eREC: Virtual, convenient, good!

For the third time, eREC took place from October 4 to 9, 2021. With a total of 5,872 international visitor registrations, 27 exhibitors and partners, and 32 web conferences with 2,646 participants, the virtual expo for the recycling industry proved to be another big success. Thanks to all speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and our host for their commitment and support!

The presentations in both German and English on current industry topics demonstrated the far-reaching spectrum of the waste management, recycling, and environmental service industry. Once again, we were able to stick to the tight timetable of the supporting program, which proceeded without any problems during the whole week. Especially the subsequent Q&A sessions held together with speakers and visitors were an excellent opportunity to interact and communicate with each other. Participants particularly praised the networking potential for the industry that this format once again offered.

The Recycler’s Talk on ” End-of-waste: Time to Move Forward”, presented by Felix Bott, also gained a lot of positive feedback. We will summarize several of the presentations in the next issue of EU Recycling. You will find all webinars on our YouTube channel.

The raffle winners were drawn on the last day of the expo. “Wow, that’s great news – I’m very happy! I’ve just been dancing through the living room,” the winner of the main prize (1 Apple MacBook Air sponsor by AfB) was quoted.

Source: MSV GmbH

eREC 2021: The Virtual Space for the Recycling and Waste Management Industry

For the second time, eREC, the digital recycling expo and conference for circular economy and waste management, will finally start. From May 3 to 8, 2021, visitors can explore the virtual expo, get in touch with companies and organizations, and benefit from the broad framework program. Get a free ticket, and don’t miss the new digital experience!

In 2020, eREC proved to be an interactive get-together for visitors and a gathering place for companies from the national and international recycling, waste management, and environmental service industries.

Industry experts, organizations, distributors, and manufacturers came together and used the platform to keep up the vital dialogue with each other. After the first successful kick-off, the second edition of the virtual expo for the recycling industry will now follow. And the exhibitors are already looking forward to welcoming this year’s visitors. Among others, the following companies are already waiting for you: AMCS Group, Craemer, Doppstadt, Forrec, Komptech, Q-SOFT, Steinert, Westeria, and many more.

Of course, like last year, all participants can take part in a broad and hands-on program with webinars, discussions, and presentations focusing on current trends such as cybersecurity, circular economy in the field of e-commerce, digitalization in the recycling industry, sorting of commercial waste, waste collection, gaps and challenges in plastic recycling ecosystem or smart city waste collection.

And don’t miss this year’s raffle! Those taking part in the raffle have the chance to win fantastic prizes such as an Apple MacBook Air, a Samsung Galaxy S20, or a PlayStation 4. The products are sponsored by Back Market, one of the largest marketplaces for refurbished technology in Europe. Besides, 20 surprise goody bags will be sponsored by Komptech.

Picture: MSV GmbH

eREC stands for an innovative concept, digital networking, interactive design, rich content, and an exceptional virtual experience. Therefore, be part of an exciting, new, digital event and register now.

Use the following link to sign up, after signing up you have free access to eREC’s program: https://erec.info/visitor/

Source: MSV GmbH

The Next eREC Is Coming Soon!

4,448 registered visitors, 45 webinars/conferences held over five days and 3,053 participants: The first eREC – digital exhibition for the recycling industry from August 31 to September 5, 2020 was a great success. Already while the event was still going on, it was obvious: “We’ll be doing it again next year”. And in 2021 eREC will be held twice: from 3 to 8 May and from 4 to 9 October!

The realization of a new virtual expo and conference format only started in April. The eREC-team put 200 percent of their efforts into this and achieved great results in just five months. Initially, there were still doubts about whether there would be enough participants for the eREC framework program. However, there were no more slots available two weeks before the event’s premiere. Event marketing experts, graphic designers, and technical support were all available 24/7 to help 32 international exhibitors and were highly praised for their efforts. Together, it was possible to realize fantastic digital exhibition stands with high-quality content.

Source: MSV GmbH

A special thanks goes to eREC’s host Felix Bott, who professionally guided through the conference and welcomed all special guests and well-known speakers from business, science, technology, and research. From a technical point of view, all went smoothly. The internet connection was stable the whole week and delivered the required high level of performance. On the morning of September 2, momentary, the server went down because of the high number of visitors, but this was solved quickly. The feedback received for the event was consistently positive.

All webinars are still available on the eREC YouTube channel.

The new virtual expo and conference will never be a replacement for real trade fairs. However, it has turned out that this virtual expo is a realistic and economical alternative to generate new qualified leads and to present oneself as a company in the recycling industry in a new and modern way.

Feedback: eREC 2020

Oliver Kürth, EU-Recycling Magazine editor & publisher / MSV Mediaservice & Verlag GmbH, initiator & organizer of eREC: The realization of the event was a big challenge for our team and an exciting project. The numbers of participants attending the program and registering for the webinars were pleasingly high. The winners of the Solar Power Banks and the EU Recycling Subscriptions have already been informed. “Wow! Thanks a lot! I’ve never won anything before,” said one of the winners.

I hope that we have made a significant contribution to pushing digitalization further in the recycling industry. Due to the positive feedback, we did not spend much time thinking about whether to hold another virtual trade fair. Next year, we will be hosting not just one, but two virtual trade fairs for the recycling industry. I am sure that we were able to convince the companies that were still hesitant about participating in eREC to attend the next trade fairs to benefit from the advantages of a virtual event. Next year, the eREC-team will support you again to optimize your trade show presence and generate leads and B2B contacts.

APK AG: For APK AG, eREC was the first virtual trade fair at which we participated with a virtual stand. In times of Covid-19 and as a medium-sized company in the recycling industry, it became even more essential for us to present our innovative technology Newcycling. The APK team agrees that virtual formats will become significantly more important in the future and, therefore, we attended the expo with great interest. We are very grateful for the Innovation Prize, which emphasizes the relevance of Newcycling for a recycling economy for plastics!

Source: MSV GmbH

UNTHA shredding technology: We were both skeptical and curious before our first participation in a virtual trade fair. However, the concept of eREC positively surprised us for several reasons: Firstly, we were able to generate many new and promising leads. Secondly, the effort and costs were reasonable. And last but not least, it was the interactive design and professional support by Felix Bott that convinced us. UNTHA shredding technology will certainly remain part of the virtual trade fair scenery for a long time to come as it is a perfect addition to live trade fairs.

Barbara Höller, founder & creator of BADALA: The Digital Recycling Expo has proven to be a valuable international platform for the recycling industry. We all know how quickly climate protection must be realized, and that the ecological footprint of the world’s population must be reduced. All the more, it was a wonderful opportunity for us to present our BADALA recycling program at eREC. The diverse interest and feedback of the visitors encouraged us that our actions based on the principle of resource utilization will be the future.

Elias Chairentin, Eggersmann Group: On behalf of the Eggersmann Group, I would like to thank you for your support. I think you did a very good job – a great organization and the concept was also very successful! I can imagine that it was a special week for you too. Many, many thanks – see you at the next show!

Teresa Erben, fors.earth – Strategy Consulting for Sustainability: We were happy to be part of eREC 2020. Many thanks for the opportunity!

Paul Williams, ERI direct: My colleague John Shegerian was satisfied with all aspects of eREC. John held two webinars and participated in the panel discussion. You all did a great job, and Felix Bott was a fantastic moderator.

Michael Beetz, Hellmann Process Management: Thank you for the innovative and informative expo!

Elena Pack, Interseroh: Great number of people attending our webinar, and it was a fantastic exchange for us too.

Dr. Ralf Leinemann, INEOS Styrolution: Many thanks from our side as well! The cooperation was very pleasant, and the first questions we got from participants allowed us to talk to potential customers – or customers of our customers.

Komptech: eREC was an excellent opportunity for us to present our products and solutions to a broad audience from our industry. The concept, made up of webinars and interactive exhibition stands, attracted a great deal of attention, which is why we can look back on an exceptionally successful week at the fair. Building on this success, we are already looking forward to a new event next year.

Thomas Willeke, Head of Marketing, Doppstadt Umwelttechnik: And suddenly digital trade fairs are the norm – a challenge for companies like us to advertise our product portfolio through new channels. One of them was eREC, where we were able to successfully present topics such as “mobile modular plant and processing concepts” to customers and sales partners via online presentations. I am convinced that the future needs more eRECs.

FORREC Srl: Attending physical fairs has been always essential for FORREC. Greeting in person, shaking hands and answering questions real time is the beauty of a real event. As Italians we really care about this aspect of the relation with our customers. Thanks to eRECc we have found a new way of communicating, reaching new leads and approaching the right customer at a faster pace. That’s not the future but our present! The Forrec team has been facilitated by the kindness and the patience of Julia, Felix and the eREC team has made everything much easier and manageable.

Thank you for attending our expo and conference as exhibitor, visitor, and speaker! The next eREC will definitely come. We are looking forward to seeing you there again: 3 to 8 May and 4 to 9 October 2021. 

Source: MSV GmbH

Komptech at eREC – Future-ready solutions with GREEN BOOST

Komptech is showing how waste handling and recycling companies can be ready for future requirements at eREC 2020, the first digital trade fair for the recycling industry. Among other things, Komptech will be showing the Crambo and Terminator shredders with new e-mobile power design, and the “Komptech Rental” options for boosting flexibility and economy in contract work.

“The waste industry is subject to very dynamic changes, with continually shifting requirements for companies. At eREC we want to show that we are extremely well prepared and can assist our customers with individual solutions,” says Komptech CEO Heinz Leitner. With “GREEN BOOST Your Business” as its slogan, Komptech offers the appropriate machines, outfitting and service models together in an all-in approach that goes beyond merely selling machines.

Shredders now with electric drive: Terminator and Crambo
The new e-mobile versions of the Terminator and Crambo shredders combine the advantages of stationary electrically operated systems, like no emissions and less noise, with the flexibility of mobile machines. The design allows for flexible indoor and outdoor use, and also enables the use of renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. The hydraulic system of the electric versions is powered by a highly efficient electric motor, which saves up to 70 percent of the energy costs for the same throughput. Komptech has driven the development of energy efficient machines for years, and offers an extensive selection of electrically powered star and drum screens.

Nemus 620 and Maxx 518 special models
With the special Nemus 620 and Maxx 518 models, Komptech offers drum screens for users looking for cost-effective, tough, powerful and low-cost machines for their original SM 620 and SM 518 screen drums. The Nemus is also excellent for screening heavy materials like stones, earth, soil and C&D recyclables. The Maxx’ simple handling makes it the perfect choice for medium-size and larger composting operations.

Komptech Rental as an alternative to machine buying
In addition to the new machines, at eREC 2020 Komptech is presenting its “Komptech Rental” business model. Users who need to cover demand spikes without high investments, want to try out new business fields, or want to test innovative technologies, can rent machines from Komptech. The rental term can extend from five working days to a year. “With Komptech Rental, companies can quickly and flexibly source a defined function without long-term commitment,” explains Heinz Leitner. Rental offerings comprise wood and universal shredders, screeners, wind sifters, stone separators and metal separators. Komptech’s product and process specialists help with the selection of suitable machines and application-specific equipment. Ongoing maintenance and spare parts supply are included in the rental fee.

Virtual Stand at eREC 2020 (Graphic: Komptech)

The eREC 2020 digital trade fair
eREC, the first digital trade fair for the recycling industry, will be held from 31 August to 5 September. With virtual booths, webinars, presentations and podium discussions, it offers an opportunity to gather comprehensive information about international trends and news in the recycling and waste disposal industry. The digital context makes it easy to find out about mobile or stationary machines.

Attendees are invited to visit the Komptech fair booth and talk to product and process specialists by live chat. They can also get more detailed product presentations, videos and links.

As part of the eREC events program, Ewald Konrad, Komptech International Sales Manager, will talk about how Komptech is assisting its recycling customers going forward. He’ll also look at the global megatrends: What challenges do they bring for the waste industry? What opportunities do they offer? What application-specific and economically beneficial solutions does Komptech provide?

Free registration for the eREC expo and the presentation at: https://erec.expo-ip.com/

More information: www.komptech.com

Source: Komptech GmbH

TX1600 Shredder by Forrec is the new solution for the disposal of End-of-Life Tyres

Forrec has designed and produced TX1600: the new shredder for the disposal of End-of-Life Tyres.

ELTs (End-of-Life Tyres) Management has become a global issue and the correct disposal of this kind of solid waste has become more and more crucial. 

Forrec has designed and manufactured a complete system for the treatment of End-of-Life Tyres, which fulfills the new different requirements concerning the correct disposal of this kind of waste.

The plants developed by Forrec for scrap tyre recycling are zero impact systems, that allow to get a clean product ready to be employed as a second raw material for many contexts. 

TX1600 Shredder is one of the latest systems for tyre recycling designed by Forrec to respond to specific needs, without giving up productivity, which must never fall below 5 tons per hour for the treatment to be economically sustainable. The new TX1600 shredder is equipped with special “clean cut” blades which fulfill the problem of fraying the steel wire in the rubber of the tyre. TX1600 shredder is designed with particular attention to operating costs: low speed and high torque guarantee maximum performances with low consumption. A plant using the new TX1600 technology has already been supplied by Forrec to a customer in the United Arab Emirates.

Forrec designs and produces industrial plants and a wide range of shredders and grinders for the recycling and treatment of any type of solid waste: Weee, plastic, refrigerators, paper, MSW, wood, electric cables and motors, hospital waste, etc. Forrec team of technicians and professionals develops modular and tailor-made plants for waste disposal using increasingly advanced and environmentally-friendly technologies. 

Forrec will take part at eREC 2020 the digital expo for recycling industry. Use the following link to sign up as a visitor for eREC 2020. After that, you have free access to the the program and you can sign up for Forrec’s Webinar about “The Right Steps to a Profitable Recycling Technology”: erec.expo-ip.com

Find more information about Forrec’s plants and systems: www.forrec.eu

Source: Forrec (Padova, 10th of August, 2020)

ESWET: Time to ensure sustainable waste shipments in Europe

ESWET welcomes the Commission’s initiative to carry out a revision of the Waste Shipment Regulation as a right step in the path of the European Green Deal. Proper waste management is a key aspect of the green transition.

Over the past decades, exports of waste to non-European countries have rose steadily, pushing the waste issue far away but failing to properly address it. Repeated abuses in international waste shipments have highlighted the need for Europe to take care of its waste under EU environmental standards.

For a pragmatic approach on the matter, ESWET releases today a policy briefing with a number of recommendations targeted at an efficient revision of the Waste Shipment Regulation.

  • Adopt a proximity approach to waste export, maintaining EFTA countries as a preferential partner.
  • Keep the Waste Shipment Regulation flexible enough to ensure the synergy of the waste hierarchy: every level has a role to play in the circular economy for the safe management of waste.
  • Further reduce the flow of waste shipped outside of the EU, as sound waste management is often uncertain in non-OECD countries.
  • Support the creation of a functioning market for secondary raw materials recovered by the recycling industry and Waste-to-Energy plants.

In order to make waste shipments out of Europe a thing of the past, Europe needs to further support internal and sustainable waste treatment practices. As waste generation is growing, the need in non-recyclable waste treatment capacity is expected to significantly increase.

It is thus crucial for the EU legislators to consider the role of waste-to-energy in the circular economy as a complementary tool to recycling. Otherwise non-recyclable waste would be left with no option for treatment but landfills.

The full policy briefing is available here: https://bit.ly/33bisOq

Source: ESWET – European Suppliers of Waste-to-Energy Technology aisbl (Brussels, 30 July 2020, Photo: Rinson Chory/Unsplash)

Substantial environmental benefits from mechanical tyre recycling into infill for artificial turf pitches are demonstrated by new LCA Study

Tyres are complex products subject to strict standards to fulfill mobility and safety requirements. Proper treatment of end-of-life tyres (ELTs) is essential to recover valuable materials of which tyres are made, namely rubber, steel and textiles. A new peer-reviewed study, based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) meeting ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, made by the Danish FORCE Technology Institute and the German ifeu – Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg GmbH[1] demonstrates that mechanical recycling of ELTs into infill for artificial pitches is, by far, the most sound treatment option in terms of circularity and climate benefits. The LCA study shows that the mechanical recycling of an average of 400,000 tonnes of ELTs processed into infill for artificial turf – when compared with energy recovery – spares the environment 280,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually in the EU. To give an order of magnitude, ELT recycling as infill into artificial turfs offsets greenhouse gases emissions (GHS) comparable to the amount of GHS absorbed by 140,000 hectares (approx. 250 million trees) of forest land in the EU[2].

In Europe, more than 3 million tonnes of ELTs are generated annually. From these ELTs, it is estimated that around 60% are used in material recovery applications. This means that almost 40% of the discarded tyres mostly follow a linear economy model, involving combustion for energy recovery which generates greenhouse gases emissions, posing an environmental concern especially when those tyres are exported to non-EU countries with less stringent environmental legislation. In contrast with co-incineration, mechanical tyre recycling yields a valuable greater amount of raw materials for other processes, raw materials that otherwise are often extracted and imported from outside Europe. From those ELTs going through material recovery, 400.000 tonnes are upcycled per year to be used as infill in artificial turf pitches in EU + United Kingdom + Norway. Artificial turf pitches represent one of the main market applications for rubber granulate from ELT and it is present in approx. 75-80% of European artificial turf pitches.

ELT-derived synthetic turf systems offer significant benefits to society due to their ability to sustain intensive use throughout the years in most weather conditions. They are also meeting the highest standards in terms of players’ safety by minimizing the risk of injuries, of skin burns and abrasions (e.g., strained ankles and knee injuries). Furthermore, ELT-derived infill is known to be among the best materials regarding physical and sport performance (i.e., elasticity and durability) as well as in terms of sustainability, having a low carbon footprint in comparison with other alternatives.

The new LCA study confirms the positive climate and environmental footprint of mechanical tyre recycling when compared to co-incineration. On average, for each tonne of end-of-life tyres processed into ELT rubber and used as infill in artificial turf pitches, the climate is spared 700 kg of CO2 equivalents, confirming that ELT recycling supports the overarching objectives set in The European Green Deal to speed up the transition towards a circular economy and achieve climate neutrality by 2050

As the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has recently expressed a preference for a complete ban with a transitory period for ELT-derived infill in relation to the ongoing assessment of the restriction on intentionally added microplastics, EuRIC MTR looks forward to bringing further evidence that standardized risk management measures can effectively prevent the release of microplastics from rubber granulate into the environment to preserve a sound use of recycled materials offering substantial societal and climate benefits.

[1] Life cycle assessment of waste tyre treatments: Material recycling vs. coincineration in cement kilns, Force Technology with contribution by ifeu – Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg GmbH, for GENAN Holding A/S, May, 2020.

[1] European Parliament News. Climate change: using EU forests to offset carbon emissions (Eurostat), April, 2018.

Source:  EuRIC (Photo: O. Kürth)

 

EuRIC unveils Plastic Recycling Brochure

Plastic is an important and ubiquitous material in our daily lives and for the European economy. However, to maximize their multiple benefits and mitigate environmental impacts, improving the circularity of plastics at all stages of the value chain – design, production, use and recycling phases – is instrumental. Recycling plays a key role in that respect by turning waste into high-quality recyclates. By doing so, it contributes to save virgin resources, greenhouse gas emissions and energy. 

Source: EuRIC

The Brochure highlights the importance of moving towards a circular economy for plastics in Europe. It identifies the most commonly used types of plastics and describes the current state-of-play, challenges faced by the European mechanical plastics recycling industry alongside with key recommendations to overcome them. Plastics recycling’s environmental benefits and economic importance is also touched upon.

Paul Mayhew, President of EuRIC’s Plastic Recycling Branch (EPRB) and General Manager at MBA Polymers, emphasized the major contribution that plastics recycling can make towards a circular economy for improving Europe’s competitiveness and resource efficiency.

Moving towards a more sustainable economy for plastics will deliver considerable benefits. What is missing in order to speed up that transition are measures to stimulate the demand for recycled plastics in products through recycled content targets and incentives rewarding their environmental benefits when compared with virgin plastics and a more consistent legislative framework. It is essential to further restrict landfill and incineration of but also better control unprocessed plastic waste exports outside Europe to countries with lower recycling standards.

These measures are even more urgent today with the plastic recycling industry which has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with a plummeting demand and overly low virgin plastics prices with whom recycled polymers compete.

Following the substantiated call for recycled content of plastics in new cars recently launched by EuRIC, this factsheet will be followed by other publications stressing the vital role played by the recycling industry to realize the transition towards a circular economy and to make of the EU the first world-class economy to achieve climate-neutrality by 2050.

Source: EuRIC

Characterisation of fires caused by batteries in WEEE (Report)

More and more electrical and electronic products in everyday life contain batteries, making life more convenient or pleasant. However, those same batteries, when damaged, also increasingly cause these products to catch fires.

In the past few months, organisations representative of the industry that manages the collection and treatment of spent batteries and electronic waste (WEEE) and of manufacturers of home appliances and consumer electronics gathered to exchange views about this issue of growing concern in order to design measures to counter the frequent occurrence of fires. A survey among recyclers resulted in a better understanding of the issue of fires in the WEEE management chain. The report, “Characterisation of fires caused by batteries in WEEE”, has been prepared by EuRIC and the WEEE Forum with the active contribution of experts from various organisations including the co-signatories namely EERA, EUCOBAT, Municipal Waste Europe and the WEEELABEX Organisation. It seeks to jointly assess the severity of the issue.

The survey shows that the number of fires in the WEEE management chain is going up and that the fires mainly occur in mixed WEEE. Damaged batteries are seen as responsible for those fires.

“Battery fires are one of the most important issue impacting recyclers currently” says Emmanuel Katrakis, Secretary General at EuRIC, the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation. “This fact-based report confirms that fires occur at every stage of the collection and treatment of WEEE, but we see a higher prevalence during treatment and at the logistics and pre-treatment stages during storage”, the survey tells us that for most fires, there is a high prevalence of frequent yet small thermal events that cause no or little damage. The most severe fires identified by respondents were mostly described as intense fires and lasting between 1 to 6 hours. More than a third of the respondents reports one of those severe fires. The report roughly estimates the average costs associated to most frequent fires in 190 000 €, and 1.3 M€ for most severe fires.

The report includes a set of recommendations to further investigate some aspects that were addressed in the survey, but for which an in-depth analysis is key to have a better grasp of the issue. This includes for instance consequences for the reuse sector, the efficiency of the rules concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road (ADR), or the detailed cost breakdown of damages caused by battery fires.

“This report provides a set of facts and figures”, says Pascal Leroy, Director General at the WEEE Forum, the international voice of e-waste producer responsibility organisations. “It was extremely important to carry out that work collectively in a Roundtable, gathering the most relevant representative organisations in order to develop a shared understanding of the issues of concern. A follow-up report will analyse best practices to tackle fires associated with batteries”, he added.

 

For any inquiries on the subject please contact euric@euric-aisbl.eu and info@weee-forum.org.

Source: EuRIC (Photo: Benny Van den Steen)