impact 44employees. The Company will offer sev-erance pay, benefits continuation andoutplacement assistance to employees.

“We have continued to experience adecline in market demand for uncoatedrecycled paperboard which has led us tomake the tough decision to permanentlycease production at the Rockton mill,”said Harrell.

Following the closure, Sonoco willoperate 22 uncoated recycled paper-board mills and 32 paper machines glob-ally. Earlier this year, Sonoco closed itsMontreal, Canada mill and a smallerspecialty paperboard machine at itsHolyoke, Massachusetts mill.

Cotton: The USCC has developed itsSeal of Testing Assurance Program(STA), which is a compost testing and


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As municipalities and counties across the nation faceincreasing pressure to divert material from the solid wastestream, the collection of compostable materials and theinfrastructure to produce compost is expanding.

To explain the current situation of the compost industryand its future, American Recycler sat down with Matt Cot-ton, the president of the U.S. Composting Council.

ON TOPIC Q & Aby Irwin Rapoport

Cotton: Perhaps the most significantdriver of the initial growth of the compostmarket was the implementation by over20 states of bans on some form of organ-ics being disposed of in landfills. In addi-tion, many states have aggressive recy-cling goals that provide additional incen-tive to recycle. There are some goodexamples out there for states to follow ifthey want to increase their level of organ-ics recycling and composting.

States can also participate by helping todrive the demand side of the equation.Some states (like Texas, California and afew others) have developed specifica-tions for state agencies to use when buy-ing compost. Similarly, state Depart-ments of Agriculture could do a better jobabout getting the word out about the ben-efits of compost. In some states agricul-ture is the single largest market for com-post. Every state can do a better job ofincentivizing generators to more respon-sibly manage their organics.

What should state governments andstate departments of agriculture andnatural resources be doing in termsof legislation and incentives to pro-mote the production of compost?

Cotton: There are definitely certain partsof the public that understand the full roleof composting as an important recyclingtool and also understand the importanceof using compost. But there is a lot morework to be done. In many cases, com-post is but one additive in a topsoil blendthat a homeowner might buy, so theymay not even know they are buying com-post.

Is the public aware of the value ofcompost as a gardening tool, and if itwas explained how recycling plays arole, would people be more open topurchasing compost? What wouldbe the effect of major consumerdemand for that material?

disclosure program to help differentiateproducts which are truly composted andto assure that compost producers areproviding the same product data andusing approved test methods.

A number of Departments of Transporta-tion around the country are now specify-ing “STA Compost” because it helpsthem make apples to apples compar-isons of products. The USCC is promot-ing the STA program to local, state andeven the Federal government, but also tolandscape architects and other compost-buyers.

Cotton: There are several initiatives thatthe Federal Government is currently pur-suing, though most of that involves theirown offices and practices. It would begreat if the incoming administration took afresh look at organics and ways toincrease production and use of compost.Clearly there is going to be Federal legis-lation next year dealing with greenhousegasses. Depending on how that shakesout, there may be indirect benefits to thecomposting industry. Most observersbelieve that composting projects qualifyfor carbon credits, though there are lotsof details to work out.

If in fact composting can generate carboncredits, this may provide a funding mech-anism for new or expanding projects. Weare really just starting to learn about howusing compost also helps with reducingclimate change. It is going to get a lotmore attention in the next few years.

What should the federal governmentand department of agriculture bedoing in terms of legislation andincentives to promote the productionof compost?

—Matt Cotton

The future of composting

Cotton: I’m always surprised that land-fills don’t take full advantage of divertingorganics. The savings in landfill airspacealone (not to mention the avoided cost ofsiting and developing a new landfill)should be enough to justify developing acomposting program. There are manyexcellent examples of composting facili-ties at landfills and I’d like to see more ofthis. I don’t think too many political lead-ers make that connection. In the nearfuture we are also likely to have green-house gas legislation that may also high-light the benefits of collecting moreorganics for composting.

If the maximum amount of com-postable material was collected, howwould that extend the lifespan ofexisting landfills and reduce thesolid waste collection budgets ofcities and counties? Do politicalleaders and solid waste managersunderstand this equation?

What is the composting industrydoing to promote the sale and use ofcompost to the agricultural industry,municipalities and federal and stategovernments?

Cotton: The United States compostingindustry is on a steady growth curve rightnow. I expect that will continue in thenext five years. The potential for com-posting is really just starting to be appre-ciated. The best years of the compostingindustry are definitely ahead of it.

Where do you see the compostingindustry in the next five years?

PAPERTotal printing-writing papershipments down 13 percent

According to the American Forest &Paper Association’s October 2008 Print-ing-Writing Report, total printing-writ-ing paper shipments decreased 12.7 per-cent in October compared to October2007. The October year-ago decline isthe largest year-ago decline this year,followed by an 11.2 percent decline inAugust. United States purchases ofprinting-writing papers dropped 14.1percent in October versus a year ago.Total printing-writing paper inventorylevels remained essentially flat, decreas-ing 300 tons from September.

Uncoated mechanical (UM) ship-ments declined for a second consecutivemonth following eight consecutivemonths of increases. UM shipmentsdecreased 2.5 percent when compared toOctober 2007. UM shipments have hadsix months of double-digit increases,two months of single-digit increases,and now two consecutive months ofslight declines. United States purchasesof UM are down 8.1 percent when com-pared to October 2007. UM inventoriesdecreased 9.7 percent, or 8,900 tons,from September, the lowest inventorylevel of the year.

Uncoated free sheet (UFS) ship-ments decreased for a tenth consecutivemonth. UFS shipments fell 10.7 percentcompared to October 2007, on the heels

of nine year-ago declines. The latestdecline is the third double-digit declinefor the year, which leaves this year 6.7percent below last year. United Statespurchases of UFS were also down,declining 9.5 percent when compared toOctober 2007. UFS inventoriesdecreased 0.2 percent compared to lastmonth, a drop of 2,000 tons.

Coated free sheet (CFS) shipmentsregister a second double-digit decline forthe year. CFS shipments dropped by15.4 percent compared to October 2007.The decline is the largest in a series ofyear-ago declines as all of 2008 hastrailed 2007 thus far, putting year-to-dateshipments down 7.3 percent. UnitedStates purchases of CFS decreased 20.6percent compared to last October. CFSinventories decreased 0.5 percent com-pared to September, a decrease of 2,300tons.

Coated mechanical (CM) shipmentsdecreased the most in October, its sixthconsecutive decline. CM shipments fell19.4 percent when compared to October2007. In spite of the large year-agodecline, year-to-date shipments aredown 5.9 percent compared to last year.United States purchases of CM weredown 23.0 percent compared to October2007. CM inventories increased 3.7 per-cent, or 9,900 tons, from last month.

Sonoco closes recycled paperboard mill


PAPER

Nexterra Energy Corp. has beenselected by Kruger Products Ltd. to sup-ply a biomass gasification system for itstissue mill in New Westminster, BritishColumbia. The new system will be thefirst of its kind in the pulp and paperindustry.

Nexterra’s gasification system willconvert locally sourced wood residueinto clean burning “syngas” that will befired directly into a boiler in place ofnatural gas. The Kruger installation willproduce 40,000 lbs/hour of processsteam and displace approximately445,000 gigajoules of natural gas annu-ally. This is equivalent to the amount ofnatural gas used to heat 3,500 homes inCanada for a year.

Displacing this amount of naturalgas with syngas made from wood fuelwill lower the mill’s energy costs by mil-lions of dollars a year, making the millless reliant on fossil fuels. It will alsoreduce greenhouse gas emissions fromthe plant by more than 22,000 tons peryear.

“Our New Westminster mill is situ-ated in an urban area, so we needed thecleanest technology available, and in achallenging economic climate, we alsoneeded the most cost-competitive,” saidFrank van Biesen, vice president, tech-nology, Kruger Products Ltd.

Kruger, Nexterra and FPInnovationshave formed a consortium to build thenew system, the first commercialdemonstration of Nexterra’s direct firedgasification solution. The project hasreceived support from Natural ResourcesCanada, the British Columbia InnovativeClean Energy Fund and Ethanol BC.

Earlier this year, Nexterraannounced the successful completion ofa two-year testing program to confirmthat direct firing of syngas can displaceup to 100 percent of the fossil fuels inindustrial boilers and lime kilns.

Kruger ProductsPaper Mill suppliedwith biomassgasification system

ELECTRONICS

To lessen the amount of electronicswaste tossed in the trash and to encour-age responsible recycling, the Oregon E-Cycles program was launched statewideon January 1, 2009.

Oregon E-Cycles provides free andconvenient recycling of computers,monitors and televisions in all Oregoncounties and in all Oregon cities with apopulation of at least 10,000. The Ore-gon Department of Environmental Qual-ity oversees the program, which statelawmakers made possible through 2007legislation.

Electronics manufacturers financethe program. Many manufacturers sup-port the DEQ-administered state con-tractor program by paying operatingfees. Some operate their own statewiderecycling program. All of these pro-grams meet the same environmentalmanagement standards and operateunder the Oregon E-Cycles umbrella.

The program does not include freerecycling of cell phones, computerperipherals such as keyboards and mice,and other electronic items.

Beginning January 1, anyone bring-ing seven or fewer items (computers,

computer monitors and televisions) mayrecycle their items at no charge at partic-ipating collection sites throughout thestate. Households, small businesses andsmall nonprofit organizations (thosewith 10 or fewer employees) may beable to bring in more than seven items atone visit, but should call the collectionsite ahead of time before doing so. (Inaddition to overseeing the collectionsites, Oregon E-Cycles plans to holdspecial collection events throughout theyear.)

People interested in recycling otherelectronics devices not covered underthe Oregon E-Cycles program (itemssuch as cell phones, DVD players, com-puter peripherals, scanners, etc.) shouldcheck with the collection site to seewhat their policy is for taking in theseitems. Some sites may accept theseitems and may charge a fee; some maybe unable to accept anything other thancomputers, monitors and televisions. Acomplete list of collection sites and con-tact information will be available on thewww.oregonecycles.org website.

Retail outlets selling computers,computer monitors and televisions will

be required to sell only brands that arelisted as “compliant” or “pending” onDEQ’s manufacturer compliance list.Retailers will provide consumers withinformation about Oregon E-Cycleswhen they purchase new computers,monitors and televisions.

Manufacturers and a state-hired con-tractor, the National Center for Electron-ics Recycling, based in Davisville, WestVirginia, are responsible for making surethe collection sites and services operatesmoothly. DEQ recently approved threemanufacturer-run collection programs,offered by Dell, Inc., of Round Rock,Texas; Washington, D.C.-based Manu-facturers Recycling Management Com-pany LLC (MRM); and the IndividualProducers Responsibility Group (IPR).The three manufacturer programs plusthe state contractor-run program operateunder the Oregon E-Cycles umbrella.Manufacturers and the state contractorwill ensure that products collectedthrough the program will be managed ina way that does not harm public healthor the environment by adhering to DEQ-prescribed environmental managementpractices.

Oregon launches e-cycling program

MRM adds new Texas sites to its infrastructureMRM, a provider of electronics

waste recycling management services tomanufacturers, announced an agreementwith Goodwill Industries of CentralTexas that expands MRM’s recyclinginfrastructure in Texas.

Under the program, end-of-life televi-sions from Panasonic, Sharp or Toshibadropped off at any one of Goodwill’s 35locations across 15 counties in centralTexas will be responsibly recycled.

Products collected through Good-will of Central Texas will be recycled byEco-International in Houston, Texas.

MRM is open to support the recy-cling programs of all electronics manu-facturers, and it already serves 25 manu-facturers in various recycling programs.MRM also works on recycling withretailers, non-profits, governments andprivate waste management companies.

The program with Goodwill will beinitially underwritten by Panasonic Cor-poration of North America, Sharp Elec-tronics Corporation, and Toshiba Ameri-ca Consumer Products, LLC, and willcover Panasonic, Sharp and Toshibabranded TVs. The program is open toany electronics manufacturer seeking toprovide their consumers with expandedrecycling opportunities in Texas.

Recycling electronics is free in all cities with at least 10,000 residents

In recognition of the environmentalvalue of post-consumer cullet, or recy-cled glass, member companies of theGlass Packaging Institute (GPI) haveagreed to the goal of using at least 50percent recycled glass in the manufac-ture of new glass bottles and jars by2013.

New United States EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) data shows theglass recycling rate has already jumpedto 28.1 percent in 2007, up three per-centage points from 2006 (25.3 percent).With this new momentum, an estimated3.2 million tons were recovered com-pared to 2.9 million in 2006. Using theEPA’s benefits calculator, GPI estimatesenergy savings from using 50 percentrecycled content in all glass packagesmanufactured in the United States couldsave enough energy to power over45,000 households for a year.

“This is certainly a powerful state-ment by the glass industry about its

intent to work with other stakeholders toimprove cradle-to-cradle recycling,” saidRich Crawford, GPI’s board chairman,and president of Global Glass Opera-tions, O-I.

More than 28 percent of beveragespackaged in glass are sold in restaurantsand other away-from-home venues.Glass container manufacturers supportinnovative curbside collection practicesand will continue to work with policy-makers to improve and expand state bev-erage deposit programs.

“One of the outstanding environ-mental benefits of glass containers isthat they are endlessly recyclable, andcan be made with up to 100 percentrecycled content,” said Joseph Cattaneo,president of the Glass PackagingInstitute. “Reuse of post-consumer recy-cled container glass is critical to ourglass container industry and its environ-mental and energy efficiency goals. Thiscullet use is also an integral part of thecradle-to-cradle aspects of glassmanufacturing.”


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GLASSGlass container industrysets new recycling goal Seeks 50 percent recycled content by 2013

Glass recyclingrate climbs inUnited States

New United States EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) data shows theglass recycling rate jumped to 28.1 percentin 2007, up three percentage points from2006 (25.3 percent). An estimated 3.2 mil-lion tons were recovered compared to 2.9million in 2006. This is the first significantincrease since about 2000.

For glass beer and soft drink bottles,the rate was 34.5 percent, a big boostfrom 30.7 percent in 2006, and 15 per-cent for wine and liquor bottles (same as2006). The amount of glass generatedremains at 5.3 percent.

“We suspect this increase reflectshigher glass bottle recycling rates in Cal-ifornia and other states with containerdeposit programs,” said Joe Cattaneo,Glass Packaging Institute president.There are currently 11 states with sometype of consumer deposit legislation inplace.

For the six-month period endingJune 2008, the California Department ofConservation reports that the glass bottlerecycling rate rose to 79 percent, upfrom 71 percent for the same period in2007. The overall beverage containerrecycling rate in California reached 76percent (7.5 billion containers).

“The glass industry has also workedstrategically to encourage glass bottlerecycling at bars and restaurants,” saidCattaneo. Glass recycling initiatives atbars and restaurants in Northern Col-orado have taken hold. And Californiahas expanded glass collection in someareas to wineries and special events.

In North Carolina, legislation set inmotion January 1, 2008 requires allAlcohol Beverage Control permit hold-ers, primarily bars and restaurant, torecycle glass and plastic bottles andcans. Since then, total annualized tons ofcontainers collected are nearly 34,000according to the North Carolina Divisionof Pollution Prevention and Environ-mental Assistance.

California recycling rate hits79 percent in glass.

The Glass Packaging Institute wel-comed four new members to the associa-tion – Brian Bussell, president & CEOof Anchor Glass Container Corporation;William Kelman, president of KelmanBottles, LLC; Scott Cameron, vice pres-ident of marketing for Cameron FamilyGlass Packaging, LLC; and Peter Leone,CEO of Leone Industries. The Institutealso reelected L. Richard Crawford,president of Global Glass Operations atOwens Illinois, Inc. (O-I), as the glasscontainer association’s chairman of theBoard of Trustees for another one-yearterm.

As chairman of the GPI board,Richard Crawford will continue oversee-ing GPI’s affairs with approval of thetrustees.

Glass PackagingInstitute reelectsRichard Crawford

Vinyl windowsand doorsrecycling papernow released

Avoiding the Landfill: The Recy-cling of Vinyl Windows and Doorspaper, has recently been released by theVinyl Material Council (VMC) of theAmerican Architectural ManufacturersAssociation (AAMA).

The VMC initiated a feasibilitystudy to evaluate strategies for makingpost-consumer vinyl recycling activitiesviable on a broad scale, and establisheda task group to outline the challenges ofcreating an industry-wide vinyl windowand door recycling program. The VMCdetermined that, for an industry-widewindow and door program to be success-ful, it would have to include windowsand doors of all varying materials, notjust vinyl windows and doors.

“The number of vinyl window anddoor units being replaced has been his-torically very low, thanks to their dura-bility and ease of maintenance. But thisfigure is expected to increase significant-ly over time, due primarily to the volumeof vinyl windows and doors installedsince the early 1980s,” said Kim Litz,chairman of the VMC Green and Sus-tainability Committee, the group whodeveloped the white paper. Marketresearch cited within the publicationindicate that vinyl windows now accountfor 60 percent of all conventional resi-dential windows sold in the UnitedStates, and vinyl patio doors hold a 41percent market share.

Avoiding the Landfill notes thatvinyl is a particularly attractive recyclingtarget because it can be melted andreformed repeatedly, enabling nearly100 percent of all industrial waste gener-ated in the production of vinyl to berecycled via closed-loop recycling. Alsonoted is the high percentage of post-industrial vinyl – 80 percent – that isbeing reclaimed and recycled.

AAMA’s VMC reports that for arecycling program in North America tobe both sustainable and economicallyfeasible, there would have to be a suffi-cient number of collection centersspread across the continent, along with alogistics network to support the trans-portation of materials to recyclers. NorthAmerica’s significant vinyl recyclinginfrastructure has more than 70 vinylrecycling operations and 80 manufactur-ers, whose products include recycledvinyl. The paper contends that the conti-nent is well positioned for a post-con-sumer vinyl recycling program thatwould include window and door units.

Because vinyl windows and doorsare highly engineered, multiple materialsystems, their component materialsmust, in most cases, be separated andreduced in size to be acceptable for recy-cling into a manufacturing stream. How-ever, recyclers do have the technologynecessary for tailoring their processes to

PLASTICS

Continued on Page 13

New York Governor David Paterson’s signed legislation(A.11725/S.8643-A) that expands consumers’ access to recy-cle plastic bags and product wraps statewide. The new lawrequires all large grocers and retailers that offer plastic bags totheir customers to provide collection bins for a wide variety ofplastic bags and wraps, thereby dramatically increasing recy-cling opportunities across the state.

Numerous municipalities, including New York City,already passed similar legislation and have established recy-cling programs. The new state law builds on these existing pro-grams, enabling all New York residents to participate.

“The new law creates a consistent standard statewide thatall municipalities can follow, while allowing existing programsto continue uninterrupted,” said Sharon Kneiss, vice presidentof the American Chemistry Council’s Products Divisions.

“The two states with the largest populations on each coastnow have statewide plastic bag recycling programs,” Kneisscontinued, referring to recently enacted similar legislation inCalifornia. “Clearly, lawmakers recognize that plastics are avaluable material that should be recycled.”

The lateststatistics showthat the recy-cling of plasticbags and wrapsincreased 24percent in 2006nationwide.

Legislationin New York,California andnumerous largecities is expect-ed to signifi-cantly increasethe amount of plastic bags and wraps that are diverted fromlandfills and turned into new consumer products, such asdurable decking, fencing, railings, shopping carts and newbags.


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New York implements statewiderecycling program for plastic bags

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Recycling of plastic wraps and bagsincreased nationwide in 2006 and will con-tinue to increase with easy recycling accessfor residents.

handle this type of material, and Avoid-ing the Landfill contends that anindustry-wide program would helpensure recyclers’ receptivity to makingthe necessary equipment adjustments byproviding recyclers with sufficientvolume.

To stimulate collection and delivery ofvinyl windows and doors to certified recy-clers, the paper suggests the possibility offunding support from window and doormanufacturers.

The paper notes the success of aEuropean vinyl industry recycling initia-tive known as Recovinyl, which pro-vides financial incentives to support thecollection and sending of PVC waste toaccredited waste recovery companies

and recyclers. The incentive paymentshelp offset the higher cost of recycling,in comparison to such alternatives aslandfills.

Avoiding the Landfill: The Recy-cling of Vinyl Windows and Doors isavailable for download at no cost, via theEnvironmental Stewardship & Sustain-ability section of the AAMA website atwww.aamanetstore.org, product codeVM-5.

Vinyl recyclingContinued from Page 12

LRM Industries, LLC, headquar-tered in Rockledge, Florida, has beenselected by Eastern Rail Corporation tomanufacture thermoplastic compositeinfrastructure components for thenation’s electric railways.

LRM’s automated TPF ThermoPlas-tic Flowforming™ process will be usedto mold long fiber reinforced thermo-plastic composite components for adurable replacement of aging or dam-aged railway structures made of wood,steel or traditional fiberglass.

Mold production has been commis-sioned by Eastern Rail for the first con-tracted program phase, and LRM willcommence with component manufactur-ing in early 2009.

This first program will be safetycover boards and side plates for the thirdor “hot” rail on electric rail systems.

LRM’s TPF ThermoPlastic Flow-forming technology allows for part pro-duction with very little trim and waste,and all excess material is recycled backinto part production.

This closed-loop process extends tofinal products produced, which are total-ly recyclable.

LRM to producenew compositerailway systemcomponents

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Environmentalists have Schnitzer’sscrap recycling yard in their sights,arguing that it pours polluted stormwater into the Willamette River. At thesite, scrap metal sits in large piles closeto the river bank. Rainwater allegedlywashes pollutants into the river.

Environmental activists are goingafter Schnitzer Steel’s giant scrap yardon the Willamette River, saying regula-tors have allowed rainwater with highlevels of heavy metals to run from theproperty into the river for years.

The Northwest EnvironmentalDefense Center sent a notice to thePortland company – one of the world’slargest metals recyclers – accusing it ofviolating the federal Clean Water Act.The center, based at Lewis & ClarkLaw School, has a long history of suc-cessfully targeting Oregon industries.

Schnitzer’s own tests on waterdraining from scrap yard storm-waterpipes show levels of copper, lead andzinc above state benchmarks since atleast 2001, the center said, with thenumbers getting worse in recent years.

The company’s sampling inNovember 2007 and February 2008found 22 instances in which pollutionwas at least double the state bench-mark, records show, with zinc 29 times

higher at one of the scrap yard’sstormwater outfalls in November.

Contaminant levels in the morerecent results, and in the environmentalcenter’s own sampling last month, areat the highest levels the center has seenfor Oregon industrial storm water, saidMark Riskedahl, the center’s director.

The Schnitzer property, north ofthe St. Johns Bridge on theWillamette’s east side, also sits in thePortland Harbor Superfund site, andthe contaminants in its storm water areamong the toxins that Superfundmanagers are trying to remove fromriver sediment. As with other long-operating industrial sites, tests havefound toxic PCBs – a long-bannedindustrial insulator – in Schnitzer’sstorm water.

“There needs to be some flexibility(in controlling storm water). I under-stand that,” said Riskedahl, who hopesto negotiate a settlement with the com-pany. “But we’ve given Schnitzer time,and the pattern is going the wrong way.Something needs to happen.”

Schnitzer officials declined to com-ment, citing potential litigation. But thecompany, which prides itself on itsrecycling legacy, has taken steps toreduce stormwater pollution, andrecords indicate it plans to do more.

Last year, it spent $14 millioninstalling a new metal shredder andstormwater collection and storage sys-tem. The system collects storm waterfrom about a tenth of the site, stores itin a million-gallon tank and cleans it,reusing it to help cool the shredder.

Records from Portland’s Bureau ofEnvironmental Services, which handlesthe permit on behalf of the OregonDepartment of Environmental Quality,indicate the company plans to installswales by the river to capture and filterstormwater, and perhaps a more elabo-

rate system to contain and treat stormwater from the entire site. The timingfor its plans are unclear.

DEQ officials said they’re talkingwith Schnitzer about improvements,and the company appears ready to takea “proactive” approach. “Something’sgoing to need to be done,” said JimAnderson, DEQ’s Portland Harborproject manager. “And it’s got to bebetter than what they’re doing now.”

Oregon’s five-year permits givecompanies four years to get below state

Environmentalists have Schnitzer Steel scrapyard in their sights

METALS

by Scott Learn


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September steel shipments downThe American Iron and Steel Institute

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cent decrease from August 2008. A year-to-year comparison of year-to-

date shipments shows the followingchanges: Service centers and distributors,up 5.6 percent; automotive, down 4.4 per-cent; construction and contractors’ prod-

Harsco Corporation announced ithas signed a Letter of Intent withChina’s largest stainless steel producerto develop a new working relationshipfor the treatment and utilization of stain-less and carbon steel slag in China.

Harsco’s Letter of Intent withShanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Compa-ny, a subsidiary of TISCO, is the initialstep in exploring a new joint venturerelationship that will introduce newenvironmental solutions for the utiliza-tion of the mill’s residual slag in com-mercial applications. The relationship,described as a future role model for thestainless steel industry in China, wasannounced jointly by Liu Fuxing, presi-

dent of Taigang Stainless, and SalvatoreD. Fazzolari, chairman and CEO ofHarsco Corporation.

The new relationship will markHarsco’s first extension into China of itsspecialized minerals processing and uti-lization technologies. TISCO has anannual production capacity of ten mil-lion tons of formed steel, including threemillion tons of stainless steel, marking itas China’s largest stainless steel enter-prise and an industry leader in steel tech-nology and development.

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Based on the Commerce Department’smost recent Steel Import Monitoring andAnalysis (SIMA) data, the American Ironand Steel Institute (AISI) reported thatsteel import permit applications for themonth of November totaled 2,277,000 nettons (NT). This was a 23 percent decreasefrom the 2,967,000 permit tons recorded inOctober 2008, as well as from the Octoberpreliminary imports total of 2,964,000 NT.

Import permit tonnage for finishedsteel in November was 2,123,000 NT, adecrease of 9 percent from the preliminaryimports total of 2,344,000 NT in October.For the first 11 months of 2008 (includingNovember and October preliminary), totalsteel imports were 29,576,000 NT, down 5percent from 31,240,000 NT imported inthe first 11 months of last year.

For November 2008, the largest fin-ished steel import permit applications foroffshore countries were for China(555,000 NT), South Korea (236,000 NT),and Turkey (154,000 NT).

Mainly because of highest 2008monthly amounts of import permits for

Pipe and Tubular Products from China,Chinese permit tons were the third highestmonthly amount for 2008. Permit tonnagefor Chinese steel decreased 22 percent inNovember vs. October preliminaryimports, and represented 26 percent oftotal finished SIMA permit tons.

Major import products that registeredlarge increases in November vs. the Octo-ber preliminary include Cut Length Plates(up 41 percent), Plates in Coils (up 27 per-cent) and Oil Country Goods (up 13 per-cent). Import product categories with sig-nificant increases year-to-date vs. 2007include Oil Country Goods (up 89 per-cent) and Hot Rolled Bars (up 10 percent).

“With the sharp decline in global steeldemand this quarter, it is of great concernthat China is sending record levels of fin-ished steel imports into the United States,”Thomas J. Gibson, AISI president andCEO, said. “The startling jump in pipe andtube imports, at 450,000 tons, is a red flagfor our government to strictly enforceUnited States laws against dumped andsubsidized imports.”

Steel import permitapplications decline


METALS

pollution benchmarks, and companiesmust submit “action plans” if theyexceed the benchmarks before the fourthyear. But they’re given leeway to try dif-ferent approaches to control pollutionbefore stricter water-quality limits kickin, even if they’re chronic violators.

The scrap yard, which Schnitzerbought in 1972, is one of 35 the compa-ny operates nationwide. It was a ship-yard in World War II and an oil storageterminal before that, likely contributingto the PCB contamination.

The yard collects scrap metal –from industry, auto salvagers, railroadsand metals dealers – then cuts it downto size and ships it to steel mills,including Schnitzer’s Cascade Steelmill in McMinnville. The company saidit recycled 6.2 million tons of ferrousmetal in 2007.

But scrap yards pose one of thebiggest stormwater pollution risks,Riskedahl said, and from a kayak on theWillamette, it’s easy to see why. Earlierthis week, mountains of scrap werepiled high close to the river. Regulatorssay shredding steel scatters metal dustthroughout the property. Sixteen pipesjut out from the rock-lined banks torelease storm water.

In a filing with the city in March,Schnitzer officials said some of thescrap yard’s sand filters – placed alongthe riverbanks to help capture stormwater – are no longer effective. Swalesor perhaps a more effective, and moreexpensive, closed-loop treatment sys-tem could take care of that problem,regulators said.

Schnitzer, which reported $126 mil-lion in income for the quarter ended inAugust, posted $26.7 million in envi-ronmental liabilities for its metals recy-cling business on its 2008 balancesheet. It’s unclear if planned spendingon the Portland yard is part of thatamount.

Metro Metals Northwest, aSchnitzer competitor, recently finishedinstalling a $1.6 million closed-loop sys-tem at its scrap yard along the ColumbiaSlough. The system captures all thestormwater on the site, stores and treatsit, company president Victor Winklersaid.

The Environmental Defense Centerprodded Metro Metals, but Winkler saidthe company went well beyond regulato-ry requirements. “We did this so wewon’t have to do anything again,” hesaid, “so we’re 20 years ahead of ourcompetitors.”

—Reprinted with permission from The Oregonian

SchnitzerContinued from Page 16

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Based on preliminary CensusBureau data, the American Iron andSteel Institute (AISI) reported that theUnited States imported a total of2,964,000 net tons (NT) of steel in Octo-ber 2008, including 2,344,000 NT of fin-ished steel (up 1 percent and down 5percent, respectively, vs. Septemberfinal data). While total and finished steelimports through the first ten months of2008 are each down 6 percent vs. thesame period in 2007, the monthly aver-age for finished steel imports in the mostrecent 3-month period (August-October2008) is up 7 percent vs. the monthlyaverage in the previous 3 months (May-July 2008). Total and finished steelimports on an annualized basis this yearare each down 2 percent, respectively,vs. 2007. On an annualized basis, totalimports of steel in 2008 would be 32.8million NT.

“Against the backdrop of a severeeconomic downturn in the United Statesand globally, the unprecedented tonnageof finished steel imports from China inOctober (713,000 NT) is of extremeconcern,” AISI president and CEOThomas J. Gibson, said. “At the recentG-20 Summit, world leaders warnedagainst WTO-inconsistent export pro-motion policies. It has not escaped ournotice that, as a key part of China’sdomestic stimulus program, the Chinesegovernment has again changed its bordermeasure policies to promote exports ofsteel and higher value steel-containingprocessed goods, while leaving intact its

export restrictions on vital raw materi-als. America’s steel producers will notallow the United States market tobecome again a dumping ground forunfairly traded steel from offshore, aswas the case in 1998 and during the laststeel crisis.”

Key products with a large increasein October compared to the monthbefore are Hot Rolled Bars (up 49 per-cent), Cold Rolled Sheets (up 21 per-cent) and Wire Rod (up 20 percent). Forthe year-to-date in 2008, products withsignificant increases vs. the same periodin 2007 include Oil Country Goods (up77 percent), Hot Rolled Bars (up 13 per-cent), and Line Pipe (up 11 percent).

In October, the largest volume offinished imports from offshore was from

China (713,000 NT, up 26 percent fromSeptember). This was 30 percent of allfinished imports. While steel importsfrom China in the first ten months of2008 are down 9 percent compared tothe same period last year, Chineseimports set a new all time record in

October. Much of this tonnage is inhigh-value products still receiving gov-ernment export tax rebates. Other majoroffshore suppliers in September includeKorea (167,000 NT, down 32 percentfrom Sept.), Japan (132,000, up 5 per-cent), Germany (81,000 NT, down 11percent), Turkey (72,000 NT, down 33percent) and India (65,000 NT, down 59percent). Above is a summary chart offinished steel imports by country.

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DISCLAIMER: American Recycler (AR) collects pricing and other information from experienced buyers, sellers and facilitators of scrap metal transactionsthroughout the industry. All figures are believed to be reliable and represent approximate pricing based on information obtained by AR (if applicable) prior topublication. Factors such as grades, quality, volumes and other considerations will invariably affect actual transaction prices. Figures shown may not be con-sistent with pricing for commodities associated with a futures market. While the objective is to provide credible information, there is always a chance forhuman error or unforeseen circumstances leading to error or omission. As such, AR is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the informationprovided, or for outcomes arising from use of this information. American Recycler disclaims any liability to any person or entity for loss or damage resultingfrom errors or omissions, including those resulting from negligence of AR, its employees, agents or other representatives.

1 2

3 5

4

Commodity Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5

#1 Bushelings per gross ton $75.00 $120.00 $147.00 $149.00 $240.00

#1 Bundles per gross ton 75.00 100.00 137.00 148.00 240.00

Plate and Structural per gross ton 72.00 100.00 137.00 143.00 225.00

#1 & 2 Mixed Steel per gross ton 107.00 90.00 145.00 170.00 170.00

Shredder Bundles (t in) per gross ton 108.00 122.00 110.00 125.00 150.00

Crushed Auto Bodies per gross ton 110.00 124.00 110.00 125.00 150.00

Steel Turnings per pound 28.00 12.00 50.00 40.00 90.00

#1 Copper per pound 1.10 1.08 1.10 1.24 1.35

#2 Copper per pound 1.05 .94 1.01 1.14 1.24

Aluminum Cans per pound .18 .30 .45 .40 .38

Auto Radiators per pound .60 .58 .59 .70 .79

Aluminum Core Radiators per pound .25 .21 .28 .26 .29

Heater Cores per pound .52 .28 .52 .53 .65

Stainless Steel per pound .20 .20 .35 .30 .30

All prices are expressed in USD. Printed as a reader service only.

METALS

CORRECTION: In the December 2008 edition, zone 3 crushed auto bodieswere reported to be $7. The correct price should have been $70.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census

U.S. IMPORTS OF FINISHED STEEL MILL PRODUCTS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN(Thousands of Net Tons)

Oct 2008

Sep2008

Oct2007

Oct vs. Sep2008

% Change

2008 YTD Totalvs. 2007 Total

% Change

China 713 568 306 25.5% -9.0%

South Korea 167 246 161 -32.2% 11.1%

Japan 132 126 109 4.8% 4.9%

Germany 81 92 95 -11.6% 5.5%

India 65 159 80 -58.9% 38.3%

Turkey 72 107 6 -32.9% 11.4%

Taiwan 57 70 60 -19.0% -43.6%

Australia 25 77 20 -66.9% 28.2%

All Others 1,032 1,011 1,101 2.1% -9.8%

Total 2,344 2,455 1,937 -4.5% -5.6%

October imports increase 1 percentcompared to September 2009

The Board of Directors of NucorCorporation increased the regularquarterly cash dividend on Nucor’s com-mon stock by 9.4 percent to $0.35 pershare from $0.32 per share. The cashdividend is payable on February 11,2009 to stockholders of record onDecember 31, 2008, and is Nucor’s one-hundred forty-third consecutive quarter-ly cash dividend.

Nucor has increased its regular, orbase, dividend every year since it firstbegan paying dividends in 1973.

Nucor’s board of directors decidedto suspend the payment of a bonus divi-dend. As previously stated by the board,the payment of a supplemental bonusdividend depends upon many factors,including Nucor’s financial position andcurrent market conditions. With today’sunsettled economic conditions, theboard believes it is important to maintainNucor’s extremely strong financial posi-tion and strategic flexibility.

Nucor is focused on continuing thecompany’s long history of taking advan-tage of economic downturns to expandNucor’s long-term earnings power.

Nucor increasesquarterly cashdividend


Justice Departmentrequires divestitures inAllied Waste acquisition

WASTERepublic names senior executiveteam for combined company

Republic Services, Inc. and AlliedWaste Industries, Inc. announced theremainder of the senior executive teamwho will lead the company following thecompletion of the merger of the twocompanies.

These individuals will join JamesO’Connor, chairman and chief executiveofficer, Don Slager, president and chiefoperating officer, Tod Holmes, executivevice president and chief financial officer,and Tim Donovan, executive vice presi-dent, general counsel and corporate sec-retary, whose positions were previouslyannounced.

The following executives will reportdirectly to O’Connor:

•Brian Bales – executive vice presi-dent, business development.

•Will Flower – executive vice presi-dent, communications.

•Jeff Hughes – executive vice presi-dent, human resources.

•Gary Sova – executive vice presi-dent, sales and marketing.

The company’s field operations willbe divided into four regions. Eachregional leader will have the title of sen-ior vice president – operations and willreport directly to Slager.

•Jeff Andrews – senior vice presi-dent, Western operations (with officeslocated in Pleasanton, California).

•Ron Krall – senior vice president,Eastern operations (with offices locatedin Chantilly, Virginia).

•Chris Synek – senior vice presi-dent, Southern operations (with officeslocated in Houston, Texas).

•Kevin Walbridge – senior vicepresident, Midwestern operations(with offices located in Indianapolis,Indiana).

The companies also announced thatMike Cordesman and Ed Evans will notbe continuing with the company follow-ing the completion of the merger.Cordesman served as president and chiefoperating officer of Republic Servicesand Evans served as executive vice pres-ident and chief personnel officer ofAllied Waste.

Upon completion of the merger, thecombined companies will be calledRepublic Services.

Allied will be a wholly owned sub-sidiary of Republic with Allied stock-holders receiving approximately 51.7percent of the outstanding commonstock of the combined company inrespect of their Allied shares and Repub-lic stockholders retaining approximately48.3 percent of the outstanding commonstock of the combined company, in eachcase, on a diluted basis.

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The Department of Justice announcedthat it has reached a settlement that willrequire Republic Services, Inc. and AlliedWaste Industries, Inc. to divest commer-cial waste collection and disposal assets,serving 15 metropolitan areas, in order toproceed with Republic’s proposed $4.5billion acquisition of Allied.

The settlement requires Republic andAllied to divest 87 commercial waste col-lection routes, 9 landfills and 10 transferstations, together with ancillary assets and,in three cases, access to landfill disposalcapacity. The Department said that thetransaction as originally proposed wouldhave resulted in higher prices for collec-tion of municipal solid waste from com-mercial businesses or disposal of waste, orboth, in these areas.

The Department’s Antitrust Division,along with seven Attorneys General, repre-senting California, Kentucky, Michigan,North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania andTexas, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in toblock the proposed transaction. At thesame time, the Department and the sevenAttorneys General filed a proposed settle-ment that, if approved by the court, willresolve the lawsuit and the competitiveconcerns.

“Without the divestitures required bythe Department, consumers in 15 areasthroughout the United States would havebeen harmed by a reduction in competitionfor commercial solid waste collection anddisposal,” said Deborah A. Garza, actingassistant attorney general in charge of theDepartment’s Antitrust Division.

According to the complaint, the trans-action, as originally proposed, would havesubstantially lessened competition in com-mercial waste collection and/or disposalservices in the geographic areas of: LosAngeles; San Francisco, California; Den-ver, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; N.W. Indi-ana; Lexington, Kentucky; Flint, Michigan;Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Charlotte,North Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio; Philadel-phia, Pennsylvania; Greenville-Spartan-burg, South Carolina; and Fort Worth,Houston, and Lubbock, Texas.

In each of these areas, Republic andAllied are two of only a few significantfirms providing commercial waste haul-ing or municipal solid waste disposalservices. The acquisition would haveeliminated a major competitor in each ofthese areas and may have resulted inhigher prices and poorer service for con-sumers.

Under the terms of the proposed set-tlement, Republic and Allied must divestwaste collection and/or disposal assets toa Department of Justice approved buyeror buyers as follows:

•Atlanta – collection routes andtransfer station assets;

•Cape Girardeau, Missouri – collec-tion routes and transfer station assets;

•Charlotte, North Carolina – collec-tion routes, transfer station assets, andlandfill assets;

•Cleveland – transfer station assetsand landfill assets;

•Denver, Colorado – landfill assets;•Flint, Michigan – landfill assets;•Fort Worth, Texas – collection routes

and landfill assets;•Greenville-Spartanburg, South Car-

olina – collection routes, transfer stationassets, and landfill assets;

•Houston – collection routes, transferstation assets, landfill assets, and accessto landfill disposal capacity;

•Lexington, Kentucky – collectionroutes;

•Los Angeles – landfill assets;•Lubbock, Texas – collection routes;•Northwest Indiana – collection

routes, transfer station assets, and accessto landfill disposal capacity;

•Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – trans-fer station assets and access to landfill;

•San Francisco, California – landfillassets.

Under the proposed settlement,Republic would have to notify theDepartment and the relevant state beforeacquiring any waste collection and/ordisposal operations in these areas forthe next 10 years, the duration of the set-tlement.


by Ron SturgeonAutosalvageconsultant.com

Salvaging Millions

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recyclers for recyclers, to help them improve their businesses.

If you are entering the workforce today, how many times do you think youwill change jobs before you retire? A dozen? In fact, Penelope Trunk, a colum-nist on careers for the Boston Globe, estimates that today’s new employee willchange jobs every two years.

Because it is an important investment, most people spend hours (or days)picking out their next car, but how much time do people devote to investigat-ing their next possible employer?

Certainly choosing the place where you will spend 40 or more hours aweek for the next several years should be a decision worth investing lots oftime to research.

Having interviewed job applicants many times in my career, I find thatmost don’t prepare themselves by studying the company where they’re apply-ing. With so many resources available online and elsewhere, doing even basicresearch can put you far above most applicants in an interview.

Think about the last time you were a job seeker. I’ll wager that you startedby updating or preparing your own resume. If you did, ask yourself thesequestions: How much training have I had in preparing resumes? How much doI know about creating a resume that will be sorted into the must interviewpile?

If you answered not much to either question, you should make a smartmoney investment in yourself.

Before you start sending out resumes, seek the help of a professionalresume preparer. Look for the best-qualified person to prepare a winningresume for you. If your new position equates to 10K more a year, why worryabout spending $250 to make sure that your resume looks sharp enough to getyou an interview?

Not presenting your resume in the best possible light can cost you a smallfortune. Last week I tried to convince a bright 36 year old woman who hadbeen laid off from a $14/hr. job in the mortgage industry to ask for $16/hr. Shehad the skills and experience to warrant the increase, but her resume lookedbad because she prepared it herself. As a result, she was struggling to get inter-views for jobs that paid less than the one she lost.

I advised her to invest in having her resume professionally done. She saidthat she couldn’t afford it. Assuming a better resume could get her a $2 raise,she breaks even three weeks from her hire date. From then on, she’s bankingan extra 4k a year.

She should have invested in marketing herself to prospective employerswith a professional resume, and so should you when your time comes.

I’ve had a lot more training reviewing resumes than preparing them. Fromthe hiring side of the table, I can report that most resumes I see look like theywere created by the applicant. I rarely see a resume that has obviously beenprofessionally written and edited, even when I am interviewing executives. Aprofessionally prepared resume is a smart investment in yourself and an easyway to make the right impression, even before the first interview question.

Would you trade $250 for $8,000? Plenty of today’s job applicants don’t

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WASTEWaste Connections commentson recycled commodity prices

Waste Connections, Inc. commentedon the recent weakness in recycled com-modity prices.

“The precipitous drop in recycledcommodity values over the past fewweeks is unprecedented,” said Ronald J.Mittelstaedt, chairman and chief execu-tive officer. “Many of these commoditiesgenerated on the West Coast are shippedto Asia, where demand has dried up. Incertain of our markets, recycled com-modities that had a strong value only afew weeks ago now have no buyers.Until demand from Asia re-emerges, acommodity that historically has had avalue could remain a cost.”

Primarily as a result of this changein the recycling market, Waste Connec-tions now estimates its fourth quarter2008 revenue to be between $264 mil-lion and $267 million based upon cur-rent market conditions and assuming norecovery in recycled commodity prices.

Operating income before deprecia-tion and amortization expense in thequarter is estimated to be between 28.0percent and 28.5 percent of revenue,depreciation and amortization expense is

estimated to be approximately 9.5 per-cent of revenue, and operating income isestimated to be between 18.5 percentand 19 percent of revenue. These marginestimates exclude the previouslyannounced expected one-time, pre-taxcharge of approximately $2 millionrelated to transaction costs associatedwith the completed LeMay acquisition.

Waste Connections also announcedthe acquisition of two companies withinexclusive markets on the West Coastwith combined annualized revenue ofapproximately $15 million. In Washing-ton, the company acquired YakimaWaste Systems, Inc., a provider of solidwaste collection, recycling and transferservices in Yakima County under twoexclusive G Certificates.

In Oregon, Waste Connectionsacquired the residential collection assetsof Trashco Services, Inc., which are usedto provide solid waste collection servic-es under an exclusive residential fran-chise agreement contiguous with thecompany’s existing operations in Port-land.


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Amount of UK wastelandfilled declines

Almost one-quarter less waste wassent to landfills in 2007 compared to thatin 2001, according to a new report fromthe Environment Agency. In 2001, theyear before the EU Landfill Directivewent into effect in England and Wales,around 84 million tons of waste weresent to landfills. Last year, the figurestood at 65 million tons – a drop of 23percent. The amount of waste landfilledin 2006 was 69 million tons – with the2007 figure showing a drop of more than5 percent.

Martin Brocklehurst, head of Exter-nal Waste Programs at the EnvironmentAgency, said, “Last year, nearly 20 mil-lion tons less waste went to landfillwhen compared to 2001 – which equatesto about 500 million wheelie bins.

“This is good news and shows weare recycling more waste every year andheading in the right direction to reduceour dependency on landfills in the long-term.”

Other key findings of the WasteInformation report for 2007:

•More waste is being recovered andrecycled – the amount of waste goinginto composting sites increased by 44percent and inputs into material recoveryfacilities were up by 6 percent between2006 and 2007. Landfilling is down 23

percent and treatment up 53 percentsince 2000/01.

•Landfill capacity has remainedabout the same year on year – althoughlandfill disposal capacity fell by approx-imately 10 percent between 2001 and2006, there was some recovery in 2007.This was due to new inert landfill sitesopening.

•Available landfill capacity remainsunevenly distributed – landfill life inLondon, East of England and the SouthEast is now 3 to 5 years and averagesbetween 5 and 13 years in other regions.

•Approximately 500 licensed land-fill sites were operational in December2007 – many landfill sites have closed asa result of the stringent requirements ofthe Landfill Directive.

•Hazardous waste going to landfillsremained about the same between 2006and 2007 – in 2007 only 850,000 tons ofhazardous waste went into landfills com-pared to 2.3 million in 2004. This was aresult of tighter restrictions imposed bythe Landfill Directive on what wastescan go to landfills.

Martin Brocklehurst added, “Evenduring these difficult market conditions,landfills should be the last resort forwaste material that we can’t immediate-ly recover or recycle.”

Scotland’s recycling rate risesScotland’s recycling and composting

rate continues to make steady progress.Figures released by the Scottish Envi-ronment Protection Agency (SEPA),reveal that Scotland’s recycling andcomposting rate is 32.2 percent for theperiod July 2007 to June 2008.

Kenny Boag, SEPA’s National WastePolicy unit manager, said, “Today’s fig-ures are another step in the right direc-

tion. Our recycling and composting fig-ures continue to make steady progressyear on year.

“Scotland has surpassed the 2008target of 30 percent recycling and com-posting. This is as a direct result of con-tinued efforts from the public to reduce,reuse and recycle their waste, and ambi-tious efforts taken by local authorities tointroduce new recycling services.

EC taking timid steps to solvee-waste challenge, says EEB

EEB, Europe's largest federation ofenvironmental citizens' organizations, wel-comed the European Commission's pro-posal to strengthen the Directive on therecycling of waste electronic and electricalappliances (WEEE). The proposal safe-guards the environmental objectives andthe main provisions of the original WEEEDirective such as individual producerresponsibility (IPR), which creates marketincentives for producers to design betterproducts for dismantling and recycling.

The Commission successfully identi-fied areas of weakness such as low collec-tion rates, the promotion of reuse of appli-ances and illegal exports to countries withno treatment capacity. However, the solu-tions proposed are timid steps towardsreducing the environmental impact.

The per capita minimum collectionweight has been replaced by a percentagetarget based on products put on the market

in the previous years, a move likely toimprove collection efforts at national level.However, no dedicated targets are pro-posed to ensure smaller items, such aslight-bulbs and mobile phones, are recy-cled. The Commission has not retainedearlier proposals to make producers finan-cially responsible for the full cost of col-lection from private households, whichmeans tax-payers will continue to bearsome of the collection costs.

“Increased separate collection ofwaste electrical and electronic appliancesis key to the success of take-back andrecycling schemes, and this needs to besupported by clear producer responsibilityobjectives”, said Nathalie Cliquot, EEBWaste and Product Policy Officer. “Weknow that smaller items tend to be kept indrawers or disposed of in residual bins.These products deserve extra effortsthrough a dedicated collection target.”China Energy Recovery establishes

subsidiary in China to meet demandChina Energy Recovery, Inc. (CER)

announced that the company has estab-lished a new subsidiary, CER EnergyRecovery (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., toexpand its operations to meet the marketdemands from both China and abroad.CER Shanghai will serve as a newoperating subsidiary and the R&Dcenter of CER in China and is strategi-cally established in ShanghaiZhangjiang Hi-tech Park.

Zhangjiang is taking an initiative toexpand into clean technology and thealternative energy sectors. With this newinitiative, Zhangjiang invited CER to beone of the first clean tech/alternativeenergy companies to establish apresence and operate in the Park andthey will continue to provide the mostpreferential government policies andservices available to facilitate CER’sfuture growth.

EventsCalendarJanuary 26th-29th, 2009

U.S. Composting Council’s 17th AnnualConference & Tradeshow. Westin Galleria,Houston, Texas. 631-737-4931 • www.compostingcouncil.org

February 24th-25thPlastics Recycling 2009. Disney CoronadoSprings Resort, Orlando, Florida.503-233-1305 • www.plasticsrecycling.com

March 1st-4thThe Southeast Recycling Conference &Trade Show. Hilton Sandestin Beach GolfResort & Spa, Destin, Florida.800-441-7949 • www.southeastrecycling.com

March 22nd-24thC&D World 2009 Exhibition & Conference,Annual Meeting of (CMRA). TampaConvention Center, Tampa, Florida. 630-585-7530 • www.cdrecycling.org

May 3rd-6thBattery Council International’s 121stConvention. Red Rock Resort, Las Vegas,Nevada. 312-644-6610www.batterycouncil.org

May 17th-19th2009 Waste-to-Fuels Conference & TradeShow. Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, SanDiego, California. 800-441-7949 www.waste-to-fuels.org

June 8th-11thWasteExpo 2009. Las Vegas ConventionCenter, Las Vegas, Nevada. 800-927-5007 • www.wasteexpo.com

Morbark, Inc. a manufacturer offorestry and recycling equipment,announced that Doggett Machinery Serv-ices, Inc. has been awarded an exclusivedealership to serve the state of Louisiana.

Doggett Machinery Services consistsof eleven construction and forestry equip-ment dealers located across the southeast-ern United States. Doggett will be addingMorbark equipment to its current line ofJohn Deere, Hitachi, Timberjack, Sakaiand Terex Roadbuilding products.Doggett’s Louisiana sales and servicelocations are Baton Rouge, Alexandria,Broussard, Covington, Monroe, Shreve-port, Sulphur and Kenner.

Doggett Machinery toserve as Morbark dealers


BUSINESS BRIEFS

MONTHLY CROSSWORD BY Myles Mellor

ACROSS

DOWN1. Bottle ___, a law requiring deposits on beverage containers2. Created from living organisms3. This potentially dangerous gas is formed when organic matter decom-poses and can be used as a fuel4. YW example, perhaps5. Nature's way of recycling6. "Mi casa es ___ casa"7. Material considered worthless8. Not well9. ___ container, trade name for a large, reusable corrugated container used for shipping materials12. Donations15. Mousy response?19. Top executive24. Bitterly pungent25. Hollywood's home26. Junk pile28. Bond creator, Fleming29. Enable32. Con___, the wise use of natural resources

1. ___degradable, when a substance is able to be broken down by microorganisms into basic elements3. Residential and commercial trash generated by a particular municipal area, abbr.5. The waste material of worms10. Deer11. The "I" factor13. Web address14. Flight segment16. ___sets, plastics which once molded cannot be reformed using heat or pressure17. Compatriot18. ___ate, a liquid that comes from solid waste that may be contaminated20. Dip in and out of water21. Work with dough22. ___renewable resource, a natural material that is consid-ered finite23. Angel accessory27. Positive or negative particle28. "___ beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."30. Transportation device31. Home of the Trojans33. Material which can be stretched to twice its size, and then return to its original size when released35. "__, myself and I"36. Stiffly neat38. Gas saving Toyota40. Brazilian city41. Water controller43. CFCs affect this Earth layer46. ___ metals, elements which may be found in the waste stream as a part of discarded items49. Tickle pink51. Generic term for obsolete major appliances such as refrigerators, water heaters, and stoves53. Revenue Officer, abbr.54. Tech department55. Single ___ recycling, aka fully commingled recycling56. Organic garbage pit58. Tipping ___, charge for the unloading of waste at a recycling facility60. Approves61. Reduced in amount64. The portion of solid waste which can be economically recycled65. Processed paper, description66. Important pollinators

34. Hospital room37. Tea party state39. Protein source40. Like bringing your own bag to the grocery store42. Business degree44. Horse fodder45. Santa Fe locale46. Organic material consisting of decayed vegetable manner47. Fervor48. Traditional drink in Russia50. Position51. ___ stream, the flow of material from generation to disposal52. US car maker that is being urged by Congress to make more environ-mentally friendly cars54. Stylish57. 6th sense58. ___ ash, fine residue left after trash is burned in an incinerator59. Billboard displays62. Stomach muscle63. Poet, Cummings

AEC, Inc. announced the establish-ment of AEC Auxiliaries India Pvt. Ltd.in Pune, India. Shubhendra Panse hasbeen appointed regional sales managerof India.

Panse has over 20 years of experi-ence working with leading engineeringcompanies in India where he has workedin project management, sales and mar-keting in the capital goods industry.Prior to joining AEC, Panse worked forWebb India Pvt. Ltd. as vice president ofmarketing.

AEC opens subsidiarycompany in India

Lena Epstein has been named gener-al manager of marketing for Vesco OilCorporation. She also serves on thecompany’s board of directors.

In this position, Epstein is responsi-ble for developing and promoting theVesco Oil brand throughout the Midwestto increase the company’s presencethroughout the region.

Prior to her current position atVesco, Epstein was director of processmanagement. She has spent her profes-sional career at the company, working inthe company’s daily operations, includ-ing trucking, warehousing and dispatch,as well as the technical and sales aspectsof oil lubrication and technology. Shehas overseen her own commercial vehi-cle and industrial sales territory andassisted the company in implementationof a new software and information man-agement system.

Epstein named marketingmanager for Vesco Oil

Verenium Corporation, announcedthe departure of John A. McCarthy, Jr.from the position of chief financial offi-cer effective immediately. Jeffrey G.Black, vice president and chief account-ing officer of Verenium since April of2005, will serve as interim chief finan-cial officer while Verenium undertakes asearch for McCarthy’s replacement.

Prior to joining Verenium, Blackwas executive director and corporatecontroller at Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,and prior to that, spent three years as aprincipal and interim financial executivefor Regent Pacific Management Corpo-ration, a financial advisory firm. Whilewith Regent, he served as vice presidentof finance and corporate controller forClarent Corporation and vice presidentand corporate controller of AcceleratedNetworks, both telecommunicationscompanies.

Verenium makesorganizational changes

At its recent annual meeting, theNew York State Association for Reduc-tion, Reuse & Recycling (NYSAR3)named Meg Morris, director for Envi-ronmental Science & CommunityAffairs at Covanta Energy, as Recyclerof the Year for a Private Company.

John Waffenschmidt, Covanta’s vicepresident of Environmental Science andCommunity Affairs, noted the importantrole Morris has played since joiningCovanta. He said she has expanded thecompany’s community relations andeducational outreach to promote the ben-efits of using energy from waste to com-pliment local recycling efforts. Waffen-schmidt added that Morris was instru-mental in bringing the award-winning“Go Green Initiative,” an environmentaleducation campaign, to both Covantaand the state of New York.

Meg Morris namedRecycler of the Year

SOLUTION FOUND ON PG A26

Government Liquidation operates an exclusive sales contract for the DefenseReutilization and Marketing Service to sell scrap material to the public.

All sales of scrap are conducted via our online auction platform through Internet Auctions and Sealed Bid Events. For a list of upcoming scrap auction

events visit our website or contact us at: 480. 367. 1300


NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASEATLAS COPCO INTRODUCES SB302 HYDRAULIC BREAKER

Atlas Copco Construction Tools introduces the SB302. The breaker is ideal for demolition, road construc-tion, trenching, landscaping and secondary breaking.

The SB 302 offers a high power-to-weight ratio anddelivers a maximum impact rate of 1,380 blows perminute, a 48 percent increase over its predecessor.

The 670 pound breaker is suitable for carriers in the4.5 to 9 metric ton weight class and requires oil flow of13.2 to 21.9 gallons per minute at a pressure range of1,450 to 2,175 psi.

Atlas Copco Construction Tools, LLC94 North Elm StreetWestfield, MA 01085413-746-0020www.atlascopco.com

E-Z PACK OFFERS ADVANCEDGLADIATOR CYLINDER

E-Z Pack Manufacturing offers Gladiator Pack-Ejectcylinders as replacement parts to fit other brands ofrefuse bodies. The Gladiator cylinder is available forHeil, McNeilus, Wittke, and Wayne bodies that requirea telescopic packeject cylinder.

The Gladiator uses an advanced scraper designthat cleans the cylinder rods of debris and contami-nants. Unlike other, more aggressive scrapers that cancause premature wear, the Gladiator scraper is madeof stainless steel and is spring loaded to allow it tofloat on the cylinder rod, ensuring positive contact withless friction.

E-Z Pack Manufacturing200 Ladish Road Cynthiana, KY 41031 800-331-0136www.ezpacktrucks.com

MORBARK INTRODUCES MODEL30 NCL, COMPACT DISC CHIPPER

The Morbark Model 30 NCL compact disc chipperis raising the bar for industry professionals who arechipping increasingly large diameter wood. With largerfeed and throat openings, as well as power choices upto 1,000 horsepower, this chipper is a real workhorse.

The Model 30 NCL features the time-tested 83” discwith three or four knives.

The Model 30 NCL is a great fit for biomass produc-ers, clean chip producers or large stemwood opera-tions, among others.

In addition, this versatile unit is ideal positionedbehind a stand alone debarker.

Morbark, Inc.PO Box 1000Winn, MI 48896800-233-6065www.morbark.com

SPECTRONICS’ ADDS TO MULTI-PURPOSE BORESCOPE SERIES

Spectronics Corporation has introduced theCOBRA and COBRA-Plus, part of the COBRA seriesof multi-purpose borescopes. Both scopes feature abuilt-in UV LED and white light LED. It enables indus-trial technicians to accurately detect refrigerant andfluid leaks, uncover cracks in heat exchangers, con-duct inspections, diagnose evaporator coils and more.

The UV LED is ideal for finding refrigerant leaks,fluid leaks and surface flaws, while the white light isperfect for general inspection.

Features include a 7,400 pixel imaging bundle andan adjustable-focus eyepiece for clear viewing.

Spectronics Corporation956 Brush Hollow RoadWestbury, NY 11590800-274-8888www.spectroline.com

BANDIT INDUSTRIES’ MODEL1490XP DRUM CHIPPER

Bandit Industries, Inc. introduces their 15” diametercapacity Model 1490XP.

A larger diameter drum allows a majority of thematerial to be chipped on the bottom half of the drum,reducing vibration and fuel consumption.

The Model 1490XP features a 17-3/4” high by 19.5”chipper opening to more than accommodate limbmaterial up to 15” in diameter and engine options upto 142-horsepower. All Bandit drum chippers featurethe patented Power Slot system, which allows forgreater chip velocity and virtually eliminates plugging.

Bandit Industries, Inc.6750 Millbrook RoadRemus, MI 49340800-952-0178www.banditchippers.com

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Perma-Fix Environmental Services,Inc. has received its commercial permitin the United States from the Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) Region4 to commercially store and dispose ofradioactive Polychlorinated Biphenyls(PCB’s) at the Company’s DiversifiedScientific Services, Inc. (DSSI) sub-sidiary facility located in Tennessee.

Perma-Fix’s DSSI facility uses anEPA-authorized waste fuel boiler unitfor the thermal destruction of radioactiveand mixed (radioactive and hazardous)liquids and semi-solid wastes. In 2004,Perma-Fix DSSI began the permittingprocess to add TSCA-regulated wastes,namely PCBs, to its authorization inorder to meet the demand for the treat-ment of radioactive PCB wastes.

Perma-Fix granted permitto treat radioactive PCBs

AEC, Inc. announced the establish-ment of AEC Auxiliaries India Pvt Ltdin Pune, India. Shubhendra Panse hasbeen appointed regional sales managerof India.

Panse has over 20 years of experi-ence working with leading engineeringcompanies in India where he has workedin project management, sales and mar-keting in the capital goods industry.Prior to joining AEC, Panse worked forWebb India Pvt Ltd as vice president ofmarketing.

AEC establishes newsubsidiary in India

Collin R. Whitney is the new regionalsales manager for City Carton Recycling’snorthern Iowa territory, including Waterlooand Cedar Falls, Iowa. Whitney is respon-sible for developing customer recyclingprograms, confidential material handlingprograms, equipment sales and new salesopportunities for the Company.

Whitney has over 30 years experi-ence in sales, customer service, and man-agement experience. Prior to joiningCity Carton Recycling, he was ownerand sales representative, Whitney Insur-ance Group, Winthrop, Iowa; sales repre-sentative, Genworth Financial, Chicago,Illinois; regional manager, GoodwinTucker Group, Des Moines, Iowa; andoffice administrator, Brecke Mechanical,Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

City Carton Recyclinghires new sales manager

Roseville, Michigan-based GLRRecycling Solutions, announced thatthey have completed the acquisition ofFrontier Fibers, of North Tonawanda,New York.

Frontier Fibers had been in businessfor more than 50 years where they pro-vided recycling solutions to the Buffalo,New York area.

With the acquisition, GLR retainedowner/operator Howard Wiseman andfacility manager Josh Quant to overseeoperations.

The North Tonawanda facility cur-rently employs 16 people with expecta-tions to increase staff as the demand forenvironmental services grows in theregion.

GLR Recycling Solutionsexpands into New York

Fortistar has agreed to purchasefrom a private developer a 3.2 MW land-fill gas to energy project being con-structed in Trinity Oaks, Texas. Theacquisition will close in early 2009.Caterpillar Financial Services is provid-ing financing for the construction andacquisition.

The White Plains, New York-basedFortistar will have interests in sixtygreen/renewable projects generating theequivalent of over 370 MWs after thisacquisition is completed. This makesFortistar one of the largest owners oflandfill gas projects in the country withabout 12 percent of operating landfill gasprojects.

Fortistar acquires landfillgas-to-energy project

Universal Stainless & Alloy Products,Inc. announced that Forbes magazine hasranked the Company 82nd on its annuallist of the 200 Best Small Companies inAmerica for 2008. This is the third consec-utive year that Universal Stainless hasbeen included on the list. In 2007, theCompany was ranked 92nd.

To qualify for the list, Forbes requiresthat companies have sales between $5 mil-lion and $750 million, and a stock price of$5 as of September 29. The ranking isbased on return on equity, sales growthand profit growth over the past 12 monthsand over five years.

Universal Stainless listedas best small company

Marketing Strategies & Solutions, aLondon, Ontario-based advertising andcommunications agency, has been elect-ed to membership in the Association ofEquipment Manufacturers (AEM),North America‘s international tradegroup for companies that manufactureequipment, products and services usedin the agricultural, construction, forestry,mining and utility fields.

Robert Adeland, President of Mar-keting Strategies & Solutions, will bethe firm’s official representative to theAEM trade group. He will join morethan 6,500 industry executives fromAEM member companies who partici-pate in the trade group. The specificareas include safety and technical sup-port, equipment market statistics, publicpolicy, trade shows, education and train-ing, and worksite safety.

Established by Robert Adeland in1997, Marketing Strategies & Solutionshas found a successful niche in the mar-keting world as a specialist in integratedcommunication services for “big iron”equipment manufacturers in Canada andthe United States.

Communications agencyjoins equipment group


HORIZONTAL BALER, LOGEMANNMODEL 245B-AT. Bale 40” x 30” x 56”.Bale weight 1,150 to 1,500 lbs. Compres-sion 12” cylinder, 3,000 psi, 9” ejectorcylinder. 100 h.p. motor, automatic tie. 100hours since overhaul. Bob Hall 405-236-4255.

216-398-8800

Your Source for all Recycling Equipment NeedsOHIO BALER COMPANY, INC.

EXCLUSIVE HARRIS DEALER FOR OHIO, WESTERN PA. & WESTERN NY.

NEW, USED & RECONDITIONEDALWAYS BUYING AND SELLING

EQUIPMENT• 2 RAM BALERS •LOGGER BALERS

• METAL BALERS & SHEARS• ALLIGATOR SHEARS • WIRE STRIPPERS

• SCRAP PROCESSING EQUIPMENT• RELINE SERVICES

www.OhioBaler.com

Serving Ohio & Western Pennsylvania Non-Ferrous Metal Specialists

Mobile Car Crushing Service

Call Toll-Free 800-837-1520

Atlas Recycling, Inc. Scrap solutions for business and industry.

www.atlasrecycling.com

ISO 9002

Auto Recycling

Balers

Businesses

GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. On-going scrap business for lease, approx. 4acres with 75 ft. scale, office and approx.5,000 sq. ft. building. Located off of I-85 onHwy. 29 North in Belton, SC. Call 864-226-7076 or 864-844-2161.

A LWAY S B U Y I N GA LWAY S B U Y I N G

Call Ivan at 800-472-0453.

Used Material Handlers, Portable Shears and Balers.

Aluminum King SWEAT FURNACE with molds.2004, 2005 & 2008 FUCHS MHL 360 (rubber), 59' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set, magnet & grapple.2004 & 2007 FUCHS MHL 350 (rubber), 50' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2001 & 2002 FUCHS MHL 331 (rubber), 35' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2001 FUCHS MHL340 REBUILT (rubber) 41' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.Rebuildable 2004 FUCHS MHL360 (rubber), hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple, 14,000 hours but is operational.1994 & 1995 FUCHS MHL350 REBUILT (rubber) 50' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2004 & 2008 COLMAR 5500 AUTO LOGGER/BALER with 18 1/2' chamber.1997 MAC portable car crusher.2003 SENNEBOGEN 835M (RUBBER), 54' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2003 SENNEBOGEN 830R REBUILT (crawler), hydraulic cab, A/C, gen-set and grapple.2000 & 2001 SENNEBOGEN 830M REBUILT (rubber), 50’ reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2005 CAT M325C (rubber) with 50' reach, hydraulic cab, A/C, gen-set and grapple.2003 CAT M322 (rubber), 42' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2005 ATLAS 1905M (rubber), hydraulic cab, A/C, gen-set and grapple.2003 & 2004 ATLAS 1804 (rubber), 53' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2005 LIEBHERR R934BEW (crawler) 50' reach, 4' cab riser, gen-set and rotating grapple2001 LIEBHERR A934 (rubber) 49' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2001 LIEBHERR A924 REBUILT (rubber), 40' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2001 LIEBHERR A904 REBUILT (rubber), 38' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple2000 LIEBHERR R914 REBUILT (crawler), 38' reach, 4' cab riser, gen-set and grapple.2000 LIEBHERR A904 REBUILT (rubber), 35' reach, 4' cab riser, gen-set and grapple.1997 LIEBHERR R972EW (crawler) hydraulic cab, 69' reach, plumbed for rotating grapple.1997 LIEBHERR R932EW (crawler) 49' reach, hydraulic cab, gen-set and grapple.2003 NEW HOLLAND MH (rubber), 46’ reach, cab riser, gen-set and grapple.1995 NORTHSHORE 2100 SE REBUILT (stationary electric -75HP) MH, 27’ reach, cab, A/C and grapple. 2002 KOMATSU PC220LC (crawler) with new gen-set and 48" magnet.Pair of CAT 966B WHEEL LOADERS with forks and buckets.2000 DAEWOO 200W (Rubber), foam-filled tires, new gen-set and 48" magnet.

NEW BELT OR DIESEL-DRIVENGEN-SETS COMPLETE

(1) USED ROTATING GRAPPLE(2) USED 67” OHIO MAGNETS

REBUILT MAGNETS: 48”-55”- 66”NEW 4-TINE ROTATING SCRAP

GRAPPLES

Hydraulic Material HandlersMobile Shears & Grapples

Magnets & Gen-sets

EQUIPMENTInternational

BUYNOW

to benefit fromthe 2008 Economic Stimulus Package

Hydraulic Material HandlersMobile Shears & Grapples

Magnets & Gen-setsBUYNOW

to benefit fromthe 2008 Economic Stimulus Package

Call Ivan Jacobs today at

Hydraulic Material Han

Call Ivan Jacobs today at

800-472-0453

800-472-0453 Ivan Jacobs

New American built Diesel, Gas or Belt-driven

Gen-sets and New Deep Field Aluminum Wound Magnets.

Material Handlers

Material Handlers

2005 Komatsu PC300LC-7 (Crawler) with new Genesis GXP500R Shear2003 Komatsu PC400LC-6 (Crawler) with rebuilt Genesis GMS1000R Shear

www.hescomachinery.comCALL JOHN DAVIS 952-944-3611

www.hescomachinery.comCALL JOHN DAVIS 952-944-3611

2002 Liebherr A904 (Rubber) 38' Reach, Elev Cab, Gen Set & Grapple1993 Liebherr R932 (Crawler) 45' Reach, Elev Cab, Gen Set & Grapple2002 Caterpillar M325B MH (Rubber) 50' Reach Elev Cab, Gen Set & Grapple1994 Caterpillar 375L MH (Crawler) 55' Reach Elev Cab, Gen Set2003 FUCHS MHL360 (Rubber) 54' Reach, Hydraulic Cab, Gen Set & Grapple2005 FUCHS MHL350 (Rubber) 49' Reach, Hyd Cab, Gen Set & Grapple1999 FUCHS RHL340 (Crawler) 41' Reach, Elev Cab, Gen Set & Grapple

2 Liebherr A904 (Rubber) 38' Reach,

HHEAVY EQUIPMENTSERVICES COSERVICES CO

Material Handlers

(856) 608-6999www.longreachhighreach.com

Turn any

machine into a

material handler!

In stock: 8, 12, 16 or 20 ft.

Stick Extensions!

In-house financing ... No Interest. Complete Front End Packages available

at any Length! Plus, Magnets, Grapples & Shears!

WV METALS EQUIPMENT LIQUIDA-TION: '07 MAC L3600 Logger, '06 PrenticeLoader, PC220 Komatsu with 18" shear &bucket, CAT rubber tire loader, John Deere544, complete metal yard liquidation. Forcomplete list contact Pete at 304-472-0808.

708-758-2062www.SargentsEquipment.com

Material Handlers2003 CAT 345B Series II MH 2003 Fuchs MHL 3402002 CAT 345B MH2002 Liebherr A944 BHD2001 Liebherr R944 BEW1997 Liebherr A932 HD Litronic

• 2001 CAT 345 BL with LaBounty MSD 3000R• 2000 Komatsu PC300-6 with Genesis GMS 700 Shear• LaBounty MSD 3000R

Mobile Shears

New and Used Grapples IN STOCK!

WE ACCEPT CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS, MASTERCARD, VISA and DISCOVER.

ClassifiedADVERTISEMENTS

Rates

$60 for up to 50 words.Add $1 each additional word.

Display Classifieds

Text Classifieds

$65 per column inch depth,2.5” width.

ALL CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS MUST BE PAID IN ADVANCE.

MOBILESHEARS

2007 CAT 330DL with LaBounty

MSD2500R rotating shear, 750 hours total.

1997 CAT 320 with Cat S325 rotating shear.2004 VOLVO EC330B CRAWLER with Genesis GXP 660R rotating shear (low hours).2006 GENESIS GXP700R rotating shear lugged for Hitachi.2000 KOMATSU PC300 LC-6 with Genesis GXP660R rotating shear.1996 KOMATSU PC220 crawler with LaBounty MSD50 shear.

800-472-0453 Ivan Jacobs

with Cab Guards 2007 CAT

330DL with LaBounty

MSD2500R rotating shear, 750 hours total.

OBILEHEARRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHEAR

Guards

MOBILEMOBILESHEARSSHEARS

800-472-0453 Ivan Jacobs800-472-0453800 472 0453 33

1996 DAEWOO 200W Foam-filled tires, new gen-set & magnet.

2,500Hours

- Also Available - Long Reach/High Reach/Demolition Fronts

_______________In-house financing available, interest-free.

Customized boom and stick and--new or used: grapples, shears, magnets for any application.

(888) 988-5747www.longreachhighreach.com

NewMaterial Handler

Front Endsfor your

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Convert your Older Machine or Sell your Inventory faster as a Specialty Machine!

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Material Handlers

ADVERTISE! What do you have to gain?Call 877-77-0737 today!



NTEP APPROVED, LEGAL FOR TRADEFLOOR SCALES: 4' x 4' 5,000 lbs. $795,5'x5' 5,000 lbs. $1,100. Scales come facto-ry calibrated with digital readout. Free ship-ping, other sizes and capacities available.Industrial Commercial Scales, LLC, 843-278-0342, [email protected].

SALVAGE YARD SOFTWARE. Auto recy-clers yard management system for Win-dows™ by Rossknecht Software. Obtainextra revenue from scrap vehicles.Includes vehicle parts breakdown, invoic-ing, bar code tags, digital pictures,reports, towing, sales history, bookkeep-ing. New: Scrap purchase invoice andprints checks; send your inventory to yourwebsite. $750 complete, no monthly fees.Visit www.rossknecht.com, [email protected]. Free demo CD303-884-5315.

Software

Scales Tire Recycling

NEEDED: INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED ina 21st century, environmentally-sound,revenue-generating, proprietary crumbrubber and refractoring system. Tiresturned quickly, leaving nothing behind towaste. All components, (fiber, wire mesh,and rubber) are separated and generaterevenue streams that will amaze the tirerecycler. Write us at [email protected].

Steel Buildings

Trucks & Trailers

11995 FORD CF8000 FORD CF8000

RANTOUL TRUCK CENTER877-898-9900

Rebuilt Cummins 8.3, 250 h.p. Engine, Eaton 10-Speed Manual Transmission.

33,000 lbs. GVW. 2005 Tornado Self-Contained 3,500 lb. Shredder. $39,900.

Antique Timber& Boards

Yellow PineDouglas Fir

Tank CypressTank Red Wood

512-328-8837What Its Worth, Inc.

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE: Top DollarPaid. Skid Steer Loaders, all brands—Bobcat, New Holland, Case, Gehl, Mus-tang, Thomas, etc. Any condition, all orpart. Also buying articulated loaders andbackhoes, any condition. Call 407-341-2577. Ask for Allen or e- mail:[email protected].

WantedWANTED: SMALL SALVAGE JUNK-YARD, mom and pop operation, reason-able price, call 860-267-2940.

80

0-2

53

-56

46$119

$89

24” GAS TANK STRAP CUTTER

27” SLIDE HAMMER HANDLE GAS TANKSTRAP CUTTER

28” STEEL CABLECUTTER33” COPPER & ALUMINUMCABLE CUTTER

$1553 lb. RAM

��

Blade opens 1-1/8"

Bladeopens 2-1/8"

$155 CA

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RADIOACTIVEWaste Disposal

• Self-Illuminating Exit Signs• Smoke Detectors• Contaminated Pipe• Water Filtration Media• Contaminated Demolition Trash• “Hot” Equipment & Machinery

ADCO Services, Inc.708-429-1660 / www.adcoservices.com

USED MAGNETS:

Kohart Surplus & Salvage, Ken Kohart419-399-4144 • 419-786-9243

38” & 45”Crane magnets

Harris Pedestal-mount CRANE, 100 h.p. electric, 65’ of reach. Equipped for magnet or

grapple with spare parts, Model #6520P

150 h.p. electricTIRE SHREDDER

Call or e-mail Ted or Bob: (920) 693-8261or e-mail [email protected]

Includes vibrating pan feeder and air compressor system.

SSE Metal X Finder 2400

Wendt

‘06

Separator

Package,

96” wide

400-Ton, Stationary, Tri-State

Shear, Baler, Logger$75,000

Has squeeze box, very good older machine in Newton, WIContact Eric: (920) 693-8261or e-mail [email protected]

New, United

Sweat FurnaceApprox. weight: 20 tons with 3 opening doors, and 5 holes

for burners. Can use for aluminum, zinc, diecast.Contact Eric: (920) 693-8261or e-mail [email protected]

Miscellaneous

1989 Link Belt LS 4300C ExcavatorRebt. circle gear, 54” bucket. $34,500

1990 Komatsu PC220LC5 ExcavatorRebuilt pumps, 46” bucket. $34,500

1994 CAT 1994 320L Excavator5,600 hours, hyd. thumb. $54,500

1995 Fiat Allis FR 220 Wheel Loader5-yd., A/C, 235 h.p. $49,500

1998 Fiat Allis FR160.2 Wheel Loader4-yd., A/C, 189 h.p. $74,500

1995 Fiat Allis FR130 Wheel Loader3-yd., 135 h.p. $39,500

1990 Fiat Allis FR11 Wheel Loader2-yd., one-owner trade. $27,500

Crane and Tractor, Inc.800-322-7311

QUALITY USED MACHINES

[email protected] & USED FIAT ALLIS PARTS

AUTHORIZED FIAT ALLIS PARTS DEALER

Miscellaneous

REW, LLC701-837-5654

[email protected] / www.scrapyardequip.com

1997 Mac car crusher, auto, portable, $75,000. Liebherr A912, rubber, high cab, grapple, $39,000. Colmar 3210 scrap baler, 10’ box, $125,000. Sierra 380 shear/logger/baler, $139,000. New can densifier, stationary or portable, $8,900. New horizontal can & PET baler, 150 lb bales, gas or electric, $10,900. 2004 and 2007 Colmar B5500 balers. Shop-built portable car crusher, $25,000. 7” hyd. Alligator shear, $4,900. Used can densifiers available. - More equipment available -

We are looking for equipment to buy--call today!

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

888-866-5244

www.kagiburner.com

Heat with Waste Oiland SAVE!

Kagi Heating Supplies & Mfg, Inc.

KAGI MultifuelWaste Oil Burners...

simply the best,most reliable waste

oil burner you can buy!The HEATWAVE® by Siebring

GREAT BUYS onused equipment!

DADECAPITAL.COM800-823-9688

2005 E-Z Logger Baler, under 2,000 hours,$127,0002003 Big MAC car crusher, $117,0002008 Overbuilt High Speed car crusher, $154,0002005 Model A+ E-Z Crusher car crusher, factoryreconditioned,warranty, $115,000Used Al-jon Model 9, upgraded to a Model 20,$22,500

HAVE USED EQUIPMENT TO SELL?Consider placing it in American Recycler -for only $60! Call 877-777-0737 or visitAmericanRecycler.com for 24/7 service.

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The Enviro-RackAuto Fluid Removal & Dismantling Station

Toll-free 877-247-6629Fax 478-252-9030Wadley, Georgia

Iron Ax, Inc.Website: www.ironax.comE-mail: [email protected]

We offer all steel tanks along with a grated catwalk for operator safety. Underneath the catwalk is a 249 gallon catch pan and also a 360 gallon tank to catch any spills. No other system on the market comes close to the Enviro Rack. Meet EPA and State level regulations

concerning fluid removal. The Enviro Rack is totally air operated. There are no gasoline or electric motors that could create a spark. The

Enviro Rack is a safe system. Complete fluid removal in less than 5 minutes.

The Enviro Rack is theFIRST AND ONLY

self-contained fluid removalsystem on the market.

Funnels are equipped with drills through the center to insure there are no spills.Antifreeze drain vat is piped into the holding tankAntifreeze and motor oil storage tanks have a 180 gallon capacityAll tanks have gauge and gauge guardEach unit is equipped with two fire extinguishersGrated catwalk for floor safetyAdjustable car rack allows for any size vehicle and can be setup tilted to the left or right for liquids to drain to one side of the tankAir drills are used for speed and safety249 gallon catch pan360 gallon lower tank beneath catch pan4 foldout catwalks for tire removal50ft. retractable hose reel for air wrenchThe upper rack serves as an air manifoldFluid can be pumped out of tanks using air pressure and tanks also have lifting eyes for easy handling

Enviro Rack Features:

Options:Hook and rails suitable for rolloff container systemCatalytic Converter Cutter powered by airVacuum system to remove fluids from master cylinder and power steering pumpsExtra funnel with air drill increas-ing operating speed for two man operation.We also sell Oil Dri by the pallet or half pallet and oil absorbent cloth sold by the pound.

Dimensions:Height Width Length Weight

7’ 4”6’ 6”16’ 0” 7,000 lbs.

10 Foot Opening

Advanced Oil Recovery System

State-of-the-Art Automation System

400-gallon Fuel Tank and Optional Auxiliary Fuel Pump

Optional High-speed Oil Bypass System

Economical 4-cylinder and Electrical Models

10 ft.

OVERBUILT CRUSHERS

MAXIMIZE YOURCRUSHING EFFICIENCY

Huron, South Dakota

HIGH-SPEED BALER/LOGGER

800-548-6469605-352-6469

[email protected]

A R Section B

FOCUS – Auto January 2009

American Recycler • NewsVoice of Salvage, Waste and Recycling

Staying afloat in troubled timesTips for auto recyclers from auto recyclerson surviving the tough new economy

During a recession the classic busi-ness model is to cut operating costs, builda capital reserve to see the businessthrough the lean period and aggressivelyseek new receivables to replace lostincome. Since the needs of each businessvary there is no universal formula. Mostgood businesses know what they aredoing, but perhaps some of the followingmay be helpful reminders:

Good people are hard to find

When business slows down andthere’s wide-spread talk of a recession,many businesses think they must cut jobsimmediately. This may be a necessarysolution. A veteran auto recycler in theWashington DC area said, “I’ve let threepeople go and probably another three thisweek. We don’t need bank loans to keep usgoing, we can weather the storm.” Theremay be some “dead wood” in a labor forcethat should have been pruned when busi-ness was flourishing, but was tolerated.That’s a good place to start, but closelyreevaluate each employee, or considertemporary across-the-board salary cutsuntil business improves. The majority ofauto-recycling companies, however, arefamily-owned businesses. As such,employees are often considered to be partof an extended family. This makes termi-nations or salary reductions decisions dif-ficult. Trim labor carefully and cautiouslybecause you never know when businesswill pick up. Remember, competitors maybe cutting jobs, too. It may be an oppor-tune time to recruit better workers at lowercosts.

Examine expenses

If business slows down, take time toput your payable register under a micro-scope. There are always things businessescan do without. “I just made up my mindI’m not going to waste any more money,because this will be money I will be look-ing for six months from now,” said a smallauto recycler in New Jersey. “I’m going topark most of my equipment and may keepa loader or crusher and a tow truck. I’mnot going to tear up equipment when Icannot afford to work on it or fix it,” he

added. Talk to suppliers and ask for waysto help reduce costs or extend payments. Ifyou have been a good customer, supplierswill go out of their way to cooperate. Getcompetitive bids on your liability insur-ance. Decreased volume, restricted activi-ty, less equipment in operation and feweremployees means reduced exposure to riskand lower premiums. Even withoutchanges in businesses circumstances, thecompetitive marketplace will offer savingson everything from auto insurance to ITservices to telephone to energy. Suppliersare especially eager in tough times to holdonto customers, or gain new ones. It maybe time to find ways to lower energy costspermanently. Utilities offer rebates for

conservation investments, for insulationfor instance, that save long term. Solarcompanies are beginning to offer leasedphotovoltaic systems that require not apenny out-of-pocket and guarantee 10 to15 percent savings on electric bills.

Sub-contracting

There are likely tasks that are moreefficiently handled by a subcontractor, oroutsourced, or better handled by automa-tion. If you have employees, consider turn-ing them into sub-contractors. We spoke toa few auto recyclers who found it morecost effective to park or sell their flat-bedand tow-trucks and contract the service, as

by Mike BreslinANTONIO DE AZEVEDO NEGRÃO | DREAMSTIME

Demonstrating a new way to powercars with solar energy, Green MountainPower (GMP) has converted two of itsToyota Prius fleet vehicles into plug-inhybrids (PHEV’s). The cars’ batteriesare charged using a 4 kw solar array thathas been installed at GMP’s headquar-ters in Colchester, Vermont. The solar-charged vehicles boast mileage in theneighborhood of 100 miles per gallonfor local trips and are among the clean-est vehicles on the road today.

To let the public know that thehybrids are powered in part by solarenergy, Green Mountain Power has dec-orated the cars with bright graphics thatproclaim, “Runs on Rays.”

“These cars actually do ‘run onrays’,” said Mary Powell, president andchief executive officer of GMP. “Weinstalled enough solar power on-sitehere to fully charge them for day to dayoperations as a fantastic illustration ofwhat’s possible.”

Plug-in hybrids are similar to con-ventional hybrid cars, but with addition-al battery capacity that can be chargedby conventional household current. The5 kwh battery pack is added to the trunkof the car and takes about 5 1/2 hours tocharge. Once that power supply isexhausted, the vehicle runs like a regularhybrid making them incredibly versatilevehicles.

The electric industry is watching thedevelopment of plug-in hybrids carefullyso that it can be prepared for the impact onthe electrical grid. According to Ms. Pow-ell, “The environmental advantages ofusing electricity rather than gas will helpquickly drive this technology forward. Wewanted to use plug-in hybrids both to sup-port the development of the technologyand to be sure we fully understand how itwill affect our future power supply needs.”

Any Prius 2004 or later can be con-verted with the purchase of a kit. Evenwithout the benefit of solar charging, aplug-in hybrid produces about 70 percentless carbon than a conventional gasolinepowered vehicle.

Green Mountain Power currentlyoperates 11 hybrid vehicles and plans tocontinue using fleet operations as a testbed for new technologies and demon-stration projects.

Green Mountainconverts hybridsto plug-in’s

Continued on Page 6

Maintaining bouyancy in the current economic climate can be challenging for a

recycler. American Recycler provides advice for weathering the downturn.

A Letter fromthe Editor

Section B • Page 2 American Recycler, January 2009

Ad space is limited, so don’t wait...877-777-0737www.AmericanRecycler.com

FEBFEB 1/161/16 Tires/RubberTires/Rubber

MARMAR 2/162/16 ElectronicsElectronics

APRAPR 3/173/17 MetalsMetals

MAYMAY 4/174/17 Solid WasteSolid Waste

JUNJUN 5/185/18 Paper/PlasticsPaper/Plastics

JULJUL 6/176/17 Wood/Green WasteWood/Green Waste

AUGAUG 7/207/20 Auto RecyclingAuto Recycling

SEPSEP 8/188/18 Solid WasteSolid Waste

OCTOCT 9/179/17 Non-ferrous MetalsNon-ferrous Metals

NOVNOV 10/1610/16 C&DC&D

DECDEC 11/1611/16 Alternative EnergyAlternative Energy

ISSUE CLOSE FOCUS 20092009

Upcoming Section Beditorial focus topics:

AR

Today is the BEST timeToday is the BEST timeto promote your company.to promote your company.

Dear Readers,Welcome back. I hope you had a

restful and joyous holiday season thatyou can look back on with fondness asyou trudge through the next couple ofwork weeks.

I’d also like to welcome a newwriter to American Recycler. MikeBreslin has composed two articles forthis month’s paper, and we’re glad tohave such a talented journalist writingfor us. He’s taken the time to interviewnumerous auto recyclers and compile alist of tips to help everyone make themost of the resources they have.

But it’s a crazy climate that we’vereturned to from our respective holidayhavens. The economy is in turmoil andwe’re staring one of the worst reces-sions in recent history in the face.Detroit’s Big Three have been beggingfor government funding, and the bankshave taken bailout money and thenraised interest rates and slashed creditlines like they never received those bil-lions of dollars from Uncle Sam.

It’s a tough economy to do busi-ness in, and with the decidedly suddendecline in commodity prices, it’s adownright scary time to be a businessowner. However, it’s not all bad. Inven-tories are moving again. Orders arebeing placed and filled. And President-Elect Obama has announced plans for amulti-billion dollar infrastructurespending plan.

While the plan may take some timeto get up to speed, it seems as if marketshave plumbed the depths and found abottom. Prices are slowly rebounding,and orders are trickling back into themarkets. Readers have called in andreported higher prices in numerous mar-kets around the nation. The numbersdon’t compare to what we saw whentimes were good, but there’s enoughbuying and selling going on to tide peo-ple over until the major infrastructureprojects push demand back to where itwas before the economy went down thetubes.

I guess what I’m really saying isthat things are looking up. The marketcannot stay depressed forever, and Ithink that if you’ve survived this long,then you ought to be proud that you canhold your own without the bailout dol-lars that the big guys are hollering for.Congrats, and hang in there just a littlelonger.

On a lighter note, I hope you enjoythe inaugural edition of American Recy-cler’s Focal Section. This month we’vededicated it to everything automotive.From tips for recyclers to a buyer’sguide for catalytic converter shears, theFocal Section is all autos. Stay tuned fornext month’s edition on tires and rubber.

As always, it’s not news unless itmatters to you, so stay in touch andkeep me posted on what’s happening inthe field.

Thanks for reading,Dave FournierFocus Editor

Postal Service pledges toremove 8,000 pounds of lead

As part of the National Partnershipfor Environmental Priorities program,the United States Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA) honored the PacificArea of the United States Postal Service(USPS) for its commitment to voluntari-ly replace all lead wheel weights forapproximately 31,000 fleet deliveryvehicles – removing more than 8,000pounds of lead from its workplace oper-ations and potential deposition into theenvironment.

The USPS’s 34 vehicle maintenancefacilities in California and Hawaii willperform about 70,000 tire balancingservices annually, eliminating nearly8,000 pounds of lead in the workplaceand approximately 500 pounds in theenvironment from wheel weights thatfall off onto roadways.

“The USPS will not only removethousands of pounds of hazardous leadfrom our environment, but recently alsohelped the EPA launch its National LeadFree Wheel Weight Initiative to encour-age the transition away from using leadfor wheel weights,” said Jeff Scott, theEPA’s Waste Division director for thePacific Southwest region.

The EPA’s lead-free wheel weightinitiative engages partners in the manu-

facture, distribution, sale and use ofwheel weights to participate in a volun-tary effort to accelerate the transition tosteel weights. Lead can enter the envi-ronment and create potential humanexposures by weights falling off tiresand being washed into storm sewers orwaterways.

Some facts about wheel weights fol-lows:

•Wheel weights are clipped to therims of every automobile wheel in theUnited States in order to balance tires.

•Lead weights will be phased out inCalifornia by the end of 2009 under acourt settlement between Oakland-basedCenter for Environmental Health againstChrysler and the three largest makers oflead wheel weights for the United Statesmarket – Plombco, Inc. of Canada, Per-fect Equipment, Inc. and HennesseyIndustries.

•An average of 4.5 ounces of lead isclipped to the wheel rims of every auto-mobile in the United States.

•Approximately 50 million poundsof lead is used annually to produce tireweights worldwide in autos and lighttrucks.

•It is estimated that 1.6 millionpounds are lost in the United Stateswhen wheel weights fall off during nor-mal driving conditions.

•It is estimated that half a millionpounds of lead each year is released intothe environment in California fromwheel weights falling off vehicles.

•Local service stations may havesteel weights available, and consumerscan request them in lieu of lead weights.

The USPS’s 34 vehiclemaintenance facilities inCalifornia and Hawaii willperform about 70,000 tire

balancing services annually,eliminating nearly 8,000

pounds of lead.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.has certified five new green buildingsunder the U.S. Green Building Council’sLEED Leadership in Energy and Envi-ronmental Design (LEED) standards thisyear as part of an effort to further reducethe environmental impact of Honda’soperations and products in the UnitedStates. One of these facilities – Honda’sData Center in Longmont, Colorado – isthe first LEED Version 2.2 Silver certi-fied data center in the country. Data cen-ters are considered difficult to certifybecause of their large energy consump-tion.

Honda’s five LEED-certified facili-ties this year include:

•LEED-EB Platinum – NorthwestRegional Facility in Gresham, Oregon;

•LEED-NC Gold – Honda R&DAmerica’s Acura Design Studio in Tor-rance, California;

•LEED-NC Gold – AmericanHonda’s Midwestern ConsolidationCenter in Troy, Ohio;

•LEED-NC Gold – Honda AircraftCompany World Headquarters, Greens-boro, North Carolina and,

•LEED-NC Silver – Data Center inLongmont, Colorado.

Among many site-specific efficien-cies and innovations, these new facilitiesshare common sustainable featuressuch as:

•Energy Star highly reflective roofand dual-paned windows with low-emis-sivity glass to reduce solar heat gain.

•Extensive use of recycled and recy-clable materials in the building envelopeand interior.

•Use of United States steel, guaran-teed to contain at minimum 25 percent,and often as much as 90 percent, recy-cled content.

•Energy-efficient light fixtures withmotion sensors.

•Diversion of construction wastefrom landfills to recycling centers.

•Selection of suppliers based on thehigh level of recycled content of theirproducts and their proximity to the jobsite.

A few of the unique features atHonda’s newly certified buildingsinclude the Acura Design Studio’s high-efficiency displacement ventilation sys-tem that moves cool air from rooftop airconditioning units to large, floor-levelgrills, where it displaces heat from thehuman body. The 547,000 square-footMidwestern Consolidation Center has amezzanine made from wood certified bythe Forest Stewardship Council as hav-ing come from sustainably-managed for-est lands. And, the Honda R&D CentralPlant uses an ice chiller system thatreduces peak energy demand from airconditioning by as much as half.

American Hondacertifies fivegreen buildings

Linda Pitman, of Dulaney Auto andTruck Parts of Amarillo, Inc. in Amaril-lo, Texas, has become the president ofthe Automotive Recyclers Association(ARA). Selected to the internationalassociation’s executive committee in2005, Pitman assumed her new positionat the association’s 65th Annual Conven-tion and Exposition held in Kansas City,Missouri on October 25.

Dedicating herself not only tonational issues, Pitman also has beeninvolved in her local community andstate automotive recycling organization.Linda Pitman served as president of theTexas Automotive Recyclers Associationfrom 2004-2006. Additionally, Pitmanhas been the treasurer at her church forover 20 years and has served on theboard of Ceta Canyon, a church campand conference center.

Linda’s business, Dulaney Auto andTrucks Parts of Amarillo, Inc. is certifiedthrough the ARA CAR program. CARfacilities undergo review and inspectionto achieve the CAR designation and arerequired to adhere to strict standards ofgeneral business practices, environmen-tal care and stewardship and a code ofethics on warranties and parts quality.

Pitman rises topresident of ARA

A plumber presented his customer, alawyer, with a bill charging rates of$500 an hour. The lawyer was outraged,saying, "I don't even make that kind ofmoney – doesn't that seem a bit steep?"The plumber replied, "That's what Ithought too when I was a lawyer."

Section B • Page 3American Recycler, January 2009

While Detroit’s Big Three wrestlewith challenges brought on by this sum-mer’s high gas prices and the currenteconomic turmoil, visitors to AutoTrad-er.com continued to show interest indomestic brands. In the AutoTrader.commonthly Trend Engine report, 11 of thetop 20 new cars viewed on the site and12 of the top 20 used cars viewed on thesite were United States brands.

“Since we launched the monthlyTrend Engine report five months ago,United States auto manufacturers haveconsistently captured a little more thanhalf of the spots on our list of the top 20new and used cars viewed on our site,”said AutoTrader.com president and CEOChip Perry. “The Big Three’s currentsituation hasn’t yet appeared to haveimpacted consumers’ general level ofinterest in their cars.”

The Ford Fusion, benefiting fromexposure for its updated design at therecent Los Angeles Auto Show, made aleap onto the top 20 list of new carsviewed on the site, ranking number 19in November, compared with a rankingof number 37 in November of 2007.

The number 1 viewed new vehicleon AutoTrader.com in November wasthe Honda Accord, followed by theToyota Camry at number 2 and theFord F-150 pickup truck at number 3.These new models held these samerankings in the October 2008 TrendEngine report and have been perennialtop 10 new vehicles.

On the Trend Engine used car top20 list, falling average list prices werethe big news. Of the top 20 used carsviewed on AutoTrader.com in Novem-ber 2008, all but one (the Honda Civic)saw average list prices drop comparedto November of 2007.

Used Ford F-250 trucks saw thebiggest decline in average list prices,

down to $19,797.36 in November of2008 from $24,663.21 in November2007, or a drop of 19.73 percent yearover year. All trucks and SUVs onAutoTrader.com’s top 20 used car listsaw double digit percentage drops inaverage list prices in November 2008compared to November 2007.

“We believe there continues to be amarket for larger vehicles like trucksand SUVs and search and viewingactivity for these larger used models onour site, spurred no doubt by fallinggas prices, indicate people might beready to start buying more of thesevehicles again,” said Perry. “The goodnews for people looking for used trucksand SUVs is that prices are lower thanthey’ve been in a long time and thereare a lot of them to choose from, so it’sa great time to buy.”

Used Honda Civics continue tobenefit from the tight supply the carexperienced as a result of gas priceshitting four dollars a gallon in the sum-mer. The average list price for usedCivics increased 5.42 percent year overyear, from $13,931.95 in November

2007 to $14,686.92 in November 2008.The Honda Civic ranked number 7 onthe top 20 used car list, down fromnumber 5 in November of 2007.

Fuel efficient cars, which are stillin limited supply due to the summergas price spike, saw small drops inprices. For instance, the used HondaAccord, ranked number 5 in Novemberof 2008, saw its average list price droponly 0.18 percent year over year, to$16,018 in November 2008 comparedto $16,046.39 last November. Similar-ly, the used Toyota Camry, rankednumber 18 this November, saw its aver-age list price drop only 1.18 percentyear over year, to $16,679.92 inNovember 2008 compared to$16,879.30 in November 2007.

The top three viewed used vehicleson AutoTrader.com in November 2008were the Ford F-150 at number 1, theChevy Silverado 1500 at number 2 andthe Ford Mustang at number 3. Thesecars held the same positions in Novem-ber of last year as well.

Domestic manufacturers continue strong showing

American Axle & Manufacturing(AAM) announced that it has executedan asset purchase agreement withFormTech Industries LLC.

As part of this agreement, AAMexchanged its hub and spindle forgingbusiness for FormTech’s differentialgear, hypoid pinion and ring gear forg-ing businesses. In order to compensatefor the difference in value between the

assets and businesses exchanged by theparties, AAM made a cash payment toFormTech. The parties also exchangedcertain direct and indirect inventories,fixed assets and tooling related to theexchanged businesses.

Other key aspects of the agreementinclude the sale of AAM’s TonawandaForge Facility, New York, to a thirdparty. FormTech will continue to oper-

ate in the Tonawanda facility, AAM’sacquisition of FormTech’s 50,000square-foot manufacturing facility, inFt. Wayne, Indiana, and AccuGear, Inc.,a newly formed AAM subsidiary, willproduce net shaped differential gearsfor a variety of customers.

“Through this asset purchaseagreement, AAM has strategicallyacquired new forging process technolo-

gy. This strengthens AAM’s competi-tive position in the North Americanautomotive forging market andenhances our ability to expand anddiversify AAM’s market penetrationinto transaxle components for passen-ger cars and crossover vehicles, as wellas transfer case and all-wheel-drivecomponents,” said AAM co-founder,chairman and CEO Richard E. Dauch.

American Axle executes asset purchase agreement with FormTech

“The Big Three’s currentsituation hasn’t yet appearedto have impacted consumers’

general level of interestin their cars.”–Chip Perry

EQUIPMENTSPOTLIGHT

N Catalytic ConverterShears


One of the biggest nodes of valuein a junked car resides in the catalyticconverter. These devices, which helpreduce exhaust air pollutants and havebeen required equipmenton all new cars for 30years, contain internalparts coated with priceymetals including plat-inum, rhodium and pal-ladium. That’s the goodnews. The bad news isthat before catalyticconverters can be recy-cled by auto scrap yardsand other sources ofconverters, the valuablecontainers have to beseparated from theexhaust system pipes oneither side.

Saw blades dullquickly when confront-ed with the hardenedsteel of an exhaust sys-tem, while both sawsand cutting torches poseserious fire risks due to the danger ofsparks igniting gasoline fumes or othercombustible materials. The solutionmany recyclers have turned to is a cut-ting shear specifically designed for thealways-demanding, yet potentiallyprofitable task of slicing catalytic con-verters from auto hulks.

In Mesa, Arizona, Larry Demik,owner of Supershear, sells a productfirst introduced in 1986. The originalSupershear employed a hand-poweredhydraulic system to push a cuttingblade through the exhaust pipes andfree the converters. The methodrequired two operators and was slow.

Today’s improved models can beoperated by a single person and offerchoices of three power sources. A 12-voltbattery-operated model allows completeindependence of movement, even inremote locations. A second model runson 110 volt or 220 volt AC power. A ninehorsepower gasoline engine powers thethird option. All units are self-containedand mounted on pneumatic-wheeledhand carts for transporting.

The 19 pound cutting head has a sin-gle moving part and generates over 10tons of cutting force. It produces nosparks or flames through its cuttingaction, increasing safety. “You get it upthere, push a button and in 30 seconds acatalytic converter is on the ground,” saidDemik.

The Supershear became widelyemployed among auto recyclers andusers came to appreciate the relativelylight weight, reliability and relatively

low cost of themachine. “As the metalprices went up themachine got more pop-ular because it didn’ttake you very long topay for it,” said Demik.“With a couple of carsyou paid for the cuttingmachine.”

Changes in thestructure of the autorecycling businessalong with decliningcommodity prices havechanged the catalyticconverter shear market,however. “Back in theday a guy could buy aSupershear with batteryoperated power, go todifferent yards and godown the aisle cutting

off converters and throwing them in theback of the pickup truck,” Demik said.“We had a lot of guys who bought cut-ters just for that. That went on foryears.”

Today, however, recyclers havestreamlined their operations so thatjunked cars coming in are immediatelystripped of cores, including catalyticconverters, at centralized strippinglocations. “They’re cutting the convert-ers off before it ever goes to the yard,”Demik said. Headded, “If theydon’t, somebodycomes in andsteals them.” Asa result of theoperat ionalswitch to cen-tralized process-ing, today Super-shear sells morestand alone sta-tionary machinesthat are pluggedinto wall currentthan the othertwo models.

Most of today’s buyers are doing20 cars a day and up, Demik said. Thecompany’s products are sold to cus-tomers worldwide, including the Unit-ed Kingdom, Australia, Canada andseveral European countries. “Every-

body uses catalytic converters,” hesaid.

In Abilene, Texas, at Jaws Manu-facturing LLC, co-owner Dalton Hugh-es said his five-year-old company’sJaws Hydraulic Shear has met with anenthusiastic response from recyclers.“Everybody that buys our product ishappy with it,” he said. “The problemis a lot of peoplehaven’t ever seen it.”

The JawsHydraulic Shearcomes with threechoices of powersource: a 12-volt bat-tery, a gasolineengine and A/Cpower. “We give aone-year parts andlabor warranty,” Dal-ton added. “And ourheads are not forged,they’re machined.They’re highstrength steel whichmakes them verydurable. We’ve neverhad to reissue a unitbecause it broke dur-ing warranty.”

Hosing connecting the cutting unitand hydraulic unit is sheathed to keepit from being cut accidentally. “Themachines are portable,” he added. “Itcomes complete with a two wheeldolly that you can roll it around with.”

Jaws Manufacturing’s batterypowered cutters can remove about

150 convertersbefore needing arecharge duringthe summer,when battery lifeis extended, andabout 100 whenoperating duringthe win te r.“We’ve got guysthat cut any-where from 50converters aweek to 200 to300 a day,” Dal-ton said.

Larger com-panies sometimes buy several units,usually stationary A/C-powered mod-els, for each core-stripping station ina sizable recycling facility.

The gasoline-powered and bat-tery-powered units primarily appeal

to lower-volume recyclers. “A lot ofthese guys have smaller shops thatdon’t buy that many converters andthey like the mobility,” Dalton said.

Jaws Manufacturing’s sales to therecycling industry went flat in Fall2008, but began to rebound somewhattoward the end of the year. Daltonsaid it’s due to fluctuating prices for

commoditiesincluding the plat-inum, rhodium andberyllium in con-verters, and predictsthat business willreturn to normalonce recyclers getaccustomed to thenew levels.

“With the highprices they had, it’shard to go back towhere you were ayear ago,” Daltonsaid. “But peoplewere doing fine ayear ago. I think itwill come back.And we’ve gotenough strengthand stability that

we’re going to be around.”

by Mark Henricks

Manufacturer List

Jaws Manufacturing LLC

Dalton Hughes

866-846-6007

www.jawscutters.com

JMC Recycling Systems, Ltd.

Phillip Pownall

+44 (0) 115 940 9630

www.jmcrecycling.com

Supershear

Larry Demik

800-999-8100

www.supershears.com

The R.E.S. Corp.

Gary Gaither

330-920-1500

www.therescorp.com

We’ve been building Catalytic Converter Shears for more

than 22 years! Safe, Reliable and Economical.

www.supershears.com 800-999-8100 [email protected]

Jaws Manufacturing LLC

Supershear

JMC Recycling Systems, Ltd.

The insurance industry is consideringpermitting the reuse of certified unde-ployed airbags taken from recycled vehi-cles. The Automobile Recyclers Associa-tion said this would increase revenues forthe recycling industry and simultaneouslyreduce repair costs for consumers, ensurethat body shops have access to a key prod-uct and reduce insurance company costsby not having to purchase new OEM parts.

“We want to take quality parts off oftotal loss vehicles, verify them and re-introduce them into the market so that theydo not go into landfills,” said Jim Watson,vice president of ABC Auto Parts. “Foryears we have been deploying airbags outin the field before shredding and crushingcars. Airbags are parts that can be safelyreused to repair collision-damagedvehicles.”

Peter Byrne, director of AirbagsResources, said that as part of the ARA’sAirbag Protocol, there is a counter on thewww.airbagresources.com website thatrecords the number of hits enquiring aboutrecycled airbags. The Protocol is a volun-tary standard concerning training, inspec-tion protocols and record keeping.

“More than 2,218,000 inquiries havebeen logged since August 2007,” he said.“The reuse of OEM non-deployed airbagsis already a mainstream solution to cost-effective repair. Look at our brandedARAPro airbag parts – our best alternativeto new OEM parts as they allow customersto lower parts costs dramatically, whilemaintaining quality. The market has rec-ognized the benefits of using OEM recy-cled airbags in repairs as recyclers receivean electronic inquiry for an airbag onceevery 20 seconds.”

Linda Pitman, secretary treasurer ofAmarillo, Texas-based Dulaney AutoParts, said that the Airbag Protocol (AB) isa safeguard to the public that recycledairbags are safe to use.

“If the public agrees to use them andthe insurance companies will agree, thanthe re-use can become an important rev-enue stream for automobile recyclers,” shesaid. “It’s difficult sometimes to get theinsurance company or person fixing thevehicle to want to notify that person that arecycled part will be used. It’s an educa-tion process all the way.”

“I’ve never heard of an instance

where a consumer has rejected one of ourproducts if they are aware that this is analternative that you can be pretty confidentabout,” said Byrne, whose firm workedclosely with the ARA’s Airbag Committeein developing the protocol. “Unlike otheraftermarket parts where you have toinspect these parts to make sure they con-form to a given standard, undeployedOEM airbags manufactured by the OEMTier 1 suppliers already meet all federaland car company standards.

“Our job is to make sure that in theprocess of recycling,” he added, “that theyare not harmed, damaged or impacted inany way. The protocol establishes a set ofstandards and procedures to make surethat the extraction of the airbag from thevehicle is done in a consistent and propermanner, that the recycler handles theairbag in a safe and appropriate manner,that the airbag is inspected in a consistentmanner and that it is stored and readied forshipment in a consistent manner.”

The key element is that all these stepsare documented. Furthermore, every daythe ARAPro database downloads the latestNHTSA Recall file via the VIN number todetermine which airbags cannot be reused.

Special equipment is not required toremove airbags, which are attached bybolts to the steering column on the driver’sside and the crossbar beam on the passen-ger’s side.

Last July, Watson addressed the issueof using recycled airbags at the Collision


EQUIPMENTSPOTLIGHT

NARTo be included in the spotlight, you

must manufacture the equipment fea-tured. We require a company name, con-tact person, telephone number and, ifapplicable, a website address.

To be listed in the appropriate spot-light, please call 877-777-0737.

UPCOMING TOPICS

02/09 Rubber Shredders

03/09

Separation Systems

for Electronics Recycling

04/09 Eddy Current Separators

05/09 Waste Compactors

American Recycler is not responsible fornon-inclusion of manufacturers and theirequipment. Manufacturers are to contactAmerican Recycler to ensure their companyis listed in the Equipment Spotlight.

Old airbags may see new use in car repairsby Irwin Rapoport

Continued on Page 7

Courtney Car Crushing and Scrap was founded in 1972, in Ottumwa, Iowa,when Dave Johnson’s father made a choice – get a loan for some equipment tostart his own business, or take a job at John Deere. “He decided to go out on hisown,” Johnson said.

Johnson joined the company in 1993, when he decided that he needed to dosomething better than deliver pizzas. He started as a laborer, and spent a lot oftime with a cutting torch, working his way up to running the machines. Today, heis the general manager, while his wife, Kim, works in the office, answers phones,and does bookkeeping.

Even though Johnson is running the company and taking care of customerservice, he still does hands-on work. “It’s actually more relaxing to be in amachine, working,” he said. His favorite piece of machinery to run is the Al-Jonbaler.

The company does mobile crushing for customers and also buys cars andother scrap on-site. To make things more “user-friendly” for the customers whodeliver, “we’re looking to do some expansion.” Johnson said. A new 70-foot scaleand an expansion of the yard and re-routing of the traffic flow will make it easierto get customers in and out quickly. A new baler is also on order.

These improvements are on top of the growth the company has already seen,increasing the number of industrial accounts and adding to the materials theyaccept. “We added non-ferrous and batteries in the past eight years,” Johnson said.

Johnson said his scrap is “half peddler and half industrial, and we try to treateveryone the same – a big corporation or a guy pedaling a bicycle – they’re all thesame to us.” When scrap is sold, he said, “I like doing business face-to-face, likewith a handshake.”

The planned expansion isn’t as important to Johnson as the fact that he’s run-ning a family business. Even though his father is spending less time at the compa-ny, “he still comes around,” Johnson said. “He’s still very much involved in thebusiness. We bounce ideas off of each other.”

Unlike some families that work together, Johnson said that this relationshipdoesn’t have a lot of conflict. “We’ve always been able to talk to each other, nomatter what the subject – and stay calm.”

When the company was first founded, there weren’t any other car crushers inthe area. Even when other crushing companies opened up, the competition wasn’tlike it is now. “It seems like a cutthroat business as far as competition with otherscrap companies,” Johnson said, “where before everybody left the others alone.It’s gotten fierce, but there’s plenty of scrap for everybody.”

While competition has increased, the downturn in the markets has made itharder to sell material, and as a result the company recently had to downsize.Today, there are eight employees. “I had to lay off 12 recently,” Johnson said.“That was one of the toughest things I ever did. I don’t know if they’re all goingto come back – some of them have already found work.”

The biggest challenge, Johnson said, is “trying to stay ahead of the game.Trying to move stuff and being competitive with our competitors.” The flipside ofthat is that “there’s always something different – you have to stay on your toes.You keep evaluating.”

Keeping customers satisfied is one of Johnson’s priorities. “We’ll do anythingwe can to help. We give honesty and good service. We ask, ‘how can I help you?’”Helping also includes being involved in the community. “I’m involved in LittleLeague Baseball,” Johnson said. The company donates metal for Little Leagueprojects and fundraising whenever possible.


A Closer Lookby Donna Currie

Courtney Car Crushing Dave Johnson • 641-682-6106

needed, thereby eliminating the cost ofdrivers, insurance and maintenance. “I’mlaying-off drivers and hiring tow compa-nies,” said a Philadelphia area scrap yardowner. This may apply to deliveries thatare more efficiently handled by UPS orFederal Express Ground. Contractedbookkeeping, cleaning services and secre-tarial services are also options that may cutcosts.

Bean counting

Company finances are critical duringrecessions. Many business managers get ina comfortable rut with their accountant orCPA and develop personal relationships. Itmay be time to get some free, fresh opin-ions. Confidentially call in several firmsand pick their brains. There may be new

ideas and better, cheaper ways to accesscapital or tax opportunities being over-looked. If you need cash, talk to yourbanker, or find a more agreeable one. Youmay have equity in equipment or propertythat can be collateralized into cash. Theunavailability of credit has been somewhatexaggerated by the media – credit can befound if a business looks hard enough.

Bad debts

In a recession, avoiding bad anddoubtful debts is a genuine challenge.Having credit insurance is protection, butincreasing coverage may be necessary asexposure grows. Consider offering dis-counts for those that pay on time. Beforeyou turn business away because you thinkthe risk too great, offer a discount for pay-ing upfront. Phasing a sale by allowing thecustomer to buy smaller amounts and payas they go is another option.

Watch inventory

When business is booming, invento-ry control often goes on a back burner.For parts recyclers in lean times, a pack-rat mentality may come into play, result-ing in wasted labor and storage space, or“make work” stocking marginal items.One parts recycler interviewed has a365-day rule. If it sits on a shelf thatlong, it’s gone. If you sell a product, andyou believe your sales are going todecrease, it might be a good idea toreduce inventories and not restock to thesame level. This is a risky strategy so besure you know how long it will take torestock inventories when business picksup. “I haven’t been saving parts up untilabout a month ago. I’ve been doing it allmy life, but I kind of got away from itfor five or six years while the scrap mar-ket was rolling. Stocking parts is mynew job!” said a recycler in Ohio.

Be stingy

Be stingy and save money in everyarea. Make employees realize that every

time they spend company money, theyshould think of it is as their own. Askemployees for ideas to save money andinvolve them in the solution. Turninglights off when not in use and keepingthermostats down sends a message thatevery penny is important. Make andmend equipment. Use 800 numberswherever possible. Conserve office sup-plies and look for bargains. Savecoupons and shop at bulk retailers. Don’tbe a scrooge when it comes to expectedholiday parties or company picnics.Morale is important during hard times. ASan Francisco area recycler we inter-viewed said, “Company events are alsogood opportunities to invite customersand build stronger personal ties.”

Advertising and promotion

You need new business more thanever, so don’t stop advertising or promot-ing. Instead, become more aggressive andbe creative for more cost-effective spend-ing. Cutting the advertising budget is easybecause it can be done immediately. It’s aproven fact, that smart businesses increaseadvertising in a recession, even if aimed atdiscounting to move inventories and spurcash flow. During the last recession,McDonald’s almost tripled their advertis-ing budget while competitors cut back andthereby increased their market share andprofits appreciably. Tough economic timesweeds out competition, especially weakones with overly-bearish attitudes. Be pos-itive. If you act and look like you are goingout of business, you may. The pie may beshrinking, so promote more to get a biggerpiece. If you are a small and efficient busi-ness, there may be an opportunity toleapfrog a larger competitor because alarger competitor may have higher costs.Conversely, larger companies may be ableto promote economies of scale. Find yourunique selling point. The recession is agreat opportunity to emphasize strengths.Consider forms of direct marketing whereyou can specifically test several promo-tional strategies on a small scale at lowcost to find what brings the best returns.

Quality: Always in demand

Don’t skimp on quality customerservice or product quality and under-mine your marketing efforts. Quality hasvalue no matter the economic climate.Treat your best customers like gold,because they are.

Staying afloatContinued from Page 1

History is the GREATEST PREDICTOR

Year

AnnualTotal

Return

NextYear’s

ReturnPercentChange

19312008*1937197419302002

-43.3%-36.6%-35.0%-26.5%-24.9%-22.1%

-8.2%—

31.1%37.2%

-43.4%28.7%

+35.1%—

+66.1%+63.7%-18.5%

+50.8%*INCLUDES 2008 THROUGH NOVEMBER.

These are the S&P 500’s six most troubling years. History shows that 2009 should be a year of good news and growth.

During the last recession,McDonald’s almost tripled

their advertising budget whilecompetitors cut back andthereby increased their

market share and profits.

Audatex to integrate real-timeparts search engine by APU

Audatex North America, Inc. enteredinto a letter of intent for a multi-year prod-uct integration and distribution agreementwith APU Solutions, Inc., whose networkprovides nationwide parts availability,quality-rating, pricing and procurement.

The relationship would provide end-users with the ability to search and pur-chase locally available, graded salvageparts directly within the Audatex Estimat-ing™ system. Without leaving the AudatexEstimating system or rekeying data, userswill be able to leverage APU technology tosearch, select and purchase alternativeparts and include them on the Audatexestimate. The integrated solution leveragestechnology and relationships from Hollan-der, a Solera company, provider of tech-

nology and business solutions for the autorecycling industry, to benefit insurers, col-lision repair facilities, and auto recyclers.

The agreement covers business con-ducted by the companies throughout theUnited States and Canada, Audatex andAPU will align products and sales effortsthat will deliver integrated solutions.

Charles Lukens, CEO of APU Solu-tions, commented, “Audatex clearly sharesour commitment to product innovation andcustomer needs. By integrating our tech-nologies and jointly developing certainnew technologies together we’ll deliverworld-class estimatics and alternative part-procurement solutions that will reshapethe industry.”


800-823-9688Fax 419-931-9001

www.DADECapital.com

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• Up to 100% of your new equipment's purchase price.

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• No limit with financial disclosure.

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Program available for qualified borrowers.

We can refinance your recently-purchased newequipment to get you the funds you need today.

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Industry Conference in Scottsdale,Arizona.

“The Council of Motor Transporta-tion Administrator’s study determinedthat it is economical and a safe alterna-tive when proper care was taken toremove, store, catalogue, ship and installthe airbag,” said Watson. “The GeneralAccounting Office study said that recy-cled airbags can be a potentially safe useand an economical alternative to a newairbag as long as it is undamaged, prop-erly handled and installed.”

In 2003, the Insurance Institute forHighway Traffic Safety identified threeissues regarding recycled airbags. Theyare:

•They have to match theapplication.

•They cannot have suffered anywater damage or have been submerged.

•Their use will not promote autotheft.

Watson stressed that the Airbag Pro-tocol covers all three issues.

“We track every airbag and we have arecord,” he said. “We verify who is remov-ing it – we have proper training, regula-tions for storing and handling them appro-priately, we are trained in hazmat shippingfor all our drivers, we are using appropri-ate boxes for distribution, and we verifythat these bags have not been submergedor part of a flooded vehicle.

“For the auto theft issue,” he added,“we believe that if there is more wide-spread use of the bags, then it woulddiminish because we would be puttingquality airbags back into commerce,which would reduce the need for thefts. Inthe conclusion of their paper, while theystated that there are potential problems

with salvaged airbags, it is a justifiable usefor repair. It didn’t justify the non-use.”

“In all of the admonitions, especiallyfrom the OEM side,” said Byrne, “therehas never been a study published or datafrom the OEMs to say why a recycledOEM airbag could not perform properly asit was designed. The publications from theinsurance industry have been more mid-dle-of-the-road because they acknowledgethere are issues, but tacitly admit there isno evidence to discourage their use.”

He added that recycled airbags arematched to specific vehicle models, multi-ple copies of the inspection certificates arestored and that should a failure of anairbag occur, the item can be traced to thesupplier.

“They always deploy as intended,”said Byrne. “Even the GM Bulletin hasbasically said that one of the issues thatthey are trying to get across is that ‘origi-nal is forever.’ We are confident our ARA-Pro airbags will perform as intendedbecause they are designed to meet theOEM standards for quality, reliability,durability and safety.”

Technicians involved in airbagremoval are required to take compulsorytraining and must score 100 percent to becertified.

“Other than the Insurance Companyof British Columbia (ICBC) of Canada,we have small companies that are usingthem, whether they are in estimates ornot,” he said. “I do sense the majors’appreciation for the ARA’s efforts andAirbag Resources to create standards.”

Pitman agreed, stressing that educa-tion will win them over in the end. Watsonrecognizes that there are many competinginterests regarding airbags and that educa-tion efforts will have to include bodyrepair shops and consumers.

AirbagsContinued from Page 5

Mick, Sandra & Tyler PickettPickett Salvage, LLCBoxholm, Iowa

“We’re kickin’ out the tonswith our Al-jon 580 CL —1,300 tons in about 7 days.”

K E E P I N G I T S I M P L E . B U I L D I N G I T S T R O N G.

Get details today. • Al-jon MFG., LLC • 14599 2nd Avenue, Ottumwa, Iowa USA 52501

641-682-4506 or 800-255-6620 in North America • www.aljon.com

When scrap prices are high, the Al-jon 580CL scores extra points

for Mick, Sandra and their son, Tyler. “The cycle time is so quick, we

can’t bring materials to it fast enough,” explains Mick.

“The long boom easily loads semis that are 10 feet away. Plus, it

provides plenty of room to stack bales while we’re waiting for the

trucks to catch up,” he adds.

“After seeing others in operation, we think Al-jon makes the best

machines on the market.” He explains that resale values prove it.

“When we moved up to our 580CL, we sold our first machine, an Al-jon

400XL, for almost what we paid for it – after two years of hard use.

“The Al-jon people are super. They trained Tyler to efficiently operate

and perform maintenance. We’ve had no problems with either

machine. We’re overjoyed with Al-jon performance.”

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