The machine contains upgraded components and various innovations.

Tomra, based in Norway, has launched an updated model of its X-Tract metal sorting machine, featuring a new design and added features.

Notable is its dual processing technology, which increases the machine’s capacity per foot-width. This feature offers simultaneous single object and area processing, letting operators choose between high purity and high recovery sorting. The company says adjacent, overlapping and composite materials can all be identified through this process.

The sorting system features a Duoline XRT sensor with two independent line scans. According to Tomra, the sensor can detect copper wires and ultra-thin objects  to reduce material loss and increase profits.

Additionally, the new design is capable of sorting material at higher belt speeds ranging from 7.5 to 12.5 feet per second. Sorting chambers have been extended and new extraction ports have been added to accommodate the faster belt speeds.

The company says the accuracy of the new X-Tract has been strengthened due to an intensity scale feature that improves the detection of specific material groups such as printed circuit boards.

The equipment differs from older models in that it is based on a modular machine concept, Tomra says, which leads to more operational flexibility

Enhanced sensor shielding has been added to better protect X-Tract’s components while extending the lifetime of the machine. The sorting system comes with a 4-year extended warranty on the X-ray source and XRT sensor.

The add-on Tomra Insight service enables X-Tract to connect to online monitoring and digital services, letting Tomra’s service team identify potential issue and provide remote support.

The company says four new hires and two promotions bring growth and perspective.

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, has announced four new appointments to its team.   

The new hires include Natalie Garcia as technical division manager, Amanda Suntag as marketing and communications program manager, Kimberly Pittmon as database specialist and Monique Hyatte as membership services coordinator.   

SWANA also has announced Estela Martinez has been promoted to senior membership manager and Andre Owens has been promoted to membership manager.  

”We are very excited to onboard these new and talented employees to Team SWANA,” SWANA President and Executive Director David Biderman says. “I am very pleased to promote Estela and Andre in the membership department. These promotions reflect the terrific work that they have been doing at SWANA and for our members.”  

Garcia previously worked as an environmental health specialist for the city of Garland, Texas. Garcia will be working closely with SWANA’s seven technical divisions, which keep track of trending topics, connect experts and shape the future of the solid waste industry. Members of the technical divisions use the groups to share experiences and knowledge in their respected areas and network with others across the United States and Canada, and SWANA says Garcia’s background in communication and stakeholder engagement will be valuable as she assumes the role. Garcia has a bachelor of science in bioenvironmental sciences.  

Suntag joins SWANA’s marketing team after six years of experience in marketing, communication, branding and events. Suntag has worked for three associations and was most recently employed as a marketing and events specialist at the Center for Vein Restoration.  

Pittmon has 19 years of experience maintaining database integrity, reporting KPIs, writing database queries and providing member service. She formerly worked at the National Ready Mix Concrete Association.  

Hyatte brings years of association experience to her new role, first starting with association work in 1992. Since then, she has worked for multiple associations, accruing the customer service and database experience, which is essential to her role. Recently, she served as a membership and database manager for the National Club Association.  

Martinez’s new responsibilities will include management of SWANA’s Young Professionals (YP) program including developing and overseeing YP recruitment, retention and engagement. She will also oversee the YP Leadership Academy and provide guidance to the YP Steering Committee. Martinez will continue to be the main point of contact with SWANA’s 47 Chapters.  

Owens joined SWANA in November 2018 as the membership services coordinator. Some responsibilities that Owens will take on include management of MentorMatch, staff liaison for the YP program and managing the new member welcome program. 

The vice president of safety and compliance at Leadpoint has died at 57.

Brian Haney, vice president of safety and compliance at Leadpoint Business Services, has died of cancer at 57 years old. Haney is remembered for his numerous contributions to Leadpoint’s safety strategy. He created LiveSafe, a safety philosophy that helped Leadpoint associates understand safety both at work and at home. Haney followed this with another program, “Start Safe, LiveSafe,” which established proper safety practices during the first 90 days of Leadpoint’s presence at any new site.

“None of this work would have been possible without his leadership and genuine commitment to safety. We are extremely grateful for the time Brian was here and what he accomplished for our company and the recycling industry,” says Frank Ramirez, CEO and president of Leadpoint.

Before joining Leadpoint, Haney had experience working in safety and compliance roles for a Fortune 500 waste and recycling company, a used-oil and antifreeze recycler, an international chemical distributor and as an EHS consultant.

He presented at SWANApalooza and Waste Expo events, and according to Leadpoint, “worked tirelessly to improve safety across the industry.”

Haney is survived by his wife Jennifer and son Benjamin.

Aluminum's domestic market remains strong as U.S. industry investment hits the highest level in decades.

The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Virginia, has released preliminary estimates as part of its monthly Aluminum Situation Report showing a 5.3 percent growth in demand for the aluminum industry in North America through the first quarter of 2022. This follows estimated 8.2 percent demand growth through the end of 2021 and comes during a period of significant investment by U.S. aluminum producers, fabricators and recyclers.  

“The picture for the U.S. aluminum industry remains very strong,” says Charles Johnson, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association. “Economic recovery, demand for recyclable and sustainable materials and robust trade enforcement are all making America a very attractive place to make aluminum, as evidenced by the fastest pace of investment for the industry in decades.”  

The report states that aluminum demand in the United States and Canada totaled an estimated 7 million pounds in the first quarter compared to 6.6 million in the first quarter of 2021. All major semi-fabricated product categories saw increased year-over-year demand growth in the first quarter, led by sheet and plate products by 15.2 percent and extruded products by 7.3 percent. Overall, mill product demand grew 11 percent year-over-year through the first quarter.  

Aluminum exports, excluding scrap, to foreign countries declined 29.8 percent in the quarter. Imported aluminum and aluminum products into North America grew by 37.4 percent year-over-year in the quarter after growing 21.3 percent in 2021. While growing, these import levels remain below record volumes last seen in 2017.  

The association’s index of net new orders of aluminum mill products has shown an increase of 1.8 percent year-to-date.  

Over the past year, the aluminum industry has collectively committed or invested nearly $3.5 billion in U.S. manufacturing and more than $6.5 billion over the past decade. This included a $2.5 billion investment by member company Novelis to build a greenfield low carbon aluminum rolling mill and recycling facility in Bay Minette, Alabama, which is the single largest domestic aluminum investment in decades, according to the association.  

The association says the Aluminum Situation Report is one of more than two-dozen ongoing industry reports developed by them through surveys of aluminum producers, fabricators and recyclers. 

The Bureau of International Recycling says transboundary trade in ferrous scrap rose nearly 10 percent in 2021.

The Ferrous Division of the Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling has published the 13th edition of its “World Steel Recycling in Figures,” which contains global steelmaking and ferrous scrap trading figures for the years 2017 to 2021. The statistics for 2021 showed that despite trade policy and supply chain disruptions, cross-border ferrous scrap trading increased last year.

The print edition of the 44-page booklet was distributed at the BIR Ferrous Division meeting in late May in Barcelona by BIR Ferrous Statistics Advisor Rolf Willeke and Ferrous Division President Denis Reuter of Germany-based TSR Recycling. The 2021 edition also contains a new subtitle: “Steel Scrap - a Raw Material for Green Steelmaking.”

Citing “official trade statistics” and German steel federation WV Stahl, the BIR says global external steel scrap trade—including trade between EU nations—amounted to 109.6 million metric tons last year, representing a 9.7 increase compared with 2020.

Turkey last year again was the world’s largest ferrous scrap importer, bringing in slightly less than 25 million metric tons, or 11.4 percent more than in 2020, according to BIR. The country’s main supplier was the United States, from which it booked 3.77 million metric tons (down 13.7 percent from the 2020 volume).

Brexit changed the scrap trade dynamic in the EU. In 2021, the EU-27 took over as the world’s second-largest steel scrap importer, raising its import volume by 31.1 percent to more than 5.36 million metric tons. The region’s new main supplier was the United Kingdom, which supplied more than 1.63 million metric tons of ferrous scrap to its former EU compatriots.

The U.S. was the world’s third-largest ferrous scrap importer last year, bringing in more than 5.26 million metric tons. The majority of that scrap (3.75 million metric tons, or 71 percent) came from Canada.

Nations with rising ferrous scrap appetites in 2021 were South Korea (up 8.9 percent to nearly 4.8 million metric tons); Thailand (+18 percent to 1.65 million metric tons); Malaysia (+9.8 percent to 1.53 million metric tons); and Indonesia (+3 percent to 1.46 million metric tons).

Countries buying less overseas scrap in 2021 included India (-4.6 percent to 5.13 million metric tons); Pakistan (-8.4 percent to 4.16 million metric tons); Belarus (-14.7 percent to 1.14 million metric tons; and Canada (-21 percent to 815,000 metric tons).

Although China was by far the world’s largest steelmaker in 2021, BIR says its statistics indicate ferrous scrap consumption in that nation was 2.8 percent lower last year. Nonetheless, the 226.2 million metric tons consumed there means the country remained the world’s largest scrap user, thanks in part to an 11.5 percent increase in scrap-intensive electric arc furnace (EAF) production.

Steelmakers in the EU-27 nations upped their ferrous scrap intake by 16.7 percent (to 87.85 million metric tons) in 2021. In the U.S., steelmakers melted 18.3 percent more scrap, rising to 59.4 million metric tons of consumption.

Scrap surplus nations and regions with active export markets included the EU-27 as the world’s leading steel scrap exporter in 2021. It grew its outbound shipments by 11.5 percent last year, shipping out 19.46 million metric tons, with Turkey buying 13.1 million million metric tons, or 67 percent of the total.

U.S. export activity increased by 6.1 percent last year, rising to 17.9 million metric tons. Its largest buyer was an overland destination, with Mexico acquiring 3.14 million metric tons, or 17.5 percent of that total. 

The booklet also offers steel production statistics accumulated by the Brussels-based World Steel Association (Wordlsteel). Member nations of that organization contributed to a 2021 global crude steel production of 1.952 billion metric tons.

China’s steel output fell by 3 percent in 2021 compared with the year before, but it still accounted for 56.6 percent of the Worldsteel output total.

Steel output rose in many other nations in 2021 compared with the year before, including in the EU-27 (+15.4 percent); Japan (+15.8 percent); India (+17.9 percent); the U.S. (+18 percent); Russia (+5 percent); South Korea (+5 percent); Turkey (+12.7 percent); and Canada (+18.1 percent).

Also, according to Worldsteel, global basic oxygen furnace (BOF) production was essentially flat last year at 1.381 billion metric tons. EAF production, on the other hand, was higher by 14.4 percent compared with 2020, rising to 563 million metric tons.

The 13th edition of the BIR “World Steel Recycling in Figures” booklet can be viewed here.