Machinex to Launch New AI-Based Platform at IFAT 2026
Recycling equipment maker Machinex announced it will launch a new artificial‑intelligence platform at the IFAT 2026 trade show in Munich, May 4‑8. The system‑wide solution moves beyond standalone sorting tech, delivering material analysis, real‑time decision‑making, system optimization and advanced reporting. Machinex says the platform will help operators meet rising efficiency targets and compliance demands such as extended producer responsibility and deposit‑return schemes. The company will also showcase its Mach Hyspec optical sorter, SamurAI robot and Mach Vision products at booth 335, Hall B5.
Fornnax Features Upgraded Primary Shredder at India Rubber Expo 2026
Fornnax Technology unveiled an upgraded Primary Shredder at the India Rubber Expo 2026, featuring revamped cutting geometry, drive configurations, and machine architecture. The enhancements address tighter specifications from clients such as GRP Ltd. and Fishfa Rubbers, who are shifting toward...
Cross Wrap Solution Supports Restart of Circulose Recycling Plant
Cross Wrap, a Finnish developer of automated bale handling equipment, has delivered a dewiring and in‑feeding system to enable the restart of Circulose’s Ortviken textile‑recycling plant in Sweden. The plant, the world’s first commercial‑scale chemical textile recycler, will resume production...
Plastics, ACC to Host Legislative Fly-In
The Plastics Industry Association and the American Chemistry Council are co‑hosting a legislative fly‑in in Washington from April 13‑15, bringing manufacturers, recyclers and suppliers together with federal policymakers. Attendees will push for policies that reinforce U.S. manufacturing leadership, provide trade certainty,...
Light House, Infina Technologies Partner on Construction Site Plastics Recycling Production Run
Light House and Infina Technologies completed the first production run of InfinaNet, a structural system built from plastics recovered on construction sites. The pilot Construction Plastics Initiative captured waste from eight Vancouver projects, converting it into recycled pellets via Plascon...
BIR Urges Policymakers to Emphasize Steel Recycling
The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) has warned policymakers that current green‑steel standards using a sliding‑scale methodology reward carbon‑intensive production and penalize recycled‑steel use. It criticises two competing standards—ResponsibleSteel’s sliding scale and the Global Steel Climate Council’s approach—for creating a...
Sustainability Receding as Packaging Priority, Says McKinsey
McKinsey’s new 3,000‑word analysis finds sustainability in packaging losing momentum, with consumers ranking it among their bottom three purchase considerations. While the priority remains, growth is now confined to specific applications rather than across entire CPG portfolios. The study, based...
Court Denies AF&PA Motion to Join NAW Lawsuit in Oregon
A federal judge denied the American Forest & Paper Association's (AF&PA) request to intervene in the National Association of Wholesaler‑Distributors' lawsuit challenging Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act (RMA). The RMA, an extended producer responsibility program, will take effect on July 1,...
Bollegraaf Announces Executive Hire
Bollegraaf, a Dutch maker of recycling and baling equipment, has appointed Fabrizio Radice as its new chief commercial officer. Radice arrives with more than 25 years of senior‑management experience across industrial, automation, life‑science and high‑tech sectors, most recently serving as senior...
Recycled Steel Prices Stay Afloat Amidst Latest Storm
U.S. steel mills increased output in early April, lifting raw‑steel production by 8.2% year‑over‑year to 1.83 million tons and pushing capacity utilization to 79.1%. Despite higher domestic supply, recycled‑steel prices remained flat in March, with benchmark grades holding gains made over...
WPU Plans Chemical Recycling Facility in Europe
Waste Plastic Upcycling (WPU), owned by Vitol, announced a new chemical recycling plant at the Port of Rotterdam. The facility will handle 80,000 metric tons of post‑consumer plastic annually, raising WPU’s total capacity to 100,000 tons. Using proprietary batch pyrolysis,...
Meridian Waste Acquires Waste Knot
Meridian Waste Virginia LLC, the Virginia arm of Charlotte‑based Meridian Waste, has acquired Waste Knot LLC, expanding its footprint in the greater Richmond market. The acquisition adds residential and commercial collection routes, increasing density and feeding the company’s Tri‑City Materials...
BTR Launches myBTR Customer Portal
BTR, a Tampa‑based fleet solutions provider, has launched the myBTR Customer Portal for its U.S. and Canadian clients. The cloud‑based platform gives municipalities, waste haulers and logistics firms real‑time visibility into rental assets, location tracking, utilization data and billing. Integrated...
Avena Acquires Race Recycling in UK
England‑based Avena Group announced the acquisition of Race Recycling, a specialist textile destruction firm in Glossop. The deal merges the only two UK organisations focused exclusively on textile demolition, positioning Avena as the clear national leader. Avena will retain and...
Primetals Technologies Names New CEO
Primetals Technologies announced that Koji Sakatani will assume the chief executive role on April 1, succeeding retiring CEO Yoshiharu Ikeda. Sakatani, a veteran of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, previously led Primetals' strategy and most recently served as vice‑president of plants and infrastructure...
Aceros Arequipa Adds to Florida Scrap Network
Peruvian steelmaker Corporación Aceros Arequipa (CAASA) has acquired three metal‑recycling facilities in Tampa Bay, expanding its U.S. footprint to seven sites. The deal, executed through its subsidiary Aceros America Tampa LLC, adds two former Liberty Recycle locations and a former...
ReElement Technologies Partners with Mitsubishi Materials Corp.
ReElement Technologies and Mitsubishi Materials Corp. have formed a strategic partnership that includes a direct investment by MMC to develop circular rare‑earth and critical‑mineral supply chains in the United States and Japan. The collaboration will support ReElement's modular chromatographic refining...
More than 50 Years Supporting the Auto Salvage Industry
Since its founding in 1972, SAS Forks has transitioned from a modest auto‑salvage yard to a full‑line manufacturer of specialized attachments for the scrap recycling sector. Over five decades the company expanded its product line from 15‑foot forks to hydraulic...
Closed Loop Partners Acquires Metal Processing Company
Closed Loop Partners, the New York‑based circular‑economy investor, has acquired a majority interest in Sutter Metals, a regional metal‑processing firm operating in Washington state. The partnership will fund expansion of processing capacity, geographic reach, and a buy‑and‑build M&A strategy targeting...
DEScycle Is Developing Salt-Based Metallurgy to Decentralize Metals Recovery
DEScycle is commercializing a salt‑based iono‑metallurgy platform that uses deep eutectic solvents (DES) and electrocatalysts to dissolve and recover metals from e‑scrap at low temperature. The pilot process delivers over 99% recovery in under 15 minutes, dramatically cutting leach time...
US Steel Restarts Illinois Blast Furnace
U.S. Steel, now owned by Japan’s Nippon Steel, has successfully restarted blast furnace B at its Granite City Works in Illinois. The restart added roughly 400 new employees to support operations. The move was prompted by improving domestic steel demand...
Recycled Copper Output Starts Out Strong in 2026
Global recycled copper production surged in January 2026, reaching 445,000 metric tons, an 11.5% increase over the same month last year and up from December’s 424,000 tons. The rise was driven largely by expanded secondary refining in China, according to...
University of Buffalo Develops Recycled-Content Plastic Gauge
Researchers at the University at Buffalo have unveiled a rapid testing method that determines the recycled‑plastic percentage in polymer products. By integrating triboelectric, dielectric spectroscopy, capacitance analysis, and mid‑infrared spectroscopy, the approach captures subtle material differences. Machine‑learning algorithms interpret the...
AAFA Claims CalRecycle’s Selection of Landbell USA Fails to Uphold Statutory Requirements
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) filed a petition in Sacramento Superior Court challenging CalRecycle’s February selection of Landbell USA as the producer‑responsibility organization (PRO) under California’s new Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707). AAFA alleges Landbell violates statutory...
Nova Reports First Commercial Order of New Syndigo rPE
Nova Chemicals announced the first commercial order of its Syndigo rPE‑IN3 recycled polyethylene, shipping roughly 200,000 pounds to Sigma Plastics in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The resin will be used in Sigma’s Sustain360 stretch‑film line for retailers and distribution centers, marking a milestone...
Aimplas Forms BioSupPack to Transform Brewery Waste Into Packaging Materials
Aimplas, the Spanish Plastics Technology Centre, launched the EU‑funded BioSupPack consortium to turn brewery spent grain into high‑performance bioplastics. The 18‑partner project validated PHB and PHA materials, including 99 % biobased coatings and compostable barrier films, and demonstrated enzymatic recycling of...
Reconomy Makes American Waste Services Acquisition
UK‑based Reconomy has acquired North Carolina‑based Waste Disposal Solutions (WDS) through its U.S. unit Lincoln Waste Solutions. The deal, Reconomy's ninth North American acquisition, adds a provider serving construction, logistics and manufacturing clients to its portfolio. Reconomy says the purchase...
IDTechEx Report Examines Critical Minerals Recycling
IDTechEx’s new report estimates that 21‑34% of the world’s platinum‑group metals (PGMs) come from recycled scrap, driven largely by spent automotive catalysts. Companies such as Umicore, DOWA, Johnson Matthey and Tanaka Precious Metals can recover platinum, palladium and rhodium at purities...
February Steel Output Recedes Globally
World Steel Association data show global steel production slipped to 141.8 million metric tons in February 2026, a 2.2% decline year‑on‑year and 3.7% below January. China, which supplies over half the world’s steel, posted a modest 1% month‑over‑month increase but remained...
Werk-Brau Joins Coupler Standardization Group
Ohio-based Werk‑Brau Co. has joined the Sweden‑originated Open S Alliance, which seeks to create a universal standard for automatic excavator couplers. The alliance aims to deliver clarity, safety and true compatibility across the attachment marketplace. By adopting the Open S standard, Werk‑Brau...
Schupan Names New Chief Financial Officer
Schupan announced the appointment of Mandy Lovelady as its new chief financial officer. Lovelady arrives from Perrigo, where she most recently served as CFO of the International division in Dublin. She brings more than two decades of experience in financial...
Recycle Coach Partners with Bartec Municipal Technologies
Toronto‑based Recycle Coach announced its UK expansion by partnering with Bartec Municipal Technologies, a software provider serving roughly one‑third of British councils. Bartec will act as the distribution channel, integrating Recycle Coach’s resident‑facing engagement platform with Bartec’s operational waste‑management suite....
CEPI Says Recycling Sector Ready for ‘Made in Europe’ Policy
European paper industry group CEPI says the continent’s recycling infrastructure is ready to underpin a ‘Made in Europe’ policy that ties bio‑based materials to industrial competitiveness. With an 87 percent recycling rate for paper packaging and sustainably managed forests, the EU...
CMRA Selects Vietnam for 2026 Event
The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association’s Recycling Metals Branch (CMRA) will host its third Recycling Metals Spring Convention in Hanoi, Vietnam, from May 9‑12, 2026. The event, rebranded from the ASEAN Recycling Metals International Conference, adopts the theme “Industrial Symbiosis,...
California’s ‘Truth in Labeling’ Law Faces Federal Suit
A coalition of farmers, dairy producers, packaging manufacturers, restaurants and grocers has filed a federal lawsuit challenging California Senate Bill 343, the “Truth in Labeling” law. The suit claims the statute imposes a content‑based speech ban by prohibiting recyclable claims...
FTR Forecasts Toughening Conditions for Shippers
FTR, a freight‑forecasting firm, warns its Shippers Conditions Index could slide to the lowest level in four years as diesel prices surge and capacity tightens. The index, which blends demand, rates, fleet capacity and fuel costs, is projected to dip...
LME Experiences Trading Disruption
On March 16, the London Metal Exchange’s primary electronic matching engine experienced a technical fault, triggering a three‑hour trading halt on its LME Select platform. The inter‑office market stayed operational, and the exchange switched to a backup closing‑price methodology to publish...
Casella Appoints Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer
Casella Waste Systems announced Christopher A. Rains as senior vice president and chief revenue officer. Rains brings more than two decades of senior commercial, operational and customer‑focused leadership across Fortune 300, private‑equity‑backed and founder‑led firms. He will oversee and integrate all...
Indonesia’s Nickel Pig Iron Spigot Reopens
Indonesia’s high‑pressure acid leach (HPAL) plants that produce nickel pig iron (NPI) saw output plunge more than 67% in mid‑February after a processing‑waste landslide disrupted operations near the Morowali Industrial Park. Satellite‑based monitoring by Navigate Commodities shows ore flows rebounding...
Fleetio Launches AI Capability to Accelerate Fleet Maintenance Approvals
Fleetio unveiled Service Advisor, an AI-driven tool that speeds up high‑volume repair approvals, reporting a 16% reduction in shop hours for assets. The feature joins Smart Uploads, which automates invoice digitization and saves drivers up to eight hours per week....
The Metals Agency Receives Approval for Export Credit Insurance
The Metals Agency has secured export credit insurance through JPMorgan Chase and the U.S. Export‑Import Bank, marking its first bank‑backed protection for international metal trades. The coverage gives customers a safety net against payment defaults, especially as copper, aluminum and...
Electrified Materials Adds Processing Capacity
American Resources Corp.'s subsidiary Electrified Materials Corp. (EMCO) has added a new preprocessing line at its Indiana plant, expanding capacity to aggregate and condition magnet, copper, aluminum, ferrous metals and rare‑earth/critical‑mineral feedstocks. The conditioned materials are shipped to sister company...
ERI Files Suit Alleging Theft of Trade Secrets
ERI, a Fresno‑based electronics recycling firm, filed a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court against Revivn Public Benefit Corp., alleging theft of trade secrets. ERI claims Revivn poached senior employees, including former senior director Justin LeDoux and logistics director Ross...
EFactor3 Enters Into Separation Tech Partnership
eFactor3 announced a partnership with Broadview Group International to bring BGI’s Rotary Impact Separator (RIS) technology to North America. A commercial‑scale RIS unit will be installed at eFactor3’s test center, allowing customers to evaluate the dry, mechanical separation process on...
Novelis’ Aluminum Sheet Receives Recognition
Novelis Inc. earned the 2026 Münchner Management Kolloquium Award of Excellence for an aluminum sheet produced entirely from end‑of‑life vehicle scrap, targeting exterior car‑body applications. The award highlights the technical feasibility of car‑to‑car recycling and the company’s push toward a...
Needs Assessment Surveys for Minnesota EPR Law Underway
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has begun a series of five needs‑assessment surveys to support the state’s Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act, its extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for packaging, food packaging and paper products. The surveys target...
Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas to Rebrand as Logisnext Americas
Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Inc. will rebrand to Logisnext Americas, with the change taking effect on April 30, 2026. The move aligns the U.S. operation with Mitsubishi Logisnext’s Vision 2035, a long‑term strategy to unify its global material‑handling brands. As part of...
Volvo Says Loader Updates Improve Efficiency
Volvo Construction Equipment unveiled a suite of safety and productivity upgrades for its entire wheel‑loader lineup at ConExpo‑Con/Agg. The large L350 now uses a D17 engine delivering up to 5% better fuel efficiency and Smart Control integration, while the midsize...
Indicators Point to Hiccups in Steel Demand Momentum
U.S. steel production slipped in early March, falling 26,000 tons as weekly output dropped from 1.817 million to 1.791 million tons. The slowdown mirrors weak construction employment, which shed 11,000 jobs in February and posted a 6.9% unemployment rate, and a modest...
New York Receives $2.36M Investment in Waste Tire Reuse, Recycling
Empire State Development is allocating $2.36 million to six research projects aimed at reusing, retreading and recycling New York’s end‑of‑life tires. The investment includes $1.4 million of state funds through the NYS Waste Tire Program, which Remade Institute will manage. Projects span physics‑based...
