Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Swiss investor announce fund designed to reach $500 million in capitalization.

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, Singapore, and Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM), Switzerland, have announced their intention to launch what they call a circular plastic fund.

The fund will aim to raise $500 million from institutional and other investors for scalable solutions to remove plastic waste from the environment, increase recycling, and drive the global transition toward a circular economy for the plastic value chain,” the Alliance says. The Alliance also says it will “serve as a cornerstone investor in the fund.”

“Our goal in partnering with Lombard Odier in relation to a circular plastic strategy is to grow investments in solutions that can help end plastic waste and contribute to a circular economy,” says Jacob Duer, president and CEO of the Alliance. “The strategy harnesses the collective intelligence of the plastic value chain and connects it with capital, bringing much needed solutions to scale. I am confident this will help focus financial market attention on the investment opportunity that plastic circularity represents, and help to catalyze multiple sources of financing for investments in circular solutions for plastic waste.”

Jean-Pascal Porcherot, co-head of LOIM, says “is strategy presents a compelling investment opportunity. It will target opportunities across all segments of the private equity spectrum - including direct and co-investments investments - with the objective to reduce plastic waste issues worldwide and deliver attractive financial returns and sustainability outcomes.”

The Alliance says it has mandated LOIM to “build and manage the fund with the objective of generating positive environmental, social, and economic impact together with attractive financial returns.”

The organization cites “industry estimates” that the transition to a circular value chain for plastic packaging represents a potential $1 trillion global economic opportunity by 2030.

The new fund will aim to target opportunities involving collection and sorting infrastructure, technology-enabled recycling infrastructure, design solutions for improved plastic durability, reuse and recyclability. “It will also aim to drive innovation in plastic chemistry and production which can simplify or make end of life treatment easier or more effective,” says the Alliance.

Jim Fitterling, chairman and CEO of United States-based Dow and chair of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, says, “The systemic transformation needed to enable a plastic circular economy requires societal, infrastructure and technology innovations. This strategy presents a meaningful opportunity to put the plastic waste management ecosystem firmly on the agendas of institutional investors to accelerate the transition to a global plastic circular economy.”

Lewis County, Washington, is home to a custom truck scale that can withstand the highly corrosive environment of its solid waste operations.

Built to withstand the highly corrosive solid waste environment, where a seemingly endless stream of garbage trucks tests its mettle, a truck scale that is in use in Lewis County, Washington, is an augmented version of a Survivor OTR from Rice Lake Weighing Systems, Rice Lake, Wisconsin. The entire truck scale, including cover plates and load cell stands, are made from hot-dipped galvanized steel.

Galvanization is a process that bonds molten zinc to steel, forming layers of armored alloy that shield the steel from corrosion. Invented in India in the fourth century, galvanization was first used in the construction of the Iron Pillar of Delhi, which still stands today—nearly 1,700 years later. The process has evolved dramatically over the centuries.

Rudimentary galvanic paint traditionally was used to fortify metal until hot-dip galvanization was invented in 1742, revolutionizing the process by immersing metal in molten zinc to create a uniform coating. In 1772, Luigi Galvani made another technological leap forward. While performing scientific experiments on frog cadavers, he discovered that electricity creates unusual results. First observing a simple muscle twitch in frog legs when electricity was applied, Galvani broadened his experiments to ultimately discover the electrochemical process that occurs between metals. In 1836, modern hot-dip galvanization was patented and named after Galvani.

First, metal is cleaned with sulfuric acid and fluxed with ammonium chloride before being coated in liquid zinc at a temperature of 840 F. This creates a strong, long-lasting bond between the metal and zinc and completely insulates the metal from contact with the surrounding environment.

Before the galvanized truck scale was installed, the Lewis County Solid Waste Utility was using a 20-year-old steel deck truck scale that finally had succumbed to the slow, steady march of time. Solid waste is a difficult material to handle, and Lewis County's equipment is expected to endure the test.

Collecting from residential and commercial customers, the county has no way of knowing the contents of each garbage can or dumpster—and people throw away some pretty strange things. Usually, they’re completely harmless; however, processing miscellaneous objects, such as propane tanks, concrete highway dividers or objects containing chemicals, can cause tremendous wear and tear on equipment. Heavy items create damaging collisions when loaded and transferred; combustible objects can explode; and chemicals from batteries, almost-empty household cleaning containers and everything in-between mix together to attack equipment. 

With no protective coating, the old scale was consumed by rust. Erratic readings and component lockups were becoming more frequent. It was time for an upgrade. To better serve the county, a scale designed for this environment and to fit the existing foundation was needed. Lewis County called Scales Northwest, a company with locations in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Bill Norwood, solid waste operations supervisor for Lewis County, says, “I’ve worked with other scale companies in the past, and Scales Northwest really knows the business inside and out. They were very professional and took care of all the measurements to make sure the scale fit our foundation. Ultimately, when the scale was installed, it fit perfectly.”

Before installation, however, another integral component to extend the scale’s life span was put in place: a gantry system to move the scale platform for routine cleanout.

Tracks running along each side of the foundation were put in place. This allows a gantry crane to be positioned on each corner of the truck scale. Chain is attached to custom pick-hooks built into the truck scale’s load cell pockets, and the entire scale deck is lifted and moved out of position for foundation cleanout. Every three months, the procedure takes place, and Lewis County has it down to a science.

“It only takes us two hours from start to finish,” Norwood says. “Because of the scale’s self-centering load cells, the procedure is pretty fast. When we’re done cleaning the pit, we can drop the scale back into position, and it’s ready to go. There is no checking system we have to fiddle with. It just works.”

Each Survivor truck scale features Rice Lake’s G-Force self-checking mounting system, which the company says uses gravity to return the scale to center without check rods or bumper bolts. “Our old scale used canister-type load cells,” Norwood says. “We had to hold each load cell in place with a little pin while we tried to align everything.” 

The shining armor adorning the scales is a visual indicator of the durability that lies within. This durability is exercised on each load. 

Because of the transfer process, the scales are subjected to more weight than dead load would indicate. When a truck dumps its contents on the tipping floor, located approximately 12 feet above the scales, a front-end loader pushes the solid waste to an opening in the floor. Beneath this opening, a container sitting atop the scale receives the payload. Those 12 feet might seem nominal, but the drop can create an impressive amount of velocity when it comes to heavy objects contained in the material. When these objects hit the bottom of the container, a force far exceeding the weight (called shock load) is exerted on the scale. Then, an excavator compacts the material, creating an aftershock.

Not everything from the trucks makes its way to the scale, however. Masters of repurposing, Lewis County salvages items that can be reused—from concrete blocks to decorative items. The blocks are used to build traffic lanes around the facility. Empty soda and water bottles create a greenhouse elsewhere on the property. Tin sculptures decorate the site and great visitors. One man’s trash is another’s treasure, indeed.

To some, galvanizing a truck scale might seem like an extreme measure. However, Lewis County needed an exceptional solution for its environment. From leachate to shock loading, any scale would be put to the test. “The amount of steel that’s in that scale is incredible,” Norwood says. “We joke that it would last 30 years without galvanization, so we estimate it’ll last exponentially longer with it. That scale will still be here after I’m long retired.”

This article was supplied by Rice Lake Weighing Systems, Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

NGO says increased PET bottle collection efforts may not focus on parts of the world where plastic flows into oceans.

Oceana Inc., Washington, says a recent study it commissioned has found targets set by the five largest soft drinks producers “would require collecting an additional 2.57 million metric tons of plastic bottles for recycling each year, [but] “there is no coherent strategy in any global region apart from Europe to reliably increase the supply.”

Oceana says its analysis was conducted by United Kingdom-based Eunomia Research & Consulting. It examined recycled content pledges made by Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone, and Keurig Dr Pepper and attempted to consider the feasibility of hitting those targets and the potential impact on ocean-bound plastic.

In the latter case, Oceana says it is “calling on major beverage companies to adopt or expand strategies that prioritize refillable bottles,” adding, “refillables have proven to be very effective at reducing waste.”

Oceana’s Strategic Initiatives Director Dr. Dana Miller says, “This report uncovers some worrying realities. It seems improbable that the recycled content pledges by large soft drink companies will be met and regardless, they won’t go far in helping the oceans.”

The five global companies have pledged to increase post-consumer recycled content in their polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET) bottles ranging from 25 to 50 percent by 2025. Oceana says Eunomia’s analysis shows that “to reliably increase the supply of recycled PET for the production of bottles [would] likely require significant government intervention.”

Problematic for protecting oceans is the disparity in collection methods in developed nations versus those with developing economies. Oceans says Eunomia found that even if the five companies can live up to their pledges, their current commitments would have little impact on reducing aquatic plastic pollution. “This is largely because bottles used for recycling are expected to predominantly be derived from already collected and managed waste streams rather than from mismanaged waste or littering,” Oceana says.

Eunomia Project Director Chris Sherrington says, “Our study found that significantly reducing the flow of used PET bottles to aquatic environments requires collection infrastructure to be introduced in places where none currently exists. While increased demand for recycled content can be expected to lead to a greater focus on obtaining used bottles, it doesn’t necessarily follow that this will all translate into the establishment of new collection infrastructure.”

In 2020, Oceana says it published a report concluding that increasing the market share of refillable bottles by 10 percent in all coastal countries in place of single-use PET bottles “could reduce PET bottle marine plastic pollution by as much as 22 percent.”

Companies own, track, and collect such bottles, and people who buy refillable bottles typically return them to the place of purchase in exchange for the deposit, says the group. Refillable bottle systems create less end-of-life material, since each bottle can be used up to 20 times if made of PET or up to 50 times if made of glass, adds Oceana.

Oceana has the attention of at least two beverage makers. In February of this year, the Coca-Cola Co. announced a commitment to reach 25 percent reusable packaging by 2030. A month later, PepsiCo announced it would be crafting a goal on reusable and refillable bottles by the end of 2022, says Oceana.

Cities in Florida and California purchase Mack LR Electric models.

Mack Trucks, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, has announced the sale of four Mack LR electric vehicle (EV) refuse collection trucks to three different cities. The announcements were timed to coincide with the 2022 WasteExpo event in Las Vegas.

The city of Ocala, Florida, has purchased two Mack LR Electric models to add to its solid waste management fleet, Mack says.

“It’s no surprise that a progressive operation like the city of Ocala, a longtime Mack customer, is ready to deploy two Mack LR Electric trucks to help them achieve their environmental goals, as well as to reduce the noise during refuse collection,” says Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of sales and commercial operations. “The LR Electric features battery-electric technology that offers zero emissions and a quiet ride, as well as all of the amenities of our popular diesel-powered LR model.”

The City of Ocala, population 65,000, operates 40 refuse vehicles in its fleet, collecting both residential and commercial refuse. That same city also has deployed EV trucks made by New Way and BYD.

About 70 percent of the city’s waste collection capacity is serving commercial routes, utilizing front-loaders, and 30 percent is residential, using automated side-loaders. Mack says the LR Electric models will be involved in both.

“We chose the Mack LR Electric for numerous reasons,” says John King, fleet and facilities director for the city of Ocala. “Mack has an excellent reputation for building refuse vehicles, so they fully understand the complexities associated with the collection of garbage and waste disposal. We have a longtime relationship with Mack and have many diesel-powered Mack trucks in our fleet, so our technicians are familiar with the vehicles. Further, Mack has been producing trucks for more than 100 years, so it’s natural that they would successfully progress to EVs.”

Farther south in Florida, Miami-Dade County has agreed to purchase a Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle, calling it the first heavy-duty EV to be added to its fleet. The Miami-Dade LR Electric vehicle is fitted with a truck body made by Canada-based Labrie Group. Nextran Truck Centers will service and support the vehicle.

The LR Electric model will be used in residential route collection by Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management, which serves a population of 2.8 million.

“We are extremely excited about adding our very first electric truck to our solid waste collection fleet to help us reduce emissions and reach our climate action goals,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says. “Miami-Dade County is fully committed to climate action, and this is the perfect example of how we are investing in innovative, energy-efficient alternatives that allow us to continue providing the best service to our residents while also protecting the environment.”

On the opposite coast, the city of Santa Cruz, California, has purchased a Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle, as the first fully electric vehicle in its sanitation fleet, according to Mack. The truck maker says Santa Cruz also “plans to purchase another.”

Santa Cruz staff decided to purchase the Mack LR Electric after investigating EVs produced by several OEMs, according to Mack. The city plans to begin operating the LR Electric truck in September on a route that is both residential and commercial.

“The city is committed to sustainability and green energy,” says Guadalupe Sanchez, superintendent of resource recovery for disposal and processing for the city of Santa Cruz. “The Mack LR Electric will help us reduce emissions, improving air quality while also helping us move toward our environmental goals. Our confidence in the LR Electric was further elevated following a demonstration showcasing the vehicle’s performance.”

The LR Electric is produced at the Mack Lehigh Valley Operations facility in Pennsylvania, where all Mack Class 8 models for North America and export are assembled, the company says.

The soybean oil compound replaces a portion of the petroleum used in tire production and is sourced from left over food applications.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., headquartered in Akron, Ohio, debuted its latest tire innovation at Waste Expo in Las Vegas. Goodyear launched a new formulation of its Endurance WHA waste haul tire made with a renewable soybean oil compound. Soybean oil replaces a portion of the petroleum-based materials traditionally used in tire production.

Jessica Julian, product marketing manager for Goodyear, says the inclusion of the soybean oil compound aligns with Goodyear’s focus on providing sustainable options for Goodyear’s clients as well as increasing Goodyear’s overall sustainability as a company.

The soybean oil in the tire is a bio-based material currently sourced from surplus left over from food applications and is another step in Goodyear’s global journey to fully replace petroleum-derived oils by 2040.

“Producing the new Endurance WHA tire lineup with a sustainable soybean oil compound will help waste haul fleets pursue their sustainability goals while delivering the long hours to removal that the Endurance WHA tire is known for,” Julian said. “In each new Endurance WHA tire, soybean oil will replace almost 16 liquid ounces of free-flowing petroleum oil – almost as much as a 16-ounce red plastic party cup. When you multiply that by a moderately-sized regional waste haul fleet of around 500 trucks, it could decrease petroleum-based products by the equivalent of almost 15 barrels of oil.” 

Julian said the technology for the tire was first applied in the company’s consumer tires, and the success of that application allowed Goodyear to expand the use to its larger commercial tires.

Endurance WHA tire models made with soybean oil are now available for order and will head into production in Q3 of 2022.

The Endurance WHA tire is designed to keep waste haul fleets on the road longer with a dual-layer tread compound that helps optimize treadwear. Add to that, rolling resistance and a deep 24/32" skid depth for long tread life in waste haul applications. Additionally, the Endurance WHA comes with optional built-in DuraSeal Technology that instantly seals tread punctures to help fleets reduce downtime, costly repairs and premature removal of a tire.

Goodyear also offers a cloud-based system, TPMS, that provides fleet insights to its customers. Users can receive updates and warnings on tire pressure and performance to keep track of fleets and stay up to date on maintenance.