October 2005, No.

Shanghai Sigma Metals

Re-defining
secondary smelting
Granuband
Not just any tyre
processor
October 2005, No. 8

Shipbreaking

Two days in Alang

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 V I E W P O I N T

Sleepless in Arnhem
is a monthly business magazine for
You never appreciate how long the night really is until you
the international recycling industry
and is published 10 times a year. stay awake throughout its entirety. Over the last couple of
months, I have been suffering from insomnia. Whatever I do,
Address
I’m unable to get more than a few hours of sleep a night.
P.O. Box 2098
6802 CB Arnhem I’ve done everything to get a decent rest but nothing seems
The Netherlands to work.
Delivery Address
Jacob Marislaan 30
6813 JV Arnhem I have tried all the tricks in the book. Being in I logged on to the Internet in search of websites
The Netherlands
the recycling business, I tried counting end-of-life that might help me to get my normal sleep pattern
Phone +31 26 3120 994
Fax +31 26 3120 630 vehicles instead of sheep - but that didn’t work back. Some sites offered advice in the battle against
e-mail: recycling.int@worldonline.nl because the damned cars kept refusing to jump over insomnia such as: keep your bedroom cool - easy,
Website:
www.recyclinginternational.com the fence. Then I tried memorising the symbols for I’ll just open the balcony doors; try to establish a
Publisher & Editor all the metals in the Periodic Table but, instead of consistent routine - already more difficult; limit
Manfred Beck getting sleepy, I started to find it fascinating. I even alcohol, caffeine and smoking - wow, that’s a really
manfred@recyclinginternational.com
tried learning LME three-month copper prices for tough one; remove distractions - what does that
Magazine Administrator
Helga Fresen the last 15 years off by heart. But nothing worked - mean, ban my wife from the bedroom?
helga@recyclinginternational.com I was still wide awake for most of the night. The following are just some of the other tips
Editorial consultant And because I was getting no rest at night, I was I found on the Internet for getting a better night’s
Ian Martin
sleepy during the day, irritable, unfocused and sleep. ‘Though it’s tempting to use liquor as a cure
ian@recyclinginternational.com
Contributing editors
lethargic. Things got so bad that I couldn’t even for chronic sleeplessness, be warned: Liquor is quite
Alfred Nijkerk sleep on the job any more! expensive’; ‘Use your bed for sleeping only. Conduct
fred@recyclinginternational.com
I told my neighbour about my problem and he all reading, eating, phone calls, and sexual relations
Pauline Meijwaard
Pauline@recyclinginternational.com suggested that the best trick for curing insomnia on the kitchen table’; ‘Try counting sheep, rather
Contributing editor/Consultant technology was to not try to fall asleep - in effect, to give up. So than the number of times you’ve failed as a hus-
Prof. Ir. Wijnand Dalmijn, Technical band and a father’; ‘If you’re having night after
I tried this or, more accurately, I didn’t try this -
University of Delft, The Netherlands
and I found that it didn’t work or, rather, it worked night of hours-long jungle sex when all you really
Contributing to this issue
Prof. Dr-Ing Kerstin Kuchta, perfectly. How can you not do something you’re try- want is a decent night’s rest, go cry on someone
Ian Martin, Adam Minter, Tom Mele, ing to do? I just wanted to fall asleep, not ponder a else’s shoulder’; ‘Remember: insomnia is only a
Alfred Nijkerk, Thomas G. Oberle,
Lucas Schifres (Photography), Zen paradox for three hours! problem if you’re employed or have a reason to live’.
Voermans van Bree Photographers One evening while I was having a couple of beers I tried every piece of advice going, but still found
Art Direction
with some friends, I asked them if they were having myself tossing and turning in my bed every night,
Inpladi Lay Out Studio
sleep problems too. ‘Absolutely not,’ snorted one of staring at the ceiling and desperately trying to fall
Printing Company
vanGrinsven drukkers Venlo bv the guys who had just married a ravishing blonde asleep. After a couple of months, I decided to see
Advertising Sales 23 years younger than himself. ‘Every night I’m my doctor. I told him that I was suffering from a
Jan Willem Ypma exhausted - you can imagine why - and I fall asleep severe case of insomnia and he gave me a thorough
Phone: +31 343 517 488
Fax: +31 343 510 253 as soon as my head hits the pillow. By the way, did examination. However, his conclusion was that
E-mail: Ypma-Jan-Willem@wxs.nl you hear about the dyslexic agnostic insomniac? He there was absolutely nothing physically wrong with
Subscriptions lay awake at night wondering if there was a dog.’ me. He then looked at me and said: ‘Listen, if you
Subsciption rate: € 149 a year
(excl. V.A.T.) ‘I don’t have sleeping problems either,’ said ever expect to cure your insomnia, you just have to
another, ‘I sleep as soundly and deeply as James stop taking your trouble to bed with you.’
ISSN 1387-8700
Bond.’ When he saw the puzzled look on my face, ‘But I can’t,’ I said, ‘My wife refuses to sleep
Copyright 2005 he explained with a big smile: ‘James Bond once alone.’

All rights reserved. No part of this

slept right through an earthquake. He was shaken, Manfred Beck
publication may be reproduced or not stirred.’ Editor
transmitted by any means without
written permission of the publisher.

Member of

BIR
3
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 I N T H I S I S S U E

Packing the potential to re-define secondary smelting 26

When the world’s largest single-site secondary smelt-
ing facility becomes fully operational this autumn,
Shanghai Sigma Metals of China will have the capac-
ity to produce 25 000 tonnes of aluminium alloy per
month. In this article, the company underlines its
commitment not only to expansion but also to the
technological advancement of China’s secondary
smelting industry.
42-49
Fernando Duranti: the life and ambitions of a BIR President 38
The President of the Bureau of International Recycling
(BIR) is not just a figure-head; he is intimately involved Two days in
in all aspects of the world recycling organisation and of
its invaluable work on behalf of the industry. Fernando Alang
Duranti has already made his mark since becoming
President in May 2003 but, as he explains to Recycling Take a US scrap recycler, put him on the
International, he still has ambitions to fulfil.
shipbreaking beach in Alang, India, and
Granuband closes the tyre loop 52 the experience is sure to be as moving,
Dutch tyre recycler Granuband is not just any tyre
enlightening and perplexing as the place
processor. The company collects some 25 000 tonnes
of tyres each year, converts them into granulate and, itself. Last year, Tom Mele of Connecticut
moreover, is a major producer of a variety of rubber
Metal Industries visited the world’s largest
tiles. Recycling International visited the firm’s
Amsterdam base to find out about this tyre process- ship-scrapping site in Alang, off the Arabian
ing pioneer and about the secrets behind its success.
Sea, where 72 shipbreaking businesses
Next stop China for ICM’s congress bandwagon 58 employ some 15 000 workers in recycling
Every year, Swiss congress organiser ICM stages
around 250 ships per annum. In this article,
international conferences covering the recycling of
batteries, end-of-life vehicles and electronics. Next Mr Mele describes what happened to him while
month, ICM’s first-ever event in China will combine
visiting the yards in Alang - a visit to the local mar-
the subject matter of its three successful and estab-
lished congresses. ket, a tour of a ghost ship, and the emergence of

Fine-tuning the fines 60 some sort of order from within chaos. ‘In the end,
Latest product developments at SGM - the Italian I realised that modern India is neither Third World nor
designer and manufacturer of advanced equipment
enshrining high-quality magnetic separation tech- First, but some crazy hybrid,’ he is forced to conclude.
nology - include the SRP dynamic ferrous separator,
a high-frequency eddy current separator and a metal
sensor with an air ejection sensor system based on In this issue
particle-for-particle separation technology.
Viewpoint 3
Closing the loop for cathode ray tubes 66 Events Calendar 6
This article assesses the current status of CRT (cath- News 10
ode ray tube) glass recycling and offers suggestions Product news 19
as to how to handle this particular business in the
Magazine Round Up 22
future given the emergence of major markets such as
Exhibition review: RWM’05 34
China. The market for electronic goods will become
ever more global and recycling activities will have to Scrap loading without electricity 50
rise to meet this challenge. Sustainability accepts no Market struggles with low-value catalysers 64
borders and the opportunity should be seized to In the next issue 91
develop a much more effective and global closed-loop
Markets Analysis
recycling system, it is argued.
Ferrous scrap 72
Stainless steel scrap 78
Non-ferrous scrap 82
Recovered paper 86
Textile 89

2005
27-28 October Orlando (USA)
E-Scrap 2005
The North American Electronics
Recycling Conference
Resource Recycling
Magazine
Phone: +1 503 233 1305
E-mail: sarah@
resource-recycling.com
8-11 November Shanghai (China)
World Recycling Shanghai 2005
International conference &
exhibition on cars,
electronics & battery
recycling
ICM
Phone: +41 62 785 1000
Fax: +41 62 785 1005
E-mail: info@icm.ch
Website: www.icm.ch
17-18 November Luxembourg
(Luxembourg)
The Future of Residual Waste
Management in Europe
International Waste
Management Conference
Marylène Martin
SITec Secretariat
Phone: +352 4259 91 246
Fax: +352 4259 91 301
E-mail: formation@tudor.lu
17-18 November Mexico City
(Mexico)
INARE 2005
International Recycling Congress
E-mail: inare@att.net.mx
Website: www.inare.org.mx
22-23 November London
Gatwick (UK)
Designing and Recycling Electrical
and Electronic Equipment 2005
ERA Technology
Phone: + 44 1372 367 152
Fax: +44 1372 367 009
E-mail: events@era.co.uk
Recycling International • October 2005
E V E N T S C A L E N D A R
Events
24-26 November Brussels
(Belgium)
When aluminium technologies
become creative
European Aluminium
Association
Christian Leroy
Phone: +32 2 775 63 57
E-mail: eaa@eaa.be
Website: www.aluminium.org
29 November-2 December
Paris (France)
Pollutec 2005
Reed Exhibitions France
Phone: +33 1 47 56 21 12
Fax: +33 1 47 56 21 20
E-mail: ilse.dapper@
reedexpo.fr
Website: www.pollutec.com
5 December Brussels (Belgium)
Reach Conference
Conference on key issues
facing individuals in the
chemical supply chain
ENDS Environment Daily
Phone: +44 20 8267 4533
E-mail:
conferences@haynet.com
Website: www.haymarket
events.com/conferences
7-8 December Bremen (Germany)
Waste to energy
International exhibition &
conference on energy from
waste and biomass
HVG
Phone: +49 421 35050
Fax: +49 421 3505 340
Website:
rohde@messe-bremen.de
2006
18-20 January Hamburg (Germany)
5 th international electronics
recycling congress
ICM
Phone: +41 62 785 1000
Fax: +41 62 785 1005
E-mail: info@icm.ch
Website: www.icm.ch
22-24 January Miami Lakes (USA)
Platts 2006 Aluminum Symposium
Platts
Phone: +1 781 860 6100
E-mail:
gina_herlihy@platts.com
Website: www.platts.com
24-27 January Milan (Italy)
TAU International
The Environmental
Technologies Event
Fiera Milano Tech
Phone: +39 02 3264 285
Fax: +39 02 3264 284
E-mail: segreteria@
fieramilanotech.it
Website:
www.fieramilanotech.it
14-15 February Orlando (USA)
Plastics Recycling 2006
Resource Recycling
Magazine
Phone: +1 503 233 1305
E-mail: sarah@
resource-recycling.com
15-17 March Amsterdam
(The Netherlands)
6 th international automobile
recycling congress
ICM
Phone: +41 62 785 1000
Fax: +41 62 785 1005
E-mail: info@icm.ch
Website: www.icm.ch
28-30 March Moscow (Russia)
Focus on aluminium recycling
Third international conference
and exhibition on aluminium
recycling
Alusil
Phone/Fax: +7 095 784
7630, 785 2005
E-mail: main@alusil.ru
Website: www.alusil.net
2-6 April Las Vegas (USA)
ISRI Convention and Expo 2006
Annual convention & scrap
recycling industry exposition
ISRI
Phone: +1 202 737 1770
Fax: +1 202 626 0900
Website: www.isri.org
29-31 May Beijing (China)
BIR Spring Convention
Bureau of International
Recycling
Phone: +32 2 627 5770
Fax: +32 2 627 5773
E-mail: bir@bir.org
Website: www.bir.org
14-16 September Brescia (Italy)
Metalriciclo
Exhibition & congress on
technologies for the recovery
and recycling of metal scrap
Edimet
Phone: +39 030 242 1043
Fax: +39 030 22 3802
E-mail:
info@metalriciclo.com
Website: www.edimet.com
24-27 October Bilbao (Spain)
PROMA 2006
15 th International Environment Fair
Bilbao Exhibition Centre
Phone: +34 94 428 5400
Fax: + 34 94 427 6991
E-mail: bec@bilbao
exhibitioncentre.com
Website: www.bilbao
exhibitioncentre.com
24-27 October Cologne (Germany)
Entsorga-Enteco
International Trade Fair for
Waste Management and
Environmental Technology
Koelnmesse GmbH
Phone: +49 221 821 3132
Fax: +49 221 821 3098
E-mail: g.hentschke@
koelnmesse.de
Website: www.entsorga.com
30-31 October Brussels (Belgium)
BIR Autumn Convention
Bureau of International
Recycling
Phone: +32 2 627 5770
Fax: +32 2 627 5773
E-mail: bir@bir.org
Website: www.bir.org
6

29 November-2 December
Pollutec 2005
Pollutec - the international
exhibition covering environ-
mental equipment, technolo-
gy and services - is held every
two years and the venue alter-
nates between Paris and
Lyon. This year, the event is
scheduled to be staged in the
French capital on 29
November-2 December.
By early June, 75% of the
available space for Pollutec 2005
had already been booked. No-
tably, there has been growing in-
terest in the show’s themed vil-
lages of Health and Environment,
Recycling and Renewables, as
well as a very promising start for
the new Products and Sustain-
able Development area.
Eleven countries have already
announced their intention to have
a major national stand presence,
namely: Austria, Belgium, Cana-
da, China, Germany, Hungary
E V E N T S
(Pollutec’s country of the year),
Luxemburg, Poland, Switzerland,
the UK and the USA. In addition,
there will be stands from a dozen
regions of France.
As always, Pollutec will pro-
vide an opportunity to assess lat-
est environmental developments
- including new laws and regula-
tions, as well as new technolo-
gies - via a series of conferences
organised by sectoral trade or-
ganisations.
According to recently-released
figures from French recovery
and recycling organisation Fed-
erec, 2004 was an exceptional
year for the country’s recovery
and recycling sectors; compared
to 2003, sales values increased
C A L E N D A R
by 25% to € 7.9 billion while vol-
umes grew by 6%. The process of
consolidation continued in 2004,
with the sector recording a fur-
ther fall in company numbers
from 2900 to 2700. Nevertheless,
the number of employees rose by
3% from 29 800 in 2003 to 30 800
the following year.
Companies in the sector col-
lected 39 million tonnes of mate-
rial during the year - 6% up on
2003. Exports grew by 8% to 8.2
million tonnes, while the level of
investment remained steady at €
350 million.
Growth rates varied consider-
ably among the various areas of
the recycling business. The over-
all value of the scrap metal and
Paris (France)
car sector surged 70% higher on
the back of spiralling ferrous
metal prices; significant growth
was also recorded by non-ferrous
metals (+20%), plastics (+9%)
and pallets/ordinary industrial
waste (+7%). Other areas saw
relatively static growth (+1% for
glass and -1% for textiles), while
paper and board took a slight
backward step (3%). Federec an-
ticipates more restrained growth
in the current year.
For more information contact:
Reed Expositions France
Phone: +33 1 47 56 21 12
Fax: +33 1 47 56 21 20
E-mail: ilse.dapper@reedexpo.fr
Website: www.pollutec.com
See you at
Ecomondo
Stand 015 05
- Hall A3

Report examines Russia’s Lynxs moves on to the
stainless steel market
According to a recently-released
report by Research and Markets of
Dublin in the Republic of Ireland,
more than 110 companies from 19
different countries were engaged in
the trading of stainless steel scrap
from Russia last year. The report
also notes that there were 3851
transactions officially valued at US$
226,448,352.00.
The report, entitled ‘Russia -
Export, Stainless Steel Scrap
Market Snapshot Report 2004’, is
said to provide the most detailed and
comprehensive foreign trade cover-
age available from the Russian
Real-time prices for
plastics raw materials
German on-line plastics industry
forum ‘plasticker.de’ has begun pub-
lishing real-time prices for plastics
raw materials.
Unlike other reporting methods,
prices are not determined through a
process of enquiries among a select-
ed circle of suppliers and buyers;
instead, they are taken directly from
current offers and enquiries circulat-
ing on the ‘Recybase’ raw materials
exchange. This exchange constantly
features 1000 to 1500 offers and
enquiries for surplus quantities,
regranulate, regrind and plastics
waste. The real-time effect arises as
prices are re-calculated with each
visit to the price comparison system,
such that new entries in the raw
materials exchange are immediately
taken into consideration.
The user can choose between four
material groups: surplus quantities;
regranulate; regrind; and bales.
Corresponding minimum and maxi-
mum prices are given for each mate-
rial, as well as the average price and
number of prices quoted. The user
can therefore immediately recognise
which data have been used as the
basis for the determination of the
average price and upon which price
range it has been based. Within the
Recycling International • October 2005
N E W S
world
Federation. According to Research
and Markets, the report summarises
the raw data from every single
export transaction that occurred
during the past year and provides
exact details rather than estimates
and forecasts.
Included with the report is a 169-
page ‘Transaction Supplement’
detailing every export transaction
during 2004.
For more information:
http://www.researchandmarkets.c
om/reportinfo.asp?cat_id=0&report
_id=300262&q=stainless%20steel%
20russia
lists, it is possble to establish the
exact quantity of a given material
that is being subjected to offer and
enquiry within Recybase at that par-
ticular moment.
Plasticker offers information on
plastics and plastics recycling. A cen-
tral feature is the ‘Market Place’ with
its raw materials exchange for plas-
tics, which provides processors with
the chance to offer surplus plastics
on-line without charge. Plasticker
says it is currently recording more
than 60 000 visits per month.
www.plasticker.de
Lynxs’ 7000 HP TMR 270x270 scrap
shredder in Johannesburg, South Africa.
During last month’s annual meet-
ing of the German steel recycling
association BDSV in Düsseldorf,
Germany, it was announced that
Lynxs Shredder Technology of the
UK had been merged on a cross-
shareholding basis with a combina-
tion of the German companies 2B
Consultancy and Schuler Technology
and Machinery (STM). As announced
in Düsseldorf, the deal was the result
of a perceived need to merge the met-
als recycling machinery of STM and
Lynxs, and to expand activities into
more countries.
A new holding company called
Lynxs Technology & Machinery has
been set up; in addition, a series of
new Lynxs subsidiaries will be estab-
lished in several countries. Existing
production plants such as the ones in
Italy, the UK and The Netherlands
will continue to operate and in the
near future more production plants
Cardiff’s multi-million
MRF investment
The city of Cardiff in Wales has
signed a contract with Dutch compa-
ny Bollegraaf Recycling and build-
ing contractor Stradform for a new
£4 million (€ 5.9 million/US$ 7.2 mil-
lion) materials reclamation facility
(MRF). The facility, scheduled to be
operational by spring next year, will
be the first council-operated plant of
its scale and kind in the UK.
Speed of separation of recyclable
waste is expected to be 10 times
greater than at the council’s current
in other countries will
be opened. All Lynxs’
subsidiary companies
will have a dedicated
staff of engineers and
sales people. In addi-
tion to Lynxs’ well-
known shredders, all
these subsidiaries will
market STM recycling
machinery - including mobile and
stationary hydraulic scrap shears,
mobile and stationary balers, and
pre-shredders.
The management of Lynxs
Technology & Machinery will consist
of: Tim Christian, the former owner
of Lynxs Shredder Technology;
Christine Schuler of STM; and Ben
Kebil of 2B Consultancy. Werner
Oberländer, the former shareholder
and Managing Director of ORT
Oberländer, the German manufactur-
er of hydraulic scrap shears and other
recycling machinery, will be a senior
consultant to Lynxs and will concen-
trate mainly on the development of
new shears, balers, pre-shredders and
heavy media and separation plants.
Lynxs’ management team is con-
vinced that the new company will be
‘better able to compete in the mar-
ket and to be closer to its customers
throughout the world and to respond
better, faster and more efficiently to
their needs’.
facility. State-of-the-art equipment
will be used for separation, with
workers stationed alongside convey-
or belts in each of four sorting halls
to remove any contaminated materi-
als. It has been estimated that the
new MRF will be able to process up
to 60 000 tonnes of recyclable waste
per year.
Once the plant becomes opera-
tional, it is intended that a new inte-
grated kerbside recycling scheme
will be brought on stream.
10
 N E W S

Rexam switches to alu-

minium cans in Germany
Rexam, the UK-based global con- addition, beverage cans provide
sumer packaging group and one of lower handling costs throughout the
the world’s leading beverage can supply chain while returned cans
makers, has announced plans to offer handling efficiencies because
switch the beverage cans it manu- they can be easily compacted.
factures in Germany from steel to Conversion of the Rexam plant in TSR Recycling invests
aluminium. Key drivers behind the Berlin, Germany, will begin early
move are the favourable economics next year and is expected to be com- in Leimbach shear
of the aluminium can in a deposit pleted by the end of the second quar-
system combined with its strong ter of 2006, after which the company The TSR Recycling scrap yard at Radewell near Halle in eastern Germany
environmental track record. plans to expand the facility from two has invested in a new state-of-the-art, computer-controlled hydraulic scrap
The decision reflects the fact that to three lines and thereby create an shear from Leimbach of Bochum, Germany. Weighing in at around 370
Germany will be introducing a estimated 40 new jobs. The cost of the tonnes, it has a production capacity of 55 tonnes per hour.
nationwide return system for one- conversion is expected to be around TSR Recycling is a subsidiary of the Dutch SHV Group of companies and
way containers by next May. Rexam € 24 million (US$ 29.2 million). operates more than 70 metal recycling yards. Last year, TSR Recycling
believes aluminium’s high scrap For more information: achieved a turnover of € 1.5 billion (US$ 1.85 billion).
value will make the beverage can www.rexam.co.uk For more information: www.leimbach-bochum.de or www.t-s-r.com
the most viable packaging solution
within the new return system. With
a scrap value at least € 0.01 higher
than any other packaging material, Metso acquires Texas
a used aluminium beverage can is
seen as the only packaging medium Shredder
that will generate a good scrap Metso Minerals, well-known in Metso’s recycling business has
income under the deposit scheme. In the recycling business for its scrap made significant progress since it
processing equipment subsidiary became part of Metso Minerals
Metso Lindemann of Dusseldorf, has through the Svedala acquisition of
acquired shredder products supplier 2001. Net sales almost doubled in two
Ben Sacco’s Texas Shredder, Inc. for approxi-
mately € 13 million (US$ 15.9 mil-
years to approximately € 130 million
(US$ 158 million) by 2004. Following
Joke of the Month lion). The sellers are a group of pri-
vate investors led by venture capital
the acquisition of Texas Shredder,
net sales are expected to reach € 200
investment company Capital million (US$ 244 million) per annum.
Time for the truth Southwest Corporation. With some 22 000 employees in
An elderly Italian man went to his local church for confession. When Based in San Antonio and employ- more than 50 countries, Metso is a
the priest slid open the panel in the confessional, the man said: ‘Father, ing 33 people, Texas Shredder is global technology corporation serv-
during World War II, a beautiful woman knocked on my door and asked North America’s leading supplier of ing customers in a number of sec-
me to hide her from the enemy. So I hid her in my attic.’ metal shredder plants and related tors, including pulp and paper, rock
The priest replied: ‘That was a wonderful thing you did, my son! And after-market services. The company’s and minerals processing, and ener-
you have no need to confess that.’ unaudited net sales for the fiscal year gy. In 2004, Metso Corporation’s net
‘It’s worse than that, Father,’ the man said. ‘She started to repay me ending June 30 2005 were € 46 mil- sales approached € 4 billion (US$ 4.9
with sexual favours.’ lion (US$ 56 million). The acquired billion).
The priest responded: ‘By doing that, you were both in great danger. company will be merged with Metso www.metso.com
However, two people under those circumstances can be very tempted to Mineral’s current metal recycling
act that way. But if you are truly sorry for your actions, you are indeed operations in the USA to form new
forgiven.’ company Metso Texas Shredder, Inc.
‘Thank you, Father. That’s a great load off my mind. But I do have Through this acquisition, Metso
one more question.’ Minerals considerably strengthens
‘And what is that?’ asked the priest. its position in the North American
‘Should I tell her the war is over?’ metal recycling market, which is the
largest in the world in that it
Sponsored by processes approximately 70 million
• Sierra International • Sierra Europe tonnes of scrap per annum. Texas
Machinery, Inc. Recycling Shredder also complements Metso’s
Texas Shredder heavy-duty shredder at
www.sierra.intl.com www.sierraeurope.com downstream technology and after- the yard of American Iron & Metal in
market capabilities. Montreal, Canada.

Recycling International • October 2005 11

 Recycling of
Lithium Batteries

Batrec Industrie AG
CH-3752 Wimmis
Tel. +41 (0)33 657 85 00 www.batrec.ch

Great year for the Lead-acid batteries top
European paper industry US recycling list
Latest statistics from the
Confederation of European Paper
Industries (CEPI) confirm a solid
performance in 2004.
European paper industry exports
rose substantially for the third year
running, mainly due to continued
Asian demand; in addition, exports
to Latin America topped 1 million
tonnes for the first time. CEPI coun-
tries once again outperformed other
major paper-producing regions of
the world in terms of production,
while trade and consumption contin-
ued to show year-on-year increases.
Output exceeded 99.5 million
tonnes in 2004 to set another record
for paper producers in CEPI coun-
tries: this figure is equivalent to a
4.5% increase over 2003 production
levels. The average annual increase
for the region over the last 14 years
stands at 3.2%.
Shipments to Asian markets had
increased by 58% since 2001 and, in
2004, accounted for 36% of all
exports (5.3 million tonnes). Imports
High Tech
Recycling Products
Recycling International • October 2005
of paper into CEPI countries fell for
the fourth consecutive year (by
5.1%). Overall, last year saw CEPI
countries boast a positive trade bal-
ance in paper (exports exceeding
imports) of 10.6 million tonnes.
Overall consumption of paper and
board across CEPI countries rose
2.4% last year to mirror the more
encouraging GDP growth figure
which, according to Eurostat, was up
2.2% for the 15 established members
of the EU.
The CEPI statistics reveal a 6.8%
increase in the production of graphic
grades, with half of this increase
coming in the coated graphics sector.
Production of packaging grades
improved by 2.4% in 2004, reflecting
increased economic growth in the
region. Hygienic paper manufactur-
ers increased their output by 2.1%
last year, with industrial and
speciality grades increasing by 1.8%.
Pulp output rose in line with
paper and board production, climb-
ing 4.2% to 42.7 million tonnes; oper-
ating rates therefore increased by
two percentage points to edge
through the 90% barrier to 91.2%.
In terms of recovered paper, utili-
sation increased by 4% last year while
apparent collection was up by 7.5% to
51.5 million tonnes. This means that
pulp made from wood represents 43%
of the total used, while recovered
paper accounts for 41% of total fibre
demand in CEPI countries.
www.cepi.org
Scrap Baling Presses
Briquetting Presses
Scrap Shears
Rail Breakers
Special Presses
Conveyors
Used Machines
Anton Regner Straße 65-69
A-8720 Knittelfeld, Austria
Tel.: +43 (0) 3512 / 820 70-0 Fax -27
office@atm-maschinenbau.com
N E W S
Between 1999 and 2003, the US
lead-acid battery industry was
helped by consumers and retailers to
reach a recycling rate 99.2% for used
battery lead - equivalent to 11.7 bil-
lion pounds or 5.3 million tonnes of
metal. This finding is contained in a
report issued by the US Battery
Council International (BCI), a not-
for-profit organisation that repre-
sents the international lead-acid
battery manufacturing and recy-
cling industry.
The US lead-acid battery industry
is the country’s largest user of lead
and has been recycling/reclaiming
the metal from its used products for
nearly 75 years. According to the BCI
data, lead-acid batteries remain the
nation’s most recycled consumer
product. ‘This high recycling rate for
battery lead proves that a workable
infrastructure helps boost consumers’
participation in recycling,’ comments
BCI President Randy Hart.
The recycling rate of battery lead
has been consistently higher than
other recyclable commodities. The US
Environmental Protection Agency
Jefferson Smurfit
and Kappa Packaging
to merge
Jefferson Smurfit Group and
Kappa Packaging have announced a
proposal to merge their respective
operations. The merger is subject to
a number of conditions including EU
competition approval and consulta-
tion with the relevant employee rep-
resentative organisations.
The merged company would have
operations in 23 European and nine
Latin American countries, with the
capacity to produce 6.1 million tonnes
of containerboard and 5.1 million
tonnes of corrugated each year.
Through the proposed link-up,
Jefferson Smurfit’s leading market
position in Latin America and exist-
ing market positions in Western and
lists the national 2003 recycling rates
of other materials as follows: steel
cans 60%; paper and paperboard
48.1%; aluminium beer and soft drink
cans (UBCs) 43.9%; tyres 35.6%; plas-
tic milk bottles 31.9%; plastic soft
drink containers 25.2%; and glass
containers 22%.
Along with the lead and plastic
from used batteries, lead-acid battery
recyclers also reclaim scrap lead from
the production process. In a continu-
ous cycle, the battery industry
reclaims lead and plastic for use in
new batteries, thereby keeping these
materials out of the waste stream.
The BCI 1999-2003 National
Recycling Rate Study and historical
lead recycling data are available at:
www.batterycouncil.org/news.html
Southern Europe would be combined
with Kappa’s strong presence in
Northern and Eastern Europe. The
combined company would become a
world leader in corrugated and a
European leader in containerboard,
while retaining leading market posi-
tions in both paper grades in Latin
America.
Under this proposal, Jefferson
Smurfit’s existing shareholders
would own 58.3% of the combined
company while Kappa’s existing
stakeholders would command 41.7%.
It is envisaged that the merged
entity will be known as the Smurfit
Kappa Group.
13
 N E W S

Cyprus to Sold!
establish packag- * Birim Makina
Metals recycling machinery manufacturer Birim Makina of Turkey has sold two BM5
ing management 6060-V balers to the Cronimet Group of Karlsruhe in Germany. This year alone, Birim
Makina has sold a total of six balers to Cronimet.
system www.birimmakina.com.tr

Green Dot (Cyprus) Public Co. Ltd is taking steps to
establish a national packaging management system by
signing a consultancy agreement with FOST Plus, the
Belgian Green Dot organisation. FOST Plus will help
Green Dot Cyprus to define its strategy and to set up a
packaging management system tailored to Cyprus’
needs.
‘Our aim is to have a cost-effective packaging manage-
ment system, in co-operation with the authorities and the
public, by the end of this year,’ explains Michael Spanos,
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Green Dot Cyprus.
‘With this system, companies in Cyprus will be able to
fulfil their legal obligations concerning the recycling and
recovery of used packaging. The packaging and packag-
ing waste laws set specific targets which have to be
achieved in an individual or collective way.’
* Argent Energy
Commercial production has begun at the world’s largest plant for converting both used
cooking oil and animal fats into vehicle fuel. The Argent Energy facility at Motherwell in
Scotland supplied its first load to Petroplus as part of a contract which could see up to 25 000
tonnes of biodiesel being sent each year to refineries for blending with mineral diesel. The
final product is to be marketed on filling station forecourts under the Bio-plus brand.
www.argentenergy.com
* Metso Lindemann
Mervis Industries Inc. of Danville, Illinois, USA, has purchased an EC-1034-10 scrap
shear from Metso Lindemann’s North American operations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Metso
Lindemann’s EC (Eta-Cut) shears feature optimised driver and control systems to reduce
cycle times by more than 15%; an integrated, infinitely-variable positioning system; and
increased pressure forces for compacting bulky shredder feedstock into logs.
www.metsominerals.com

Boost to UK plastic bottle

recycling
According to research funded by the UK’s
Waste & Resources Action Programme
(WRAP) and carried out by Recoup (Recycling
of Used Plastics), there has been a 100%
increase in UK plastic bottle recycling over the
past two years. The UK Plastic Bottle
Recycling Survey 2005 includes data submit-
ted by all 477 of the UK’s local authorities and
represents the most detailed source of infor-
mation on UK household plastic bottle collec-
tion performance published to date.
The report reveals annual collections
amounting to some 48 397 tonnes, equivalent
to 10.5% of bottles in the household waste
stream and double the quantity collected in ing that plastic bottle recycling can be cost-
2003. About two-thirds are collected through effective in well-designed schemes.
residential kerbside programmes and the Based on current local authority declara-
remainder through other methods. tions, annual plastic bottle collections of 65
Key findings of the research include: 73% of 703 tonnes are anticipated by 2007. According
all UK local authorities now offer collection to Recoup, plastic bottle recycling within kerb-
facilities for plastic bottles; 348 local authority side collections will extend to more than 10.9
recycling managers confirmed plastic bottle million households during 2006. This means
collection facilities within their council area; 44% of all UK households will be able to recy-
the number of plastic bottle collection schemes cle plastic bottles on their doorsteps; in addi-
has increased by 18%; 53 of the local authori- tion, 5000 bring sites are expected to be opera-
ties that responded to the survey indicated tional by the end of 2006.
that it costs them little or no more money to The full survey is available from the WRAP
collect plastic bottles for recycling rather than and Recoup websites: www.wrap.org.uk and
for landfill/other disposal routes, demonstrat- www.recoup.org

Recycling International • October 2005 15

GERMANY
Eisenlegierungen
SIMPLY AWARDING
Handelsgesellschaft mbH
Duisburg
Tel.: + 49 -203 - 45 01-0
Fax: + 49 -203 - 45 01-250
UNITED KINGDOM
ELG Haniel Metals Ltd. The ELG Haniel Group offers a spectrum of recyclable stainless steel quality products worthy of
Sheffield
Tel.: + 44 -114 -244 33 33
Fax: + 44 -114 -256 17 42 exhibition. Our suppliers put their trust in the experience and integrity of a financially strong partner.
FRANCE
Ferrinox S.A.
Limay
Tel.: + 33 -1- 34 97 90 00
We offer quality assured first class materials to customers all over the world for their stainless steel
Fax: + 33 -1- 34 97 53 17
ITALY solutions. Take advantage of the dependable service the market leader provides!
Metalacciai
Sede Secondaria Italiana
di Ferinox S.A.
Rogeno / Como
Tel.: + 39 -031- 87 65 05
Fax: + 39 -031- 86 52 84
NETHERLANDS
Jewometaal
Stainless Processing B.V.
Rotterdam
Tel.: + 31-181- 24 24 24
Fax: + 31-181- 24 24 25
SPAIN
Inoxtrade S.A.
Madrid
Tel.: + 34 -91- 413 16 12
Fax: + 34 -91- 416 96 08
SWITZERLAND
Multimetall AG
Muttenz
Tel.: +41-61-4 63 18 58
Fax: +41-61-4 63 18 39
CZECH REPUBLIC
ELG Legima spol. s.r.l.
Bmo
Tel.: +420-5-47 21 23 13
Fax: +420-5-47 21 23 13
USA
ELG Metals, Inc.
McKeesport, PA
Tel.: +1- 412- 672 92 00
Fax: +1- 412- 672 08 24
ELG Metals, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA
Tel.: +1- 323- 569-35 45
Fax: +1- 323- 569-41 45
ELG Metals, Inc.
Houston, TX
Tel.: +1- 281- 457 21 00
Fax: +1- 281- 457 25 00
AUSTRALIA
ELG Recycling
Processors Pty Ltd
Campbellfield, Victoria
Tel.: + 61-3-93 05 35 35
Fax: + 61-3-93 05 35 36

www.elghaniel.com
 N E W S

Symposium to cover sensor-based sorting

A second symposium entitled Materials and Environmental sensors became more sensitive and als, delivering more cost-efficient
‘Sensor-based sorting’ will be held in Technology (GDMB) to organise an higher resolutions were made avail- operation and higher throughputs in
Aachen, Germany, from March 28 to international congress to cover sen- able, while generic image processing comparison to traditional processing
30 next year. sor-based sorting. The event will fea- software became more sophisticated techniques. As the application ranges
The first of these symposia was ture simultaneous translation in and data processing speeds increased. of these sorting machines continue to
held in 2004 and attracted 140 par- English and German. These developments created new expand, the relevance of sensor-based
ticipants, mainly from Germany. Its Sensor-based sorting developed opportunities for research groups and sorting techniques is increasing in all
success has inspired the Department during the 1950s and 1960s with equipment manufacturers to improve areas of processing.
of Materials Processing, RWTH applications in the food, mineral and sensor-based sorting. Nowadays, Symposium presentations will deal
Aachen University, the Technical other processing sectors; at that time, sensing and waste processing meth- with sorting operations which detect
University of Delft and the German Sortex and Ore Sorters were the main ods represent an independent field of diverse characteristics of the feed
Society of Mining, Metallurgy, Raw equipment producers. Over the years, activity with specialised process tech- material through use of intelligent
nologies devised to handle the specific sensor technology followed by selec-
character of waste. tive discharge of positive identified
With sensor developments and fast particles. There will be discussion of
People data processing, numerous opportu- the progress made in the sorting of,
nities present themselves - notably in for example, minerals, scrap metal,
* British Metals Recycling Association the field of dry separation techniques plastics, recovered paper, refuse-
The British Metals Recycling Association has appointed Lindsay which utilise new options for sorting derived fuel, packaging waste, glass
Millington as its new Director General. For the past 15 years, she has materials. Adaptation of analytical cullet and agricultural products. The
represented ferrous and non-ferrous metals companies as Chief methods such as near infra-red detec- aim of the symposium - which will
Executive of Metals Industry Skills and Performance (MetSkill). tion or intelligent image recognition also feature poster presentations, an
www.recyclemetals.org and evaluation have led to remark- exhibition and company visits - is to
able innovations in automatic sorting enhance the dialogue between plant
* Schnitzer Steel Industries machines. Today, many sensor-based operators, producers and developers.
Schnitzer Steel Industries of Portland, Oregon, has appointed Don devices are available in the sphere of For more information:
Hamaker to the newly-created position of President of its metals recycling primary and secondary raw materi- www.ita.nwth-aachen.de
business. He has also been appointed Vice-President of Schnitzer Steel
Industries Inc. Mr Hamaker will be responsible for all Schnitzer scrap metal
recycling facilities. Schnitzer has also announced that Pat Christopher will
be joining the company as Vice-President of Schnitzer Steel Industries, with
responsibility for Schnitzer’s newly-acquired East Coast metals recycling
facilities. Also joining the company as Vice-President of Export Sales is
Alter Goldstein. His responsibilities will include the Asian export trading
business relating to Schnitzer’s current metals recycling operations.
www.schnitzersteel.com

* Harris Waste Management

The Harris Waste Management Group of Peachtree City, Georgia, USA,
has promoted Douglas Sebastian to Vice-President of Harris. In his new
position, he will continue to oversee all sales and marketing, as well as to
manage the shredder division. His expanded responsibilities include new
product development, special projects, corporate objectives and operations.
www.harriswaste.com
Scan & Sort CombiSense at the Technical University of Aachen in Germany.

New range MaTech alligator shears
Dutch company MaTech - European distributor of the MiniSort metals
analyser, Taurus scrap shears and Rigby cable strippers - has recent-
ly started marketing a complete new range of alligator shears which
will be distributed exclusively in the European recycling market.
Hydraulic alligator shears are
used in scrap yards around the
world to cut a variety of materials
such as aluminium profile, cable,
copper tubes, brass fittings, radia-
tors and stainless steel.
‘What sets our new shears apart
is the blade lengths of the different
models, which are at least 10%
longer than those of other machines,’
explains MaTech’s Managing Direc-
tor Marc van de Wijdeven. ‘The ad-
vantage is that cutting capabilities
are increased. In addition, the cut-
ting forces of our alligator shears are
very powerful. The main difference
lies in the angle of the cutting cylin-
Personal radiation detectors
Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation
(BNC) has added two new instru-
ments to its comprehensive
range of advanced personal radi-
ation detectors.
These highly-sensitive radiation
monitors discreetly detect and mea-
sure gamma radiation and then alert
the operator via vibration or an audi-
ble alarm. The so-called nukeALERT
II 1703M Personal Radiation Detec-
tor (PRD) and the palmRAD 1621M
Dosimeter are said to be simple to
understand and operate, as well as
impact resistant and watertight,
with a sensitivity that outperforms
other popular radiation systems.
Recycling International • October 2005
der, which is more vertical compared
with other machines.’
While many other machines look
to achieve stability via a huge tank
filled with oil, the MaTech alligator
shear is equipped with a compact
and easy-to-release tank with only
the necessary amount of oil required
for the hydraulics. The electric mo-
tor is mounted on the tank.
For more information:
MaTech, Mierlo, The Netherlands,
Phone: +31 492 477488,
Fax: +31 492 474858,
E-mail: info@matech.nl,
Website: www.matech.nl
Whether the user is experienced in
radiation safety, or operating in gen-
eral security, these instruments pro-
vide an intuitive interface.
All BNC radiation detectors offer
two critical operation modes: the
P R O D U C T N E W S
Genesis Logix Processor
Genesis Attachment’s new Logix
Processor (LXP) ‘can offer
power, versatility and a fast,
safe changeover between jaws’,
according to the company.
Genesis claims the Logix Proces-
sor provides: the same level of power
for which its XP line of shears has be-
come known; the versatility of both
pulveriser and shear jaw sets; and a
changeover between jaws that can be
done in a fraction of the time taken
by other multi-jaw attachments.
The LXPs are available in four
sizes to fit excavators in the 20, 30,
40 and 50-tonne classes.
Key Genesis objectives during the
LXP design phase included increas-
ing the power available with each jaw
set and dramatically streamlining
the changeover process. ‘We had long
been hearing from demolition and re-
cycling professionals that, while
they like the concept of a multi-
ple jaw tool, they often dread
changing jaws because
of the ordeal
first incorporates a 1-9 strength in-
dicator scale for simple analysis of
the sources present; and the second
provides exposure rate readings and
accumulated dose information com-
monly found in dosimeters. The in-
strument employs
an algorithm which
enables the user to
adjust the settings
to minimise false
alarms in high
background level
environments with-
out compromising
the probability of
detecting a source.
it can become - sometimes monopolis-
ing workers for as long as four hours,’
notes Genesis’ Director of Product
Development Mark Ramun.
In a new approach, each LXP jaw
retains its own pivot group. Chang-
ing between jaw sets simply involves
hydraulically releasing one jaw and,
in quick-coupler fashion, hydrauli-
cally adding the other. Only the
lightened cylinder pins need be man-
ually removed. And because each
jaw set retains its own pivot group,
this gives a tremendous boost to the
power available, according to Gene-
sis. When configured with the shear
jaws, the LXP provides a cutting
force that will remind users of the
power of Genesis’ XP Series Mobile
Shears, the company concludes.
Genesis Attachments, Superior,
Wisconsin, USA,
Phone: +1 715 395-5252,
Fax: +1 715 395-5255,
E-mail: info@
genesisattachments.com,
Website: www.paladinbrands.com
These units have been designed to
meet ANSI N42.32 specifications
which are standards for radiation
and nuclear detection equipment
adopted by the US Department of
Homeland Security’s Science and
Technology Division in February
last year.
Berkeley Nucleonics Corp.,
San Rafael, California, USA,
Phone: +1 415 453-9955,
Fax: +1 415 453-9956,
E-mail:
info@berkeleynucleonics.com,
Website:
www.berkeleynucleonics.com
19
 g i v i n g e a r t h i t s s e c o n d n a t u r e

OUR GOAL: 100% RECYCLING

Group Galloo Recycling is one of the foremost recycling

companies of ferrous and non-ferrous metals in Europe. Group

Galloo Recycling annually treats 1 000 000 tons of ferrous scrap,

60 000 tons of non-ferrous metals, 20 000 tons of plastics and

100 000 tons of shredder residues. By continually investing in

new technologies, the group’s aim is to achieve 100 % recycling.

320 Wervikstraat • B 8930 Menen • Belgium • Tel. 0032 (0)56 52 13 00 • Fax 0032 (0)56 52 13 10 Email: info@galloo.com • Website: www.galloo.com
 P R O D U C T N E W S

New Niton software to aid compliance

Thermo Electron Corporation’s Niton analyser business unit, a world

leader in portable X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology, has intro-
duced a new version of instrument software to assist electronics
manufacturers in complying with the European Union’s Restriction
on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations.

Known more specifically as EU certifications, or controlling solder

2002/95/EC, the RoHS Directive
restricts the quantities of certain
hazardous elements in electrical and
electronic materials. This legisla-
tion, which becomes effective on July
1 next year, requires manufacturers
and distributors of electrical and
electronic materials to provide strict
documentation of compliance with
these directives.
In response, Niton has released a
new version of software for its popu-
lar Niton XLt 797 portable XRF
analyser: so-called version 4.4 en-
ables users to establish thresholds for
rapid screening of solder bars, circuit
boards and their components, and
then displays pass or fail symbols for
each regulated element. Whether
manufacturers are segregating lead
and lead-free stock, performing due
diligence testing to verify supplier
chemistry as part of process quality
control, the Niton XLt 797 with ver-
sion 4.4 software allows companies to
employ non-technical personnel for
these mission-critical tasks, accord-
ing to the company. This new feature
- along with the Niton analyser’s
easy-to-use data entry which includes
a virtual keyboard and integrated
barcode scanner - simplifies the
tracking and interpretation of critical
compliance data, it goes on to say.
Thermo’s Niton XRF analysers are
capable of storing more than 3000
legally-defensible measurements for
later download to the user’s PC. All
readings are encrypted to prevent ac-
cidental or intentional tampering
with the analytical result, yet may be
easily incorporated into database or
spreadsheet packages for reference to
companies’ manufacturing and/or
quality control systems.
* Niton LLC, Billerica,
Massachussetts, USA,
Phone: +1 978-670-7460,
E-mail: sales@niton.com
* Niton Europe, Munich,
Germany, Phone: +49 89 3681
380, E-mail: niton@thermo.com,
Website: www.niton.com or
www.thermo.com
Hammel KompbiStar fine shredder
Hammel Recyclingtechnik of
Germany has unveiled its first
Hammel Fine Shredder, a high-
speed unit designed specifically
to handle fresh wood, green
waste, branches and bushes (up
to a diameter of 300 mm), for-
est residues, bark and waste
wood.
Its development reflects the many
enquiries from waste disposal com-
panies with smaller throughputs for
a machine capable of processing all
accumulated materials.
According to the company, one of
the advantages of the KompbiStar is
that raw material is loaded directly
into the automatically-operated feed
hopper and goes through the feed
roller into the shredding rotor,
thereby guaranteeing continuous
and permanent material feeding. In
addition, a load-dependent feed con-
trol is built into the machine. If ma-
terial is too dense, the feed belt revo-
lution speed is automatically regu-
lated and adjusted to prevent block-
ages in the rotor, which is equipped
with bolt-on hammers. The ma-
chines produce an end product
smaller than 50 mm at throughputs
of up to 20 tonnes per hour depend-
ing on the material. After process-
ing, the material can be used for
composting or incineration.
The shredder is fitted with a 350
hp Caterpillar diesel engine and
measures 2500 mm (W) x 3000 mm
(H) x 8300 mm (L).
Hammel Recyclingtechnik,
Bad Salzingen, Germany,
Phone: +49 3695 69910,
Fax: +49 3695 699-193,
E-mail: info@hammel.de,
Website: www.hammel.de

Untha cooling unit recycling plant .

Kühltec AG of Rothrist in are separated and automatically

Switzerland is now operating a
cooling unit recycling plant
which complies with Swiss pollu-
tion control regulations.
Installed by Untha Recylingtech-
nik of Germany, the plant has the
capacity to handle approximately
120 cooling units per hour. After the
removal of the compressors, the
units are automatically conveyed to
lifting sluices along two separate
lines. This gas-tight introduction is
followed by the shredding of the cool-
ing unit housings during which valu-
able substances and noxious matter
filled into containers. A nitrogen-op-
erated, low-temperature condensa-
tion system liquefies the blowing
agent released by the expanded in-
sulating material.
A process visualisation system al-
lows for material input registration,
emission value monitoring and au-
tomatic weighing of the output frac-
tions. A check on plant efficiency has cling plant for household appliances Untha Recyclingtechnik,
confirmed a high CFC recuperation and cooling units to Palma de Mal- Karlstadt, Germany,
rate. Measured emission values are lorca. This will allow all household Phone: +49 9353 9068-0,
well below legal limits. appliances collected on the Spanish Fax: +49 9353 9068-68,
Currently, Untha Recyclingtech- island to be recycled to professional E-mail: info@untha.de,
nik is supplying a combined recy- standards. Website: www.untha.de

Recycling International • October 2005 21

 R O U N D U P
Magazine Round Up
A magazine for the recycling industry is published in
many countries. Although these publications mainly
cover news of the domestic markets, many of them also
signal international trends. Recycling International
rounds-up items from these magazines which are of
interest to the international recycling industry.
The magazines we co-operate with in publishing
extracts from their editorial pages are:
• Scrap (USA)
• Recycling Today (USA)
• Recycling magazin (Germany)
• Magazine Recycling Benelux (The Netherlands/Belgium)
na and other overseas markets a few
years ago, he was not keen on the
time-consuming, labour-intensive
process of actually loading the con-
tainers. Three workers often needed
http://www.scrap.org up to four hours to fill a shipping
container with ferrous scrap using
front-end loaders, with the added
Novelis claims problem that these containers some-
UBC recycling times became damaged during the
loading process. Therefore, Mr
crown Frankel decided to develop his own
container-loading technology that
Novelis Inc. of Toronto, Canada, reportedly enables a single operator
claims to have recycled 30 billion to load a container in just 15 min-
used beverage cans (UBCs) last year utes, with no manual labour inside
to make it the world leader in recy- the container and no damage to the
cling aluminium cans. The company, container itself.
which produces aluminium rolled Working with Mechtronic Solu-
products, was formerly part of Alcan tions Inc., an Albuquerque-based en-
Inc. of Montréal. gineering and manufacturing firm,
Novelis operates three recycling Frankel developed the so-called
plants in North America which ac- Frankel Advanced Shipping Tech-
counted for more than 24 billion of the nologies (FASTek) machine, compris-
UBC total for 2004. The company also ing a metal box on a track powered
operates recycling facilities in Italy, by a small engine. Once a crane has
the UK, South Korea and Brazil loaded scrap into the box, the engine
(where it accounts for 68% of the 9 bil- slides the box into the shipping con-
lion UBCs recovered annually). tainer, where the scrap is dumped;
the box then slides back out of the
container ready for another load.
As of late June, Mr Frankel had
Recycler devel- sent some 400 containers of ferrous
ops scrap-load- scrap to China and South Korea us-
ing technique
ing the FASTek machine, and he
plans to add a second machine this
year. Frankel believes that the
When Nathan Frankel, President FASTek machines, which he hopes
of Advanced Steel Recovery Inc. of to patent, could also be used to ship
Fontana, California, started to ship other bulk commodities such as re-
container loads of steel scrap to Chi- covered paper.
Recycling International • October 2005
Every one a
recycling winner
Recycling old lottery tickets has
turned into a winner for E. L. Har-
vey & Sons Inc. of Westborough,
Massachusetts, USA, as well as for
the Massachusetts State Lottery.
The recycling programme, called In-
stant Re-Play, began in August last
year and has already been responsi-
ble for converting 50 tonnes of tick-
ets into tissue-grade products.
E. L. Harvey helps co-ordinate the
recovery and recycling of the old
tickets through various collection
events, such as an Earth Day on
Boston’s Esplanade that yielded 8
tonnes of tickets in five hours and
another collection at lottery head-
quarters in Braintree, Massachu-
setts, that collected 16 tonnes in the
same period. The Instant Re-Play
programme rewards individuals
who collect discarded tickets by
handing them a new US$ 1 instant
lottery ticket for every 25 old tickets
they return.
Battery lead
scores 99%
recycling rate
Chicago-based Battery Council
International (BCI) reports that
99.2% of all used battery lead in the
USA was recycled between 1999 and
2003. Some 11.692 billion pounds of
lead out of a potential 11.789 billion
pounds was recovered thanks to ‘a
successful collaboration among
members of the battery industry, re-
tailers and consumers’, according to
BCI.
In addition to the lead, recyclers
of used lead-acid batteries also re-
cover plastics and scrap lead from
the production process. Currently,
43 US states have laws requiring
lead-acid battery recycling, with re-
tailers and auto parts stores in those
states generally collecting used bat-
teries from consumers.
The BCI National Recycling Rate
Study 1999-2003 is available at:
www.batterycouncil.org/news.html
www.mrb-uitgevers.nl
China to top
aluminium
consumption
league?
Thanks to its rapidly-growing
economy, China is expected to over-
take the USA as the world largest
consumer of aluminium in 2005. The
country’s consumption is thought
likely to amount to 6.8 million
tonnes this year compared to 5.9
million tonnes in 2004.
China’s aluminium consumption
is expected to reach 12.5 million
tonnes by the year 2015 and to con-
tinue to grow in the years beyond.
However, the country has announced
that it has no desire to become the
world’s largest supplier of alumini-
um: central government is to focus
more on domestic demand than on
exports and has duly announced
measures to restrict exports of alu-
minium and other base metals.
www.recyclingmagazin.de
Daunting WEEE
costs
The computer industry fears its
costs will increase considerably as a
result of the EU Directive on Waste
from Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE) which came
22

into force in August. According to a
spokesman for computer manufac-
turer Fujitsu Siemens, his company
expects directive compliance costs to
amount to some € 9 million, or US$
10.8 million. Fujitsu Siemens al-
ready operates its own recycling cen-
tre but is also having to invest heavi-
ly in environmentally-friendly com-
puter parts.
www.recyclingtoday.com
China’s steel
industry set for
change
Unprecedented consolidation
within China’s fragmented steel sec-
tor is in the pipeline following the
launch of the country’s new industry
policy in July. This consolidation
process will be led by the nation’s top
steelmakers - Shanghai Baoshan
Iron and Steel Corp (Baosteel), An-
shan Iron and Steel Corp, Wuhan
Iron and Steel Corp and Shougang
Group, according to Luo Bingsheng,
Vice-Chairman of the China Iron and
Steel Association. The Anshan steel
firm and Benxi Iron and Steel Corp,
both located in north-east China’s
Liaoning Province, will soon be com-
bined into a single entity, he added.
China’s top steelmaker Baosteel is
considering building a steel plant in
Zhanjiang, a port city in southern
Guangdong Province, in a joint pro-
ject with local steel companies
Guangzhou Iron and Steel Corp and
Shaoguan Iron and Steel Corp, ac-
cording to Mr Luo, while Wuhan Iron
and Steel in Central China’s Hubei
Province is considering working with
Liuzhou Iron and Steel Corp in
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Re-
gion to build a plant in Fangcheng-
gang, a port city in Guangxi. In addi-
tion, Shougang of Beijing is con-
structing a steel plant in Caofeidian,
Recycling International • October 2005
a port on Bohan Bay, in concert with
Tangshan Iron and Steel Corp.
According to Mr Luo, ‘fragmenta-
tion is one of the biggest obstacles to
the steel industry’s future healthy
development, and consolidations as
well as mergers and acquisitions are
badly needed’. Currently, there are
some 830 steelmakers in China, the
majority of which are deemed too
small to be internationally competi-
tive. Baosteel is China’s only steel-
maker capable of producing over 20
million tonnes a year but ranks only
sixth in the world producer league.
China’s steel policy aims to cut the
number of steelmakers and to enable
large players to control a greater pro-
portion of production through merg-
ers and acquisitions. The country’s
leading 10 steelmakers are expected
to control more than 50% of domestic
output by 2010 and over 70% by
2020. Also by 2010, two Chinese steel
giants will have an annual output of
more than 30 million tonnes and sev-
eral others will have yearly outputs
exceeding 10 million tonnes, the poli-
cy suggests.
The policy also bans foreign in-
vestors from holding controlling
stakes in China’s steelmaking ven-
tures. As a result, the world’s second
largest steel group Arcelor is
thought likely to abandon plans to
merge with Laiwu Iron and Steel Co.
Australia’s CMA
completes two
acquisitions
Australian company CMA Corp.
Ltd has announced the acquisition
of two scrap metal companies, in-
cluding Scrap Metal Recyclers
(SMR) - the largest privately-owned
scrap metal company in New
Zealand which focuses on scrap pro-
cessing while also operating a signif-
icant bin distribution and collection
programme.
CMA has also acquired NY Metal
Recyclers of Darwin, the second
R O U N D U P
largest scrap recycler in Australia’s
Northern Territory. CMA will pay
around US$ 15.8 million for the two
businesses and hopes to complete the
deals within a month. The acquisi-
tions reflect CMA’s strategy of buying
metal processing businesses that are
compatible with its own activities.
CMA was established by the
merger of scrap metals recycler T&T
Group and contracting group
Moltoni Adams. The company oper-
ates two business groups: one focus-
es on the metals recycling business,
including collection and processing;
the other centres on contracting op-
erations in resource sector plant de-
commissioning, industrial demoli-
tion, and dredging, site clearance
and remediation.
Wal-Mart
launches plastic
bag collection
programme
Wal-Mart, the USA’s largest su-
permarket chain, has unveiled the
second Wal-Mart Kids Recycling
Challenge - a partnership with K-6
elementary schools in California and
Utah that helps students become re-
sponsible stewards of their environ-
ment while earning money for their
schools at the same time.
Participating schools will receive a
collection bin and a supply of 60-gal-
lon collection bags. Wal-Mart will
then give schools US$ 5 in cash for
each collection bag they fill with plas-
tic bags and take to participating
stores for recycling by December 19
this year. The three schools in each
region that recycle the most plastic
bags will receive additional cash
grants from Wal-Mart of US$ 1500,
US$ 1000 and US$ 500 respectively.
During the first of these recycling
challenges, K-6 students in Palm
Desert and Sacramento, California,
and in Salt Lake City, Utah, filled a
total of 1947 collection bags.
23
 The world’s largest
range of shears
from 500 to 1350 tons
ColorPress Communication

SCRAP SHEARS AND BALERS

Tel. +33 4 79 62 90 52 - export@akros.fr - www.akros.fr
Shanghai
Shanghai Sigma
Sigma metals
metals
Packing the potential
to re-define second a
When the world’s largest single-site sec-
ondary smelting facility becomes fully
operational this autumn, Shanghai Sigma
Metals, Inc. of China will have the capaci-
ty to produce 25 000 tonnes of alumini-
um alloy per month. This article under-
lines the company’s commitment not
only to expansion but also to the techno-
logical advancement of China’s sec-
ondary smelting industry.
Tony Huang, President of Shanghai Sigma
Metals.
By Adam Minter
Recycling International • October 2005
A wide new boulevard crosses
the old single lane farm roads
of Shanghai’s outlying Baoshan
district. Tony Huang, President of
Shanghai Sigma Metals, Inc.,
China’s leading aluminium scrap
importer and aluminium alloy
exporter, leans into the back-seat
of a Mercedes that navigates the
road, paralleling a set of manufac-
tured hills being landscaped by
workers in straw hats. Mr Huang’s
attention, however, is on the bus
stop. ‘That’s called the Sigma stop,’
he says, pointing at a sign as the
car pauses at a security gate. ‘The
city gave it to us. We have 1500
employees so it was logical.’
Past the gate, the car stops in front
of an office building. Mr Huang opens the door and
strides into a foyer where workers hang crystals from
a 10 metre-long chandelier alongside a spiral stair-
case and a specially-commissioned painting made
from ‘scraps’. Upstairs, he slips past workers carry-
ing a coffee table into his office and stops in front of a
window that looks out on the 360 000 square metre
property that contains the world’s largest single-site
secondary smelting facility. When this becomes fully
operational in autumn 2005, Shanghai Sigma
Metals, Inc. will have the capacity to produce 25 000
tonnes of aluminium alloy per month.
On a large flat screen across from the just-deliv-
ered coffee table, Mr Huang pulls up the facts: 119
595 tonnes of aluminium scrap imported in 2004,
equalling 10.1% of China’s total; 101 250 tonnes of
aluminium alloy ingot exported, representing 36% of
China’s total. As an export business, Sigma relies on
cheap production costs - based upon low-cost labour -
to be competitive on the world markets. But as Mr
Huang turns to look out on Sigma’s new facility, much
of the land is empty, awaiting future expansion that
he is determined will be based upon technology and
not just cheap labour. It is an ambitious vision, and if
it succeeds, Shanghai Sigma has the potential to re-
define secondary smelting for the 21st century.
The scrap
Gaping, multi-storey loading doors reveal a 40
000 square metre warehouse in which 250 women
hand-sort shredded metals imported from North
26
 C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E

d ary smelting

In the 40 000 square metre warehouse, 250

women hand-sort shredded metals imported
from North America, South America and
Europe.

America, South America and Europe. ‘My goal was

to get a Nobel Prize,’ Mr Huang recounts with a
smile. ‘I was very interested in life science.’ Born in
Taiwan in 1951, he graduated with a BA in botany
from Taiwan’s National University in 1973. After
completing his compulsory military service, he trav-
elled to the USA and completed a Masters in Food
Science at Cornell University. ‘It was the closest
thing to botany and it could help me get into busi-
ness,’ he explains. ‘You don’t just go from botany to
smelting.’
A bicycle makes it easier and faster to move from one place to another
Instead, you need some help. For Mr Huang, this at the 90 000 square metre site.
came in the form of relatives in Taiwan who were
active in the shipbreaking business. In 1978, he and
a friend established Sigma International in a New
Jersey basement apartment and began procuring
scrap for Taiwan. ‘I would drive from one yard to
another like a lot of the Chinese guys are doing
today,’ Mr Huang recalls. ‘I would look at material,
negotiate price, pay cash, and arrange for shipment.’
Next to the Zorba sorting rooms are darker, but
equally cavernous rooms piled with large, broken
hunks of Tense and Taint Tabor. The material is
significantly heavier than the hand-sized chunks of In addition to scrap, Sigma imports significant amounts of base metal In 2004, Shanghai Sigma Metals imported
and primary ingot, as well as 1000 to 2000 tonnes per month of Honey 119 595 tonnes of aluminium scrap,
Zorba next door, but it too is sorted by masked for re-sale. equalling 10.1% of China’s total.

Recycling International • October 2005 27


A front-end loader outfitted with a 10-metre
rake approaches the open furnace.
Sigma pays its 800 hand-sorters between
US$ 100 and US$ 120 per tonne, accounting
for approximately 1% of the company’s total
costs.
‘When it comes to sorting metals, women are
more patient and precise,’ says Mr Huang.
Recycling International • October 2005
C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E
women. ‘They are more patient and precise,’ says
Mr Huang as he stands beside a squat figure in
green scrubs hurling transmission casings into a
bin. Mr Huang pays Sigma’s 800 hand-sorters
between US$ 100 and US$ 120 per tonne, account-
ing for approximately 1% of Sigma’s total costs.
Sigma’s leading cost by far is raw materials which
easily accounts for 90% of total outlay, according to
Mr Huang.
In addition to scrap, Sigma imports significant
amounts of base metal and primary ingot, as well as
1000 to 2000 tonnes per month of Honey for re-sale;
but mixed loads of aluminium are still Sigma’s raw
material of choice. In 2004, Tense and Taint/Tabor
accounted for 53% of Sigma’s total raw material
imports, while Zorba accounted for 24%. Though Mr
Huang prefers Zorba, disparities in how duties are
assessed in Southern China can render Sigma
uncompetitive when sourcing the material. The
problem is well-known to importers and exporters
alike: in southern Guangdong province, customs
authorities are widely known to assess lower than
actual values on mixed loads. Material that might
be assessed at, say, 90% metal content in Shanghai
can be expected to be assessed as low as 30% in
Guangdong.
‘Our Zorba consumption has been dropping
steadily over the past few years because of the duty
situation,’ Mr Huang says with frustration. ‘Lower
duties in the south leave us uncompetitive much of
the time.’ As a result, Sigma utilises more Tense
and Taint Tabor than it would if the duties were
enforced uniformly. ‘It’s cleaner and it looks more
like aluminium,’ says Mr Huang. ‘So you can’t get
away with declaring a lower value.’
Partly out of self-interest and partly out of a gen-
uine belief that China’s scrap industry will never
develop properly without uniform regulation, Mr
Huang joined several influential players in the
Chinese scrap industry to work with the country’s
customs officials on establishing a more detailed
and uniform duty assessment system for scrap.
This was implemented on January 1. ‘Before the
new duty system, the assessments on Zorba in
Guangdong were maybe 40% right,’ Mr Huang con-
cedes. ‘Now they’re 70% right. That’s not perfect,
but it’s progress.’ As a result, Mr Huang expects
that Zorba will account for a larger amount of
Sigma’s scrap imports in 2005.
The ingot
In 1981, Tony Huang and his brother Peter
established Sigma Brothers in Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
as a scrap trading company. In 1987, they added a
smelting plant that was utilising low-cost labour
and mixed imported scrap to produce 2000 to 3000
tonnes per month of aluminium alloy ingot (today,
it produces approximately 5000 tonnes per month).
However, by the early 1990s, the rising price of
Taiwanese labour made hand-sorting of imported
scrap an increasingly difficult proposition. ‘We
realised that if we were going to continue utilising
cheap raw material, we would have to move to
China,’ Mr Huang explains. Construction on
Shanghai Sigma Metals began in 1993 and, not long
after, Peter passed away unexpectedly. ‘Shanghai
was my brother’s dream,’ he says. ‘So I felt I needed
to fulfill his dream.’
Mr Huang drives a golf cart across a concrete
expanse, where an average of 700 containers per
month are offloaded by overhead cranes, and into the
heat and noise of Sigma’s impeccably clean smelting
plant. Ahead, steel doors slowly rise to reveal the
fiery roar of a 20-tonne capacity furnace set. Raising
his voice over the din, Mr Huang announces: ‘We also
have six sets of 50-tonne capacity furnaces.’
A front-end loader outfitted with a 10-metre rake
approaches the open furnace and begins to scrape red
hot dross into a heavy steel container. The container
On average, 700 containers per month are offloaded by overhead
cranes at Sigma Shanghai.
28
 C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E

Huang explains. ‘But of course, that means we are

competing against ourselves if we discount.’
Mr Huang views the Japanese market as the eas-
iest place for Sigma to grow in the near term, and so
the new plant was designed for export. But long
term, he expects that China’s automotive industry
will be the best opportunity; Sigma’s shipments into
this sector are increasing rapidly, reaching 66 000
tonnes of aluminium alloy in 2004.

Last year, Shanghai Sigma Metals exported 101 250 tonnes of alumini- The future
um alloy ingot, representing 36% of China’s total.
When Sigma first located in Shanghai’s outlying
is then moved across the smelting plant and emptied Baoshan district, local authorities promised Mr
into one of several rotating furnaces. What remains, Huang that the area would remain industrial. But
in the end, is useless black dross. In other secondary nobody could have predicted the extraordinary
smelting plants, that dross is landfilled or used in low- growth of Shanghai over the last decade. Today, the
grade applications like water filters (after which it is old plant is a short walk from a new stop on
then landfilled). But at the direction of Mr Huang,
Sigma’s team of 130 engineers has designed a dross
separating plant capable of processing 5000 tonnes
per month of the troublesome material into alumini-
um concentrate and aluminium oxide. ‘We charge the
material and then filter, filter, filter,’ Mr Huang
explains. China’s State Environmental Protection
Administration (SEPA) has not only approved
Sigma’s dross recycling system, it has designated it as
a model for China’s secondary aluminium industry.
‘The industry is usually so dirty and has a terrible
image,’ Mr Huang explains. ‘So they are looking for
ways to show that it can be different.’
Though it now seems visionary, the decision to
enter China in the early 1990s was a risky one.
China had only recently opened to foreign invest-
ment, and there was a general feeling that its
nascent free markets were an experiment and not
The new facility is one of the most technologically-advanced secondary smelters in the world.
necessarily the future. Sigma, however, did not
hedge. It opened with 500 employees, most of whom
hand-sorted North American Zorba that would have
otherwise gone to Kaohsiung.
Shanghai Sigma initially shipped its ingot to
Taiwan, but as the 1990s progressed, low-cost pro-
duction allowed Sigma to maintain its price below
those charged by Japanese domestic smelters, all
the while upholding quality standards that resulted
in Sigma becoming the first Chinese secondary
smelter registered on the LME. Today, Sigma is the
leading Chinese provider of aluminium to Japan’s
automotive industry, with 72 593 tonnes of alloy
shipped in 2004, representing 59% of all Chinese
aluminium exports to Japan. As a result, Sigma’s
selling price has become the benchmark by which
Japanese consumers and Chinese suppliers set
their prices. ‘The Japanese create formula pricing
systems using our price as the benchmark,’ Mr Mixed loads of aluminium are still Sigma’s raw material of choice.

Recycling International • October 2005 29


Shanghai’s Metro, and its once industrial neighbour-
hood is sprouting apartment blocks. Fortuitously, as
the neighborhood grew, so did Sigma, and after a
decade it had outgrown its original 90 000 square
metre site. ‘Relocation was not a disappointment at
all,’ says Mr Huang. ‘We needed more space, and the
move gave us the opportunity to really think about
what our future would be.’
The new facility is not only the most technologi-
cally-advanced secondary smelting facility in
China, it is also on the verge of being one of the
most technologically-advanced secondary smelters
in the world. In the smelting room, for example, the
Sigma designed and built furnaces are outfitted
with the world’s first permanent magnetic stirrers.
These Japanese-designed machines require lower
installation and maintenance costs, and require
only 10% of the power used by the electromagnetic
stirrers used in other secondary smelting opera-
tions. ‘They give us a real competitive advantage,’
enthuses Mr Huang.
The new facility was planned to diversify the
types of scrap that Sigma purchases with a long-
view towards China’s rapidly-evolving - albeit, still
small - domestic scrap markets. Thus, Sigma is
installing a technologically-advanced turnings drier
and melting furnace designed to raise metal recov-
ery rates beyond those obtained by North American
and European smelters. ‘Actually, turnings are
cheaper than other scrap Sigma buys if the recovery
is right,’ Mr Huang explains. Already, Shanghai
Fresh load of aluminium scrap is thrown on a sorting table.
Liquid aluminium is poured.
Recycling International • October 2005
C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E
Sigma has six sets of 50-tonne capacity
Sigma is China’s leading turnings importer, and furnaces and one furnace with a 20-tonne
with the new drier and furnace that market domi- capacity.
nance will be extended. In the short term, if Mr
Huang’s market and technology predictions are cor-
rect, Sigma will have the ability to compete effec-
tively and efficiently with turnings consumers in
the USA and Europe. Long term, Mr Huang is con-
vinced that China’s burgeoning manufacturers will
provide a steady source of turnings for his furnaces,
thus diversifying Sigma away from labour-inten- Sigma is the leading Chinese provider of alu-
minium to Japan’s automotive industry.
sive scrap such as Zorba.
Finally, and perhaps most surprisingly, Sigma is
installing a traditional flotation plant for the sort-
ing of mixed scrap ‘fines’ too small for Sigma’s hand-
sorters. Just as Sigma’s cheap labour has rendered
many European flotation plants uncompetitive, Mr
Huang believes that his water-powered Shanghai
flotation plant will establish his facility - and possi-
bly, China - as a leader in the processing of scrap Shanghai Sigma Metals has a capacity to pro-
duce 25 000 tonnes of aluminium alloy per
fines. month.
Back in his office, Mr Huang considers the future.
‘We have plans for a phase two expansion that
would bring the plant up to 40 000 tonnes per
month of output,’ he says with a smile. ‘But there
are no immediate plans to do that.’ Instead, he
counts on his large technical staff to continue inno-
vating in ways that leverage China’s cheap labour,
but don’t entirely depend upon it. In the process,
Mr Huang hopes to transform the poor image of
China’s secondary smelting industry into some-
thing modern and developed. ‘When my son is here,
he doesn’t have to be embarrassed to bring his
friends to see what his father does for a living,’ he
says. ‘That’s important to me.’
It is a challenge both professional and personal,
and the results will likely reverberate on the inter-
national markets for years to come.
31
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 T R A D E
This year’s Recycling & Waste Management show in Birmingham
attracted 6554 visitors.
T he final figures have yet to be confirmed
but unaudited statistics indicate that 6554
visitors attended this year’s RWM’05 - the UK’s
long-established recycling show. If verified, this
total would represent an increase of some 16%
over 2004. Furthermore, RWM’05 attracted a
record-breaking 376 stand-holders, many of
whom were based in the popular outdoor exhi-
bition area which featured a number of live
machinery and equipment demonstrations.
As always, a number of companies used the
show to promote new products designed for
the recycling industry or to publicise their lat-
est news. Some of the highlights of the show
are reviewed below.
Akros
Also featured in the RWM’05 outside
demonstration area was a press-wing shear
from French firm Akros. The CIV 508/608
shears - available in stationary, moveable and
mobile versions - boast five or six-metre box-
es, automatic cycles, and an electric or sound-
proofed diesel engine. Particularly recom-
mended for processing end-of-life vehicle
scrap, light scrap and mixed scrap, the shears
also offer remote control driving, front or back
bale ejection, and ease of maintenance.
www.akros.fr
Alan Donaldson of A.D. Recycling solutions, Akros’ UK agent
Akros in front of the new CIV 508/608 press-wing shear.
Recycling International • October 2005
S H O W
Recycling & Waste
Provisional figures suggest that the UK’s latest Recycling and
Waste Management show (RWM’05), held on September 13-15,
attracted more visitors than ever before. Recycling International
joined the crowds converging on the National Exhibition Centre
in Birmingham and learned about a host of new equipment
releases.
Eriez Magnetics Europe
Eriez’s wide range of equipment now
includes two new metal detectors. The E-Z Tec
9000 Metal Detector detects all metals - includ-
ing stainless - in recyclable materials and is
designed in part to prevent damage to shred-
ders/granulators. Particularly suited to the pro-
cessing of plastics, tyres, wood and textiles, the
detector has three types of search head avail-
able: standard rectangular aperture; divisible
head to obviate the need to cut and rejoin con-
veyor belts; and circular head (drop-through
system). Key features include high sensitivity
as well as tamper-proof settings and controls.
In Europe, Eriez Magnetics is particularly well known for its range
of eddy current separators such as the SB 500 shown here.
Meanwhile, the E-Z Tec 9100 Metal
Separator detects all types of metal - again
including stainless - to purify recycled materi-
al with minimum product wastage. Positioned
in free-fall, gravity-fed systems, the detector is
compact and can be easily retrofitted. Suitable
for a range of tasks but for plastics and textile
recycling in particular, the detector can be
incorporated at the tail end of an eddy current
metal separation module for final quality
checks.
By Ian Martin
Eriez Magnetics Europe is particularly well
known in recycling circles for its range of eddy
current separators: the Standard Model ECS
with its high-intensity magnetic rotor design
for separating smaller metal particles down
to 3 mm; the LC Model ECS for arduous envi-
ronments; and the SR Model ECS for very
small particle separation (2 to 3 mm), which
has been installed in many plastics recycling
facilities for enhanced separation of non-fer-
rous elements from granulated material.
www.eriez.com
Game Engineering
Based at Lincoln in the UK, Game
Engineering Ltd has completed a Materials
Recovery Facility (MRF) design-and-build con-
tract for recycling and waste management spe-
cialist Materials Recovery Ltd. Boasting pur-
pose-built infeed, sorting and baler feed sys-
tems complete with magnetic separators,
sieves and hand-sorting facilities, Game
Engineering’s MRF can be tailored to incorpo-
rate other mechanical sorting and handling
options such as a lightweight paper and plastic
fraction pre-processing and pelletising facility
for the production of refuse-derived fuel.
www.game-engineering.com
Game Engineering’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for recy-
cling and waste management specialist Materials Recovery.
34

Management pulls in the crowds
Harris Waste Management
A horizontal auto-tie baler for medium to
high levels of throughput has been unveiled
by Harris Waste Management, the US-based
manufacturer of balers for the recycling and
waste management industries.
The Harris HLO-8210AR150 comprises a
hopper opening measuring 1029 mm by 2032
mm and a compression force of 178 tonnes.
‘With a bale cross-section of 1100 mm by 1100
mm, the machine produces export size bales
of up to approximately 1150 kg (cardboard)
fully automatically,’ according to Harris.
‘Depending on incoming material and other
variables associated with baling, the HLO-
8210 can process some 27 tonnes per hour of
cardboard, whereas an optional ruffler is
available for baling news, office paper and
high grades.’
Harris Waste Management’s HLO-8210AR150horizontal auto-
tie baler for medium to high levels of throughput.
All machine functions are controlled and
monitored via touch-screen technology to the
extent that the HLO-8210 can be pre-pro-
grammed to handle up to 15 different grades
of material. Harris adds: ‘Bale tensioning is
now adjusted via a single hydraulic cylinder
acting simultaneously on the top and sides of
the channel. Wire inserter and twister drives
are both hydraulically driven, increasing
speed and efficiency of operation.’
A dry cycle time of around 14 seconds is
achieved by use of state-of-the-art high pres-
sure, regenerative hydraulics, the company
adds.
www.harriswaste.com
JMC Recycling Systems
Leading UK machinery innovator JMC
Recycling Systems Ltd of Nottingham
unveiled its Minibale 500 RDI System at
Recycling International • October 2005
T R A D E
RWM’05. Aimed at low-volume can collectors
such as local authorities, charities and super-
market chains, the fully-automatic machine
crushes and locks together cans to yield dense
cubes that need no tying or strapping.
Offering a capacity of up to 110 kg per hour,
the Minibale can be operated with an RDI
sorting system to give complete separation of
aluminium from steel cans.
RWM’05 proved to be a successful show for
JMC Recycling Systems. For example, the
Midlands machine specialist took an order from
Stinchcombe Furnaces of Wolverhampton, UK,
for an aluminium granule production plant:
scheduled for delivery this month to the Czech
Republic, the plant produces ‘drops’ of alumini-
um, normally from scrap, for use as a deoxidant
in the production of steel.
Also at the Birmingham show, JMC
Recycling Systems promoted its fastest shear
built to date. The 500 Shear has a blade
length of 20 inches and features a fully-auto-
matic hold-down system; the unit featured on
the stand at the NEC was snapped up by
Rosefield Salvage of Dumfries in Scotland.
Also on the Nottingham company’s stand
was a representative from Spanish equip-
ment manufacturer Imabe Iberica, reflecting
an agreement clinched earlier this year under
which JMC Recycling Systems has become
exclusive agent for the Imabe range of mobile
and static can balers, press shears and three-
compression metal balers. JMC Recycling
Systems’ Managing Director Phillip Pownall
comments: ‘We are really excited to be work-
ing with Imabe and hope to have a demon-
stration unit on site at next year’s RWM.’
www.jmcrecycling.com
In Birmingham, Pedro Sergio Distefano of Imabe Iberica (left)
and Phillip Pownall of JMC Recycling Systems. JMC is the UK’s
exclusive agent for Imabe’s recycling machines.
S H O W
Master Magnets
Master Magnets Ltd of Redditch in
Worcestershire confirmed at RWM’05 that it
had acquired Metal Detection Ltd, thereby
extending its product portfolio ‘to include a
full range of metal detectors for the recycling
industry’. The Master Magnets organisation
already incorporates Integrated Recycling
Systems Ltd.
www.mastermagnets.co.uk or
www.metaldetection.co.uk
Joe Cetti, Business Development Manager of Master Magnet Ltd.
MeWa/Wincanton
A leading European provider of supply
chain solutions, Wincanton is investing £4
million (US$ 7.2 million) in a plant capable of
recycling 75 000 tonnes per annum of waste
electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
Based at Billingham in north-east England,
the new WEEE recycling plant is scheduled to
begin receiving infeed from early next year.
Centrepiece of the new facility will be a
MeWa Querstromzerspaner QZ 2500 HD sep-
arator which is designed to release original
component parts in the scrap without damag-
ing their integrity. According to MeWa, which
is based at Gechingen in Germany, the facili-
ty will have a high throughput capacity of
over 10 tonnes per hour. The German manu-
facturer claims the plant will be the largest
of its type in Europe.
Three years ago, Wincanton chose MeWa
to supply a refrigerator recycling plant for the
Billingham site as part of its on-going bid to
provide customers with ‘an efficient and total
35
 MIROWEB.NET
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SCHMACHTENBERG
Shear blades and accessories – guide ways – precision machine parts

WEEE solution’. Up to 300 000 fridges are
processed each year in strict compliance with
EU requirements.
www.wincanton.co.uk or
www.mewa-recycling.de
Sorting lines of the MeWa recycling plant for electronic waste
at Electrocycling in Barcelona.
S+S Inspection
With more than 600 sorting systems
installed worldwide, S+S Inspection Ltd of
Fareham, UK, extended its product portfolio at
RWM’05 with the launch of the Spektrum glass
sorter. According to the company, the optical
colour sorter can separate up to 90% of glass
from ceramic, stone and porcelain (CSP) waste.
‘New high-resolution optics combined with
new sorting algorithms correctly identify all
types of glass - including thick, dark, light-
absorbing and UV glass - even when mixed
with CSP waste,’ the company explains. ‘The
addition of a re-designed, air-activated valve
assembly with a reaction time of a few mil-
liseconds makes a significant contribution to
the achievement of better than 97% yield even
with an initial colour contamination of 50%.’
Said to be particularly suited to sorting
mixed glass from bottle banks, the Spektrum
boasts an ‘auto learn’ function which enables
an operator to program specific sorting tasks
by feeding through either the good material
or the material to be rejected.
www.splussinspection.co.uk
Chris Perkins of S+S Inspection shows the company’s new
Spektrum glass sorter.
Recycling International • October 2005
T R A D E
Sierra Europe Recycling/
Wright Engineers Machinery
New to the demonstration area at this
year’s RWM show was the T505SLK automat-
ic shear/baler/logger from Sierra Europe
Recycling Ltd/Wright Engineers Machinery.
The 500-tonne shear force unit with 70-tonne
hold-down force boasts a highly-efficient
hydraulic and power unit that affords cus-
tomers ‘a very low cost per ton ratio’, according
to the manufacturer. Features include: a 185
HP turbo diesel engine; Rexroth pumps, com-
ponents and PLC-controlled distributor block;
self diagnostics; and a 5000 mm-long charg-
ing box design which enables material to be
sized quickly and the box to be closed ‘without
losing precious time’. Sierra adds: ‘Due to the
curved lid design, the volume of the open box
is bigger than any other competing product.’
The cutting capacity of the T505SLK is
8-12 tonnes per hour depending on type of
material and cutting length. Baling and log-
ging capacities are, respectively, 7-11 and
6-13 tonnes per hour.
www.sierraeuropeuk.co.uk and
www.wrightengineers.info
Russel Wright of Wright Engineers Machinery, UK agent of
Sierra Europe Recycling, introduced the T505SLK automatic
shear/baler/logger.
Sims Mirec
Estimating that upwards of 14 000 tonnes of
toner cartridges are landfilled in the UK every
year, Sims Mirec pointed out that it has estab-
lished a process capable of recycling approxi-
mately 30 000 cartridges (weighing some 15
tonnes) per shift in a sealed inert atmosphere to
eliminate the risk of fire. The company, which
represents the e-waste arm of leading recycler
Sims Group UK Ltd, envisages the creation of
additional capacity. ‘The current process is
based in Eindhoven, Holland, but is already
being used by blue chip manufacturers in the
UK, whose cartridges are bulked up by Sims
and then trans-shipped,’ it explains. ‘As demand
for the service increases, Sims Mirec plans to
investigate a second plant within the UK.’
S H O W
In the Sims Mirec process, materials pass
through a cyclone cleaning stage to remove
the toner powder for energy recovery. The
remainder is then subjected to standard mag-
netic and eddy current sorting technologies to
yield ferrous and non-ferrous metal streams,
while liberated plastic is refined through the
company’s plastics recycling plant at Long
Marston near Stratford-upon-Avon.
www.sims-mirec.com
Weima/Fercell
Fercell Engineering Ltd has opened a new
waste shredding and briquetting demonstra-
tion and test facility at its factory in
Aylesford, Kent.
Fercell was appointed UK and Northern
Ireland distributor for the German-built
Weima range of shredders and briquetters in
April this year; this new facility, costing more
than £75 000 (US$ 135 000) has been jointly
funded by the two companies. It includes
Weima WL6S and ZM30 shredders and a
TH200S briquetter.
Fercell’s Sales Director Mark Fletcher
observes: ‘We know many organisations have
considered using shredders to reduce their
waste but they don’t know what type of shred-
der is best suited to their particular applica-
tion. By setting up this test facility, we are now
able to invite these companies to bring a sam-
ple of their waste to us so we can demonstrate
what the Weima range is capable of doing.’
Any operations producing wood, paper or
aluminium waste ‘can benefit by using a
Weima briquetting press to turn their waste
into briquets’, the companies explain. ‘The
output takes up less room in skips, thus reduc-
ing disposal costs, and wood waste can be used
as fuel for heating the factory premises.’
There are currently over 400 Weima instal-
lations throughout Great Britain and Northern
Ireland.
www.weima.com or www.fercell.com
Fercell Engineering of Aylesford, Kent, has opened a new
waste shredding and briquetting demonstration and test facility
of German manufacturer Weima.
37
 I N T E R V I E W

Fernando Duranti: the life and

The President of the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) is not
just a figure-head; he is intimately involved in all aspects of the
world recycling organisation and of its invaluable work on behalf
of the industry. Fernando Duranti has already made his mark
since becoming President in May 2003 but, as he explains to
Recycling International, he still has ambitions to fulfil.

BIR is an
advocate of free
and fair trade.’

BIR President Fernando Duranti.

W hen I meet BIR President Fernando Duranti

‘… I had to learn how to operate a computer.’
By Manfred Beck
in the lobby of the Hotel Warwick Barsey in the
Belgian capital Brussels, he looks as fresh as a daisy.
That in itself is something of a miracle given that, in
the three days prior to our chat, he had been involved
in round-the-clock meetings with BIR’s Executive
Committee. After having ordered a cappuccino - ‘my
usual breakfast,’ he quips - Mr Duranti is ready to
answer any questions I might want to pose him.
Fernando Duranti is owner and President of
Milan-based non-ferrous metals trading company
Leghe & Metalli International, which specialises in
the import of copper, brass and aluminium, as well
as ferro-alloys, ferro-titanium and titanium scrap.
In addition, the company also conducts business
with the UK to which it mainly exports of titanium
scrap and it also imports material from Russia.
Now aged 58, Mr Duranti started his recycling
career in 1981 after a two-year spell as a trader in
the USA. In May 2003, he was elected President of
the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), the
Brussels-based world recycling organisation. His
election has had a significant impact on his working
life. ‘Of course, I needed back-up at the office and,
furthermore, I had to learn how to operate a com-
puter,’ he says with a smile. ‘That was a big advan-
tage for my work.’
Time-consuming
Being a BIR President is pleasant but time-con-
suming. Mr Duranti estimates that he spends about
30% of his working hours on BIR-related affairs.
‘That includes evenings and weekends as well,’ he
smiles. It also involves a lot of travelling - twice a
year to BIR conventions, to meetings in Brussels and,
on many occasions, to make guest presentations at
congresses.
To the BIR President, the most satisfying part of
his work is maintaining relationships with the
organisation’s members and meeting new people. ‘I
like to bring BIR to the members instead of waiting
for them to come to us,’ he says. ‘I try to meet with
our members as much as possible.’ On the down-
side, being president of a worldwide organisation is
a very time-consuming and often quite tiring but
satisfying job. ‘Especially the two BIR Conventions,’

Recycling International • October 2005 38


ambitions of a BIR President
he notes. ‘Then I work for about 16 hours a day, as
do all the other BIR staff and officials.’
When asked about the changes that have taken
place within BIR since he became its President, Mr
Duranti says that, above all, it has become a much
more dynamic organisation. ‘Members have become
more enthusiastic,’ he declares. This is partly due to
the excellent business conditions of the past two
years, but also to Mr Duranti’s personal dedication to
the BIR cause. ‘I try to devote my time as much as
possible on a one-to-one basis,’ he says. ‘If there is a
problem, I try to solve it in a friendly way which sat-
isfies both parties. Furthermore, I’m a fighter: I will
not abandon a problem unless I am completely
defeated. And I have very good people supporting me
- first of all the staff at the BIR office in Brussels, but
also other people within the organisation.’
Young Traders Group
Mr Duranti is especially pleased with the progress
of BIR’s booming Young Traders Group. ‘It now has
more than 70 members and I’m convinced that, in
time, the group can grow to about one hundred young
men and women,’ he enthuses. ‘They’re wonderful as
a group and they are obviously enjoying themselves.
During each BIR, we organise a visit for them to, for
instance, an aluminium plant or a steel mill. What’s
also very important is that members of the group
have now become Board Members in almost all our
divisions. That gives us new blood and fresh ideas.’
The BIR Board always has dinner with the young
traders during BIR conventions. ‘Afterwards, they
usually go and hit the town for drinks and dancing -
at least, that’s what I assume, because I’m too old to
go with them,’ Mr Duranti says with a smile.
At its Autumn Round-Table meetings in Milan
this month, BIR plans to introduce its so-called
‘toolkit’. Mr Duranti explains: ‘You could say it will
be the Bible of BIR. All existing members as well as
new companies and organisations joining BIR will
receive a kit which contains, among other things,
the BIR philosophy, the organisation’s statues, its
rules and regulations, and also a directory of all BIR
members. In short, all there is to tell about BIR.’
Currently, BIR has close to 600 members and is
continuing to experience steady growth.
Waste or product
Over recent years, the main problem for the
Recycling International • October 2005
I N T E R V I E W
world recycling industries has been the waste/non-
waste issue. BIR has been tireless in its efforts to
convince the European Commission and other
national/supranational authorities that materials
marketed by recycling companies are not waste but
valuable secondary raw materials. The industry’s
arguments appear to be achieving some kind of
recognition: for example, rumours suggest that DG
IX - the EU Department for Economy - is leaning
towards the view that, once steel scrap has left a
recycling yard, it has become a raw material and
should no longer be regarded as waste.
‘Personally, I consider scrap as a raw material
and not as a “secondary” raw material,’ observes Mr
Duranti. ‘Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap can be fed
directly into a steel, aluminium or copper mill’s fur-
nace. It has the same qualities and properties as
primary metal. The one and a half million people
who work in the recycling industries around the
world know perfectly well that what they are pro-
ducing is not a waste but a product.’
Currently, Italy is the only European country to
have stated officially that it considers processed
scrap to be a secondary raw material rather than a
waste. This has created the strange situation
whereby material exported from, say, Germany or
France to Italy leaves the country of origin labelled
as waste but becomes a secondary raw material as
soon as it enters Italy. Since the Italian authorities
do not accept waste imports, large shipments of ‘… a very time-consuming but satisfying job.’
scrap have been refused entry into the country in
the past because accompanying documentation
described the consignments as ‘waste’ - a real
Catch-22 situation which the Italian courts have
now resolved.
Another major issue with which the BIR has had
to deal over the last year and a half is the mandatory
registration scheme introduced by China’s General
Administration for Quality, Supervision, Inspection
and Quarantine (AQSIQ) for overseas companies ‘I consider
wanting to export to the country. ‘In co-operation
with US recycling organisation ISRI, BIR negotiated
the terms of the contracts,’ explains Mr Duranti. ‘We scrap
acted together in this matter and succeeded in find-
ing a solution with which most companies can live. It
now seems that the Chinese authorities have suc-
as a raw
ceeded in organising their domestic buyers and con-
sumers and, as a result, trade with China has material’
become easier and more reliable.’
39

Free and fair trade
Over the last five years, China has rapidly become
the dominant factor in the world scrap markets. The
country buys so much of the world’s scrap at such
high prices that, for example, smelters in Europe in
theory often have insufficient input material to allow
them to operate at full capacity. How does the BIR
President view these developments?
‘I don’t want to get involved in LME pricing,
hedging and intervention by speculative funds -
that’s not my business,’ responds Mr Duranti.
‘However, on the scrap supply side, our industry
has been faced with demands for export restrictions
or export taxes in an attempt to prevent too much
scrap flowing from Europe to Asia, notably to
China. Similar demands were made in the USA last
year with regard to copper and brass scrap, but
these were ultimately rejected by the US govern-
ment, partly because ISRI made it very clear that it
was against any kind of export restriction.’
Mr Duranti makes it abundantly clear that limit-
ing exports is not the way to proceed. ‘I will cry out in
all the languages I master that BIR is an advocate of
free and fair trade,’ he states. ‘Whoever offers the best
price for scrap should get the material. If European
scrap consumers cannot match the Chinese prices,
then they will have to review their purchasing policy.’
However, BIR’s President recognises that
I N T E R V I E W
China’s appetite for scrap is having an undoubted
impact on the recycling industries of Europe and
North America. ‘I don’t think it will reach a point
where scrap consumers in the Western World will
be forced to shut down because of a lack of material,’
he comments. ‘If material shortages become acute,
they will have to look for other solutions to survive -
move their plants to low-wage countries, or use oth-
er raw materials such as primary cathodes and pri-
mary zinc to make brass. That would, of course,
raise the price of finished products and that will
lead to grumbling among the end consumers.’
Future plans
Asked about his plans for the remainder of his
tenure as BIR President, Mr Duranti aims to
increase BIR membership to around the 700 mark
and also wants to boost the provision of services to
the organisation’s members. He says: ‘We are look-
ing to add several people to our staff. Furthermore,
we have started working with a consultant who will
carry out lobbying work for BIR at the EU
Commission and among other institutions. This is a
very important area for BIR.’
Another pressing question relates to the develop-
ment of the Young Traders Group. ‘Young people are
getting older too, so we must start looking for fresh
blood at a very early stage,’ Mr Duranti points out
‘… BIR has become much more dynamic.
BIR’s President is also eyeing up
possibilities for expanding the
organisation’s membership and
influence in the South American
market. ‘Recently, we went to
Cuba where I met members of the
Mexican and Venezuelan recy-
cling associations,’ he points out.
‘There is much work for BIR to do
on that continent. There is a lot of
scrap and many active recycling
companies, and I would like to get
them involved in our organisation.
Obviously, we will also work on
developing in the Asian market -
especially in China, although
India is another very important,
potential growth market for us.’
 S H I P B R E A K I N G

Two days in
Alang
Take a US scrap recycler, put him on the
shipbreaking beach in Alang, India, and the
experience is sure to be as moving, enlight-
ening and perplexing as the place itself.

By Tom Mele

Recycling International • October 2005


A fleet of ships is run aground along the shore-
line, looking like a pod of beached steel whales.
From the pilot house of a 60 000-tonne oil tanker, I
have an excellent view of this six-mile stretch of
sand that is unquestionably the world’s largest
scrap yard. This is Alang in north-western India,
and it is here where thousands of obsolete ships
have been brought over the years for recycling.
The Alang shipbreaking yards are located off the
Arabian Sea on the west coast of the Gulf of
Cambay. The beach there has some natural fea-
tures that make it well-suited for cutting up ships.
Twice a month - at the full and new moons - the
high tide rises 30 feet above normal. Combined with
a sandy shelf that extends a quarter mile into the
bay, these attributes allow ships to be run aground,
leaving them high and dry when the tide ebbs.
Once beached, each vessel is recycled by one of
the 72 shipbreaking businesses that operate side by
side along the beach. These enterprises, which
employ an estimated 15 000 workers, form a verita-
ble city dedicated to scrapping ships. It is quite a
sight - and to this scrap veteran, it was my idea of a
dream vacation.
Getting there
Alang - located about an hour’s drive south east
from the city of Bhavnagar in the state of Gujarat -
is not an easy place to reach. After travelling 30
hours from New York, I grabbed a few hours of
sleep in Mumbai and then went to the airport at 5
am for the flight to Bhavnagar. Leaving Mumbai
airport, the plane cut through the smog and arced
over the Arabian Sea, heading north west for a
smooth one-hour flight.
Descending toward our destination, we banked
over shallow, muddy salt flats before landing at the
scrubby Bhavnagar airport. Upon deplaning into
100 degree heat, I immediately searched for my
sunglasses and bought a bottle of water. Ignoring
the indecipherable Gujarati signs and tugging
touts, I went out to find a taxi.
Since I was the sole cab fare on this Sunday
morning, a fight broke out between two taxi drivers
to see who would drive me into town. I chose the
one with the lowest fare - only 10 times the going
rate - which prompted the loser to whack our vehi-
cle with a tyre iron as we pulled away.
My destination was the Nilambag Palace Hotel -
the main hotel in Bhavnagar - which is just that,
an old Maharajah’s palace. This regal domicile was
built in the 1850s by English architect Sir William
Emmerson and has not been repaired since. Dusty,
stuffed tigers and royal portraits remain in the foy-
Recycling International • October 2005
S H I P B R E A K I N G
er as reminders of the former royal occupants. The
current Maharajah Singh lives on the grounds and
appears more like a suburban soccer dad than a
member of faded royalty. All in all, the place had
some character, even if people kept walking into my
room at odd hours.
Not for the faint-hearted
Although the shipbreaking operations were closed
on Sunday, it was still early and so I decided to go
have a look at the place. For half the cost of my 10-
minute ride from the airport, I found a driver to make
the one-hour trip to the coast. It was not a drive for
the faint of heart. The tarmac road had two narrow
lanes with no shoulders and a sandy drop-off on each
side. The roadway was shared by pedestrians, dogs, In 2004, 226 ships with a combined light-
weight tonnage of more than one million
motor scooters, tuk-tuks (motorised rickshaws), bul- tonnes were scrapped in India.
lock carts, cars, buses, overloaded trucks, and the
ubiquitous Brahma cows. The experience was like
being inside some kind of real-world video driving
game. Within that mix is an inviolable pecking order
of size and speed that dictates who overtakes whom
on the next blind corner. When you add in the heat,
dust, diesel exhaust, incessant honking, and unfamil-
iar (to me) left-side driving, I found it best to ride with
my head in the glove compartment.
The first indication that we were approaching
Alang was a gigantic diesel engine, looking a bit out
of place in the middle of a cornfield. Soon, other
marine artifacts appeared along the roadside, includ-
ing a dozen orange lifeboats, mountains of fluores-
cent life vests, and stacks of cabin doors. For the next
two miles, the road was lined on both sides with large
yards specialising in materials and objects found on
large ships - sinks, kitchen equipment, china, cur-
tains, glass, wood, mattresses, engines, generators,
cleaning supplies, hydraulic oil and paint.
As we approached the beach, I spotted the top of a
While working conditions at Alang certainly fall
freighter on the horizon. Unfortunately, the main short of Western standards, it is not the indus-
trial nightmare portrayed in many articles and
road was blocked by a guard house. The guard photos. Workers wear heavy shoes and the
informed us that entry was restricted. He told me to torch-cutters have eye protection and most
wear bandanas across their faces to shield
return on Monday when I could apply for permis- themselves from fumes.
sion to enter the
beach area. The
guard then
43

Despite improved working conditions, shipbreaking remains a danger-
ous business, with owners and workers agreeing that there are about
fifty fatalities a year at Alang.
handed me a document that outlined in English the
fees and permissions needed for ‘tourists’ to visit the
shipbreaking yards. These included a US$ 25 admis-
sion fee and a US$ 100-a-day licence for a video
camera. All levies were payable in US funds to the
harbourmaster, who still reserved the right of
refusal. An offer to pay the admission fee directly to
the guard, in cash, did not produce the desired
result. Resigned to come back in the morning - when
I did, in fact, have a proper invitation - I decided to
spend the afternoon exploring the nearby market.
Exploring the market
In addition to the maritime items on offer, the
market had a sizeable food bazaar on Sunday, when
the workers have their day off. Approximately 15
000 men work in Alang, with the majority living in
the workers’ colony that surrounds the beach. As I
walked around in the scorching sun, I attracted a
sizeable crowd. Everyone was curious to know
where I was from and what was I doing in Alang.
Despite the humble surroundings, there was no
lack of hospitality. People offered me numerous
cups of tea, soft drinks, pan (a mouth-reddening
mixture of betel leaf and areca nut), and strong
local cigarettes called ‘bidis’. Since I was a bit of a
curiosity, I answered far more questions than I
asked, yet I still managed to discern some informa-
tion about working in Alang.
Many of the workers, I learned, were from the
Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Gujarat. They had all come to Alang for the relatively
lucrative jobs, which pay double that of most indus-
trial jobs in India and triple the national average of
US$ 45 a month. Labourers commonly work six days
a week, 10 hours a day, earning 200 to 250 Indian
rupees a day (about US$ 4-5), with occasional bonus-
es for dismantling a vessel ahead of schedule. The
six-day working week seemed popular since the
workers are paid by the day and since most are far
from home, with little else to do but work. Many of
Recycling International • October 2005
S H I P B R E A K I N G
the workers supported sizeable families on their heavy criticism. Owners also use
earnings. When I mentioned the 40-hour working this forum to address collective
week and time-and-a-half overtime pay in the USA, worker safety and health issues.
the Alang workers thought those sounded like great
concepts, and I quickly had many volunteers to work Not an industrial nightmare
at my firm’s plant in New Jersey. While working conditions at
During my time in the market, I also learned that Alang certainly fall short of
within the work camp most of the labourers share a Western standards, I found that
shack with other men who speak their language they were not the industrial night-
and who are often from the same home town. In the mare portrayed in many articles
scrap yards, a form of Hindi has developed as an and photos. The beach - which I
industrial Esperanto - a necessity given that India expected to be flooded with oil and
has about 18 recognised national languages and littered with asbestos - was rela-
uncounted local dialects. tively clean. The workers I saw all
My driver eventually tracked me down and wore heavy shoes. The torch-cut-
insisted that we get on the road before nightfall. ters had eye protection and most
Considering the trip down, that seemed prudent. wore bandanas across their faces
So I called it a day and went back to soak in the to shield themselves from fumes.
maharajah’s swimming pool. There were plenty of safety signs
(though I was a little sceptical
On the beach since most were in English).
My second day at Alang was an entirely different Despite these safeguards, there is
experience. My Indian host picked me up in a new no denying that shipbreaking
Korean sedan, and we rode to the beach in about a remains a dangerous business,
half-hour. There, we swept past the guard house with both owners and workers
with a wave and paused at the 10-foot tall iron agreeing that there are about 50
gates of a large shipbreaking yard.
As the gates opened, I caught my first glimpse of
the beach and saw a container ship - or, more accu-
rately, half a container ship - blocking the horizon.
Now a ship in the water is an impressive enough
sight, but a ship out of water is overwhelming. Only
then do you get to see the ship’s additional 30 to 80
feet of height that is usually submerged. As we
The road skirting Alang’s beach is lines with
entered the yard, I got a better view and could see specialised yards that handle specific items
dozens of vessels on both sides of the container ship. culled from dismantled ships, such as the
sinks pictured here.
I caught a familiar whiff of torch-cut steel and burnt
paint. Cable cranes loaded large sections of steel
plate into beefy straight trucks. Sparks sprayed
from torches cutting the boats out on the sand.
According to my host, there were 62 vessels in vari-
ous states of disassembly up and down the beach. As
he explained, the six-mile beach is divided into about
150 plots, each measuring about 250 feet wide.
Currently, there are 72 independent shipbreaking
companies - primarily family-owned and -operated
businesses - working side by side along this stretch.
Though the Alang operators have their personal
and competitive differences, they are all united in
the Gujarat Ship-Breakers Association. This associ-
ation is well aware of the negative public perception
of shipbreaking activities at Alang - mostly based on
alleged worker abuses and environmental degrada- Ships are usually dissected from bow to
stern, being wiched forward as the work pro-
tion - and the group has worked hard to counter the gresses.
45
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fatalities a year at Alang.
As my surprise and awe over the scale of these
recycling operations wore off, I began to notice the
order within the apparent chaos. Large diesel-dri-
ven winches - undoubtedly scavenged from the
decks of ships - stood at opposite corners of the plot
and did all the heavy work. The cable from one
winch was amplified by a four-pulley block-and-
tackle. The end pulley was attached to an old
Ukrainian passenger ship lodged in the sand a few
hundred feet offshore. Because of its deep-keeled
bottom, this was as close as the ship could get under
its own power. When the next high tide arrived, this
10 000-tonne boat would be dragged the last few
hundred feet to the beach. Once a boat is beached, it
is usually dissected from the bow to the stern, being
winched forward as work progresses.
Locally-manufactured cable cranes, positioned
safely back from the tide, hauled pieces of cut steel
up the beach from the waterline. While I watched,
the hull was being cut into six- by eight-foot sheets,
each of which had a hole cut in it so it could be las-
soed with a crane and loaded onto a truck. All the
cranes appeared to be cable-operated rather than
hydraulic, and there were no lifting magnets in sight.
Competing instead of supplying
Back towards the rear of the yard, recovered met-
al was in carefully sorted piles of plate and beam.
Non-ferrous scrap was piled under a shed where
workers cut and sorted copper, brass and stainless
into distinct piles. Sorted non-ferrous grades are
stored in a locked warehouse to prevent theft.
Despite their staggering metal content, an average
ship yields only 1-2% non-ferrous scrap, including
the bronze screws (propellers to you landlubbers).
The real business here is steel.
At the time of my visit in April 2004, a 10 000-
tonne ship cost about 90 million rupees (more than
US$ 2 million), which translated into US$ 235 to
US$ 250 per light displacement ton (LDT), with
prices kept competitive by shipbreaking yards in
nearby Pakistan and Bangladesh. Given these high
per-tonne prices, you can bet that most of Alang’s
ferrous scrap ends up being re-rolled rather than
melted - and re-rolling mills are indeed clustered
around the beach. A few of the more successful ship-
breakers, in fact, have vertically integrated into the
re-rolling business and now feed their own mills.
In these operations, steel plate is cut into manage-
able sizes and used as billet to make rebar and flat
products. Some of the re-rolling operations are large
enough to use the beams and even the anchors as
raw material. Thus, instead of supplying scrap to
Recycling International • October 2005
S H I P B R E A K I N G
India’s steel mills, the Alang yards compete with
them for low-end steel products. Large Indian inte-
grated mills are politically powerful, however, which
can create problems for the Alang operators. Also,
US Section 201 measures prompted the larger
Indian steel producers to turn to the domestic mar-
ket and compete for the low-end business. Also, the
high price of ship scrap and competitive prices for
sponge iron have cut into the re-rolled products mar-
ket, forcing a number of local operations to close.
View from a ghost ship
Surveying the ships on the beach, I noticed that
they were from all over the globe. A few more were
anchored out on the horizon, awaiting the next high
tide. When the tide arrives, buyers go out to inspect On average, it takes about twelve months to
cut up a huge ship.
their purchases and finalise the deal. After inspec-
tion and final agreement on the price, the buyer
telephones his bank and releases the funds. When
the seller receives confirmation of payment, the
boat is given a heading by the harbourmaster. At 5
km from shore, the vessel is officially in Indian
waters and title changes hands. Often flying the
Indian flag, the ship is then steered at top speed for
its assigned patch of beach. The harbourmaster Many of the workers in Alang supported size-
able families on their earnings.
guides the boat in by radio. Once the ship is run
aground, its engines are turned off for the last time.
Members of the crew wait for the tide to recede,
then climb down a rope ladder and walk ashore.
This process is repeated some 200 times a year.
During my visit, a 60 000-tonne oil tanker -
reportedly the largest boat to be scrapped at Alang -
had just arrived and was run right up onto the
sand. This vessel, which measured about 1000 feet
long and 80 feet wide, rose at least 10 stories from
sand to deck. Standing next to the hull, I felt like an
ant next to a water melon.
Alang’s shipbreaking operations rely as much on machine power as on human labour. Torchcutters are considered skilled
workers who can earn more than the average salary of about US$ 5 a day.
47
 Experience the
Progress.

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General-Guisanstraße 14
CH-5415 Nussbaumen, Switzerland
Phone: +41 56-296 1111
Fax: +41 56-296 3900
www.liebherr.com
The Group

My host offered me a tour of the ship, and he did-
n’t have to ask twice. After donning gloves, we
climbed up a short ladder and entered through a
hole cut in the bow. From there we climbed another
ladder that was lashed to a crossbeam 20 feet above
us. I remarked that there was no smell of oil and
was told that we were passing through a hold usu-
ally filled with water as ballast. Further up, we
crossed a beam and began climbing a series of steps
welded to the inside of the hold. The huge, dark
open space had the size and feel of a steel cathedral.
Holes cut in the hull admitted shafts of sunlight as
well as a welcome breeze in the warm enclosure.
After scaling about twenty ladders, we passed
through a watertight door and emerged, squinting,
onto the 800-foot long main deck, which was covered
with a maze of pipes and valves. At the aft end was
an additional five-storey structure that contained
the bridge and crew’s quarters. As we walked
toward that structure, I looked off the starboard side
and noticed an old cruise ship down the beach. Much
of its hull had been removed, exposing a few hun-
dred state rooms to the noon-day sun. It looked like
one of those cross-section diagrams you see in cruise
brochures. At the back of the cruise ship, a huge
diesel engine was being lowered slowly onto a sled so
it could be winched up the beach. Beyond that, a pro-
peller was being cut down to transportable chunks.
Many of the workers are from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Gujarat. They come to Alang for the relatively lucra-
tive jobs, which pay double that of most industrial jobs in India and
triple the national average of US$ 45 a month.
Millions of dollars of ferrous scrap
When we reached the back of our ship, we had to
climb a few more flights of stairs to reach the
bridge. It was exactly as the crew had left it. A half-
filled cup of coffee sat on the chart table, and the
engine telegraph was pulled back to its final
engines-off position. It was eerie, like a ghost ship
with all the charts, flags and logs still in place.
Out on the catwalk, the view was incredible. I could
see dozens of vessels in both directions - freighters,
ferries, tankers, cargo ships, military patrol boats and
cruise ships in various states of demolition. Together,
Recycling International • October 2005
S H I P B R E A K I N G
these beached ships represented at least US$ 120 mil-
lion in ferrous scrap, I figured.
Our trip back down the many stairs and ladders
was uneventful but a little slower than the climb
up. En route, my host estimated that it would take
12 months to cut up this huge ship. The purchase of
a vessel, he noted, is usually financed by a short-
term note from a bank. The revenue from scrap
sales is then paid directly to the bank until the prin-
cipal is paid off. The owner usually has to finance
the expenses and labour up to that point. The sale of
salvageable items like lifeboats, non-ferrous met-
als, generator sets and accessories helps with cash
flow. The bonus of a few thousand gallons of bunker
fuel pumped from the hold of this tanker might cov- Ships are recycled in sections like giant
loaves of bread. When the last section is
er the first month’s expenses. processed, another boat is usually waiting off-
Curious how one would attack such a massive shore to take its place and the shipbreaking
cycle continuous.
recycling project, I asked about the normal ship-
breaking sequence. Time, I was told, was the ene- rang. I instinctively reached for
my. The first task would be to strip all the interior my pocket before remembering
fittings and non-ferrous items so workers could that my phone was back home,
begin salvaging the steel. Specialists are usually 12 000 miles away. Then I saw a
brought in to remove the kitchens, furnishings, win- homeless man roll over and prop
dows and wood flooring. On a smaller vessel, this himself up. He reached into his
can sometimes be accomplished in under a week, dhoti, pulled out a chirping cell
with time being more important than price. Next, phone, and flipped it open. He sat
the generators, engines, shafts and propeller are on his blanket, merrily chatting
removed. Then, with the back of the boat substan- away, as the cab lurched forward.
tially lighter, it is floated and winched higher up Then and there, I realised that
the beach with the next high tide. The cutting of the modern India is neither Third
steel varies depending on the type and structure of World nor First, but some crazy
the ship, though it usually starts in the bow, allow- hybrid - and I was just too tired
ing workers to cut on dry land within the cranes’ to figure it out.
reach. As the steel is removed, the boat is winched
in and basically cut up in sections like a giant loaf of
bread. When the last of the keel is processed, anoth-
er boat is usually waiting offshore to take its place -
and the shipbreaking cycle continues.
Reflecting on misconceptions
As I headed to the airport before dawn the next
morning, I reflected on my misconceptions about
India’s scrap metal business. I have been to enough
Third World scrap operations to know that worker Tom Mele, the author of this
health as well as environmental and safety concerns article, is a co-owner of
are entirely at the discretion of the management. Connecticut Metal Industries
Yet in Alang I found sophisticated multi-million dol- Inc., Monroe, Connecticut,
lar operations that relied as much on machine power USA. He can be contacted at:
as human labour. There are just so many contradic- tmele@ctmetal.com
tions and imponderables in this complex culture. www.ctmetal.com
Staring out the taxi window, I saw rows of people This article first appeared in
sleeping on the sidewalk. As we waited for the light the May/June 2004 issue
to change, I was enjoying the pre-dawn breeze of ‘Scrap’ magazine.
through the open cab window when a cell phone
49

By Manfred Beck
Loading a ship without the use of electricity - fairy tale or practical
reality? The answer, according to Canadian manufacturer Bateman,
is the latter given the development of its B6TD motorised ship’s
gear grapple. The grab boasts a production capacity of up to 350
tonnes per hour, it adds.
Loading the motor vessel Sea Rainbow
at Van Dalen’s scrap yard in Moerdijk,
The Netherlands.
The grab can be operated via remote control,
either by the crane operator or by a man on
the deck of the ship.
Van Dalen’s International Sales Manager Rob
van der Palm in front of the Bateman grapple.
Recycling International • October 2005
S H I P L O A D I N G
Scrap loading without
L
oading a ship is difficult if not impossible when,
for whatever reason, no suitable crane in avail-
able. Since 2003, however, there has been a solution
to this problem. Bateman, a leading Canadian man-
ufacturer of heavy equipment attachments, has
designed a motorised grapple - the B6TD - which
simply hooks on to a ship’s crane and operates with-
out external electricity thanks to its built-in diesel
motor. The air-cooled Deutz F5L912 in-line, five-
cylinder engine offers 70kW of power and has an
integrated hydraulic oil cooler. Fuel tank capacity
is 189 litres.
The grapple is operated via remote control either
by the crane operator or by a man on the deck of the
ship who gives loading signals to the operator. So-
called ‘Hetronic’ radio remote control serves to con-
trol the grapple’s ‘open’ and ‘close’ functions as well
as the emergency engine shut-down system.
Adjusting logistics
Van Dalen Metals Recycling & Trading of
Moerdijk in The Netherlands has become the first
European scrap company to purchase one of these
Bateman ship grabs. The device has been in opera-
tion since May 2005.
A 100% privately-owned company, Van Dalen
has been active in the recycling industry for over 50
years. The group comprises 16 industrial locations
in The Netherlands (9), the UK (5), Belgium (1) and
Turkey (1); it operates five shredders, eight shears
and two balers. All yards are strategically located,
with direct access to main roads and waterways,
including export terminals for loading coasters and
large export vessels. The company is a direct sup-
plier of ferrous and non-ferrous metals to European
steel mills and foundries, and is very active in deep-
sea exports to Turkey, South East Asia and the Far
East. Annual production and trade currently
amounts to some 1 million tonnes.
Van Dalen’s International Sales Manager Rob
van der Palm is ‘very content’ with the grab’s perfor-
mance to date. But he emphasises: ‘Operating the
grab needs some adjustment to a yard’s logistics,
especially when it comes to feeding the grab. In addi-
tion, the ship’s cranes used for loading and unloa-
ding with this grab must comply with all stevedore
legislation.’
Mr Van der Palm has found that the 11.3-tonne
grab can lift around 10 tonnes of shredded scrap or
some 6 tonnes of HMS 1 scrap at one time. ‘In our
experience, the grab can load about 250 to 300 ton-
nes per hour, depending on the material and the
speed of the ship’s crane,’ he observes. ‘However,
the ship’s crane must have at least 25 tonnes of lif-
ting power and, preferably, be fast.’
High production
According to the manufacturer’s specifications,
the B6TD Bateman grapple weighs in at approxi-
mately 11 363 kg (25 000 lb). The grab can handle a
9545 kg (21 000 lb) load of shredded scrap at one
time. Open height is 2.56 metres (8’ 4”) while closed
height is 4.3 metres (14’ 10”). The outside width is
5.7 metres (18’ 7”). The six-tine dangling grapple
has a volume of 7.6 m3 (10 yd3), a grapple fill of 95%
and a cycle time of 28 seconds. Used with a ship’s
gear crane, grapple production is said to be around
350 tonnes per hour.
‘Last month, one of Bateman’s US East Coast
customers was loading a 35 000-tonne vessel with
HMS I/II and shredded scrap, and he achieved a
loading rate of 15 000 tonnes in a 12-hour shift
50
electricity The motorised
Bateman grap-
ple can handle
a 9545 kg
(21 000 lb)
load of shred-
ded scrap at
one time.

using, in tandem, four grapples in four

hatches,’ comments Phillip H. Rubin,
Bateman MFG’s world sales represen-
tative.
The centre tower of the grab is con-
structed from T1 torque-resistant alloy
steel for maximum strength and weight
reduction. All hose connections are high-
pressure straight ends SAE code 61, split-
flange fittings, which are designed to eli-
minate leaks. A special manifold design
efficiently channels hydraulic oil to each
cylinder on the centre tower, providing
easy access to hose connections and
preventing hoses from being exposed to
external damage. For night-time operation,
the grab is fitted with grapple operation lights.
The grapple is fitted with a ‘tine quick connect For more information:
system’ to ensure quick removal for transportation. Bateman, Orillia, Ontario, Canada, Phone: +1 705 362 4020,
It is also possible to convert to four-tine operation Fax: +1 705 326 4727, E-mail: mail@bateman.on.ca, www.bateman.on.ca
when loading HMS I/II. The grab has mechanical Phillip H. Rubin, Paris, France, Phone: +33 1 67 4 35 79 86,
stops for when the tines are in the open or closed Fax: +33 1 47 47 63 51, E-mail: prubin@noos.fr
position in order to maximise cylinder protection.

Granuband closes the tyre loop
Dutch tyre recycler Granuband is not just any tyre processor. The
company collects some 25 000 tonnes of tyres each year, converts
them into granulate and, moreover, is a major producer of a variety
of rubber tiles. Recycling International visited the firm’s Amsterdam
base to find out about this tyre processing pioneer and about the
secrets behind its success.
Granuband’s owner Maarten van Randeraat:
‘We want to secure our position as a trendset-
ter in the tyre recycling business.’
By Manfred Beck
Recycling International • October 2005
T Y R E R E C Y C L I N G
I n 1991, Maarten van Randeraat established
Granuband in a development area of Amsterdam
set aside for new businesses. In September this
year, the ISO 9000/2002 certified company moved to
new premises in the port area of the city.
In the company’s early days, tyre recycling in The
Netherlands was virtually non-existent - with the
exception of a company called Rumal in Weert
whose activities were limited to processing truck
tyres made of natural rubber. In those days, pas-
senger car tyres were either shipped to the cement
industry where they were used as a fuel supple-
ment, or they were landfilled.
‘In 1991, I revealed my plans for a tyre recycling
company to the authorities of the Dutch region
of Noord-Holland,’ Mr van Randeraat recalls.
‘I requested that, if they granted me permission to
start Granuband, they would also ban the landfill-
ing of end-of-life tyres. The authorities were posi-
tive about this in principle. However, they stipulat-
ed that we should take in and process not only pas-
senger car tyres but also bicycle tyres, large tyres
and tractor tyres.’
Mr van Randeraat agreed to these conditions
and, shortly after starting up his company, the
authorities indeed issued a general ban on the land-
Granuflex’s recycled rubber tiles come in a range of colours.
Granuband processes some 25 000 tonnes of
scrap tyres per annum.
filling of tyres. ‘Thus, we were assured of a continu-
ous flow of material,’ he notes.
Illegitimate competition
In the early 1990s, other companies also started
up tyre recycling businesses in The Netherlands.
However, not all of these were acting good faith.
Often, they would take in scrap tyres at below offi-
cially-arranged prices and, once the yard was
packed to the roof, the owners would suddenly do a
moonlight flit. ‘Only a few entrepreneurs knew
exactly the cost price of processing the tyres into a
secondary raw material - that’s why many tyre
recyclers went bankrupt after a short time during
that period,’ explains Mr van Randeraat.
In addition, the authorities often failed to enforce
all the rules and regulations surrounding used
tyres. Granuband’s founder notes by way of exam-
ple: ‘Companies which had a permit for storing 500
or 1000 tonnes of tyres on their premises were often
stocking 2000 or even up to 4000 tonnes without
being controlled by the authorities.’
In the mid-1990s, when huge piles of tyres began
to build across The Netherlands, the authorities
became stricter in issuing permits. They started to
enforce tighter controls because they now knew that
they would have to foot the bill for cleaning up
abandoned tyre mountains.
52

During those years, Granuband was often called
on to deal with these huge piles of tyres. In the town
of Nederweert in the south of The Netherlands, the
company cleaned up massive volumes and, once the
task had been completed, bought the premises
which it has used as a subsidiary ever since.
Start-up problems
In the early 1990s, there was hardly any plant or
machinery on the market for processing used tyres.
‘When we started looking for such machines, it was
a process of once bitten, twice shy,’ Mr van
Randeraat recalls with a wry smile. ‘At one point,
we bought an Italian shredder for 136 000 Dutch
guilders, today’s equivalent of almost € 62 000 or
US$ 76 000. The manufacturer swore to us that his
machine was extremely well suited to tyre recy-
cling. In the end, it gave us nothing but misery. The
machine was out of action more often than it
worked. We spent almost the same amount of mon-
ey getting it running as it had cost us in the first
instance, but it still didn’t function properly. In the
end, I had it scrapped and we started designing and
building our own machines.’
At first, Granuband started producing rubber
chips but, shortly after buying a granulator, the
company switched to producing granulate. In addi-
tion, steel and textiles were removed from the tyres.
Recycling International • October 2005
T Y R E R E C Y C L I N G
The rubber granulate ‘dances’ around in a machine
which blows air through the material to clean out impu-
rities.
Once the process had been perfected, Mr van
Randeraat started looking for customers for the
granulate. ‘I found out that, in the mid-1990s, not
many people were familiar with the many possibili-
ties for using rubber granulate,’ he says. ‘Through Stones and other impurities are removed from the
granulate in a series of cleaning processes.
market research, we found more uses for our mate-
rials and so we were able to offer our customers
potential new outlets. That took up a lot of our time
- especially as, during that period, we were also
busy developing our processing equipment.
Basically, we were simultaneously a developer of
machines and a seller of granulate. Let me tell you -
that cost us a lot of blood, sweat, tears and time.’
However, Mr van Randeraat has never regretted
the decision to start up his own tyre recycling busi-
ness. ‘I think pioneering is the most rewarding
thing in a businessman’s life,’ he reflects.
Granuflex - rubber tiles
One of the first buyers of Granuband’s rubber
granules was a German producer of rubber tiles who
guaranteed that he would purchase the firm’s entire
annual production. All went well for about six
months until Granuband was asked to lower its sales
price, at which point Mr van Randeraat quickly said
goodbye to his German customer. However, the expe-
rience had taught him that there was plenty of mon-
ey to be made in the tile business and so he decided to Granuband’s new office building in Amsterdam.
53
 Example:
The heavy fraction produced by
large shredder plants is a mix-
ture of different metals and non-
metals. Through careful sorting
of these valuable materials a
good profit can be obtained
when selling the recovered
secondary materials.

Result:
Turn waste into profit. We have
developed a process to concen-
trate metals and to generate a
very pure metal fraction. Even

Venti Oelde stainless steel is sorted out.

Take advantage of our know-
how and ask us for information
about new systems and tech-

Process technology – nology for the recovery of re-

useable raw materials.

Just fax or e-mail us!

new solutions for

the shredder industry

Ventilatorenfabrik Oelde GmbH

P.O. Box 37 09
D-59286 Oelde
Phone: + 49 25 22 75 - 0
Fax: + 49 25 22 75 - 2 50
info@venti-oelde.de
www.venti-oelde.de

Big bags filled with granulate are waiting to be exported.
specialise and to develop his own machines for man-
ufacturing rubber tiles from recycled granulate.
The company’s so-called Granuflex products were
developed by Mr van Randeraat himself. He com-
ments: ‘In order to make the right products for the
market, we listen very carefully to our customers’
needs and closely monitor legislation. As a result,
we have been able to develop fluid-proof tiles for
garages when these became mandatory in several
European countries.’
While exploring new outlets for his products, he
found out that rubber tiles made from secondary
material were not being sold directly to the public.
‘When I found that out, I knew that I had discovered
a whole new market with huge potential,’ he recalls.
‘We started successfully to market our tiles at do-it-
yourself and home builders’ stores. Today,
Granuflex tiles are sold through many big chain
stores in The Netherlands and in other European
countries. Other major customers include construc-
tion companies which are particularly interested in
our roof tiles, stable tiles and fluid-proof tiles, and
local authorities which buy our tiles for play-
grounds and for marking purposes.’
During the last ten years, Granuflex has devel-
oped an impressive list of products: SBR and EPDM
rubber granulate; the coloured rubber granulate
GranuFill, an infill for artificial grass sports fields;
a variety of rubber tiles; and rubber by the roll. The
company even has its own brand of glue - Granuflex
rubber glue - which was specifically developed to go
with Granuflex rubber tiles. Rubber granulate for
artificial sports surfaces is available in three
colours: green, olive green and brown. If requested
by a customer, sports fields can even be provided to
smell like grass.
Granuflex, the tile company founded by Mr van
Randeraat, currently produces around 600 000 tiles
per annum. Sales of these products are worldwide -
as well as Western Europe, buyers have also come
from South America, Eastern Europe and Asia.
‘Some months ago, we sold truck-loads of rubber
Recycling International • October 2005
T Y R E R E C Y C L I N G
tiles to a candy manufacturer in the Ukraine who
sells them as flooring for children’s playgrounds,’
notes Mr van Randeraat.
Overseas expansion
‘Worldwide demand for pure rubber granulate is
still increasing, and growing demand for synthetic
sports surfaces is particularly in our favour,’ Mr van
Randeraat goes on to say. ‘Our product has a purity
of 99.9%. Our granulate finds its way to customers
worldwide - we ship mainly in containers, but also
by truck in Europe.’
In The Netherlands, Granuband represents the
last of the Mohicans - the only company left to recy-
cle all types of tyres (with the exception of natural
rubber truck tyres which are handled by Rumal, as
mentioned above). Processing some 25 000 tonnes of
tyres and rubber waste each year, Granuband is
one of the largest rubber recyclers in Europe.
Granuband’s suppliers include municipal collec-
tion schemes, scrap tyre traders, garages, waste
management companies and the Dutch car recy-
cling organisation ARN. Granuband also collects
tyres, for which purpose it operates two trucks
equipped with on-board weighing systems. In addi-
tion, the company has its own containers located at
From the tyres it processes, Granuband annu-
customers’ premises. ally reclaims some 3000 tonnes of steel.
Tyre recycling in The Netherlands
Every year, 6 million or 60 000 tonnes of tyres reach the end of their life and are sent
for scrapping in The Netherlands. Under Dutch law, tyre producers and importers
are responsible for the environmentally-friendly processing of these end-of-life tyres.
They have to take in these tyres at zero cost from consumers, tyre service centres,
garages and car dealers. In addition, they have been obliged to set up a collection and
recycling system, which was formed in 1995. Currently, some 90% of all used tyres in
The Netherlands are collected though this system.
Since April 1 last year, The Netherlands has put into force a directive on the man-
agement of end-of-life tyres. As of that date, consumers and companies have been pay-
ing a levy of € 2 (US$ 2.43) for each tyre they buy. The money is put into a fund known
as RecyBEM, a subsidiary of the Vereniging Band en Milieu (BEM), the association for
tyres and the environment which counts 21 tyre manufacturers and importers among
its membership. RecyBEM takes care of all aspects of the collection of used passenger
car tyres in The Netherlands; meanwhile, collectors and recyclers have to be BEM-cer-
tified to obtain a tyre recycling licence.
RecyBem issues collection companies with a fixed fee per tyre. In return, they are
obliged to offer at least a quarter of the end-of-life tyres they take in to a RecyBem-cer-
tified processor. The price paid by tyre processors to collectors is negotiable.
For more information about Granuband:
Granuband, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
Phone +31 20 4978-201, Fax +31 20 4978-216, E-mail: info@granuband.nl
www.granuband.nl
55

Granuband has developed its own machines for manufacturing rubber
tiles from recycled granulate.
From the tyres it processes, Granuband annually
reclaims some 3000 tonnes of steel for sale to a num-
ber of domestic metal recyclers. The approximately
3000 tonnes of textiles recovered from the tyres goes
to incineration plants where its high calorific value
proves useful. The Granuband recycling process
yields hardly any waste, with almost all harmful
substances filtered out and collected in large bags.
Future plans
When asked about the secret of Granuband’s suc-
cess, Mr van Randeraat replies: ‘The most impor-
tant thing is that we have never given in to the
T Y R E R E C Y C L I N G
temptation to recycle tyres below cost price.
Another of our strengths is that we have always
developed our own machinery - not only tyre recy-
cling machines but also tile production lines for
Granuflex. As a result, we have acquired a thorough
knowledge of the recycling and production process-
es relating to scrap tyres. And, of course, you have
to continue to invest and innovate.’
According to Mr van Randeraat, Granuband’s
goal is to remain a market leader in tyre recycling
and in the manufacture of products from recycled
rubber. ‘In the future,’ he says, ‘we will remain
active in all fields of tyre recycling - collection, pro-
cessing and production. In that respect, I think we
are globally unique.’
In response to rising freight costs, Granuband is
currently studying the possibility of starting up tyre
recycling and tile production plants in other coun-
tries. Particular interest in the company’s approach
has come from Eastern Europe, although Mr van
Randeraat also recently visited Uganda at the
request of several companies.
‘Overseas expansion also gives us the chance to
sell the machines and equipment that we have
designed,’ he explains. ‘However, if we get involved
in plants in other countries, we will look for only a
minority share and will never ever take on the day- Granuband not only processes passenger car
tyres, but also bicycles tyres, large tyres and
to-day running of such a company.’ tractor tyres.

Next stop China for ICM’s congr e
Jeanette Duttlinger set up International
Congress & Marketing in the year 2000.
Live entertainment is always laid on for the
networking dinners at ICM’s congresses, such
as this group of Brazilian dancers at the IARC
in Amsterdam earlier this year.
By Manfred Beck
Recycling International • October 2005
I N T E R V I E W
Every year, Swiss congress organiser ICM stages international conferences cov-
ering the recycling of batteries, end-of-life vehicles and electronics. These attract
large numbers of delegates from the recycling industry and from a broad range of
institutions with a vested interest in these complex topics. Next month, ICM’s
first-ever event in China will combine the subject matter of its three successful
and established congresses.
J eanette Duttlinger, Managing Director of
Swiss recycling congress organiser ICM
(International Congress & Marketing), worked
for French hazardous waste processor Citron in
the early 1990s. She was responsible for organising
the global transportation of waste by ship, train and
truck, and for obtaining the necessary export
and import permits.
In 1994, she was also given the task of
organising an annual international con-
gress on battery recycling. Finding the
right speakers, attracting as many dele-
gates as possible, choosing the venue
and the hotels, arranging the network-
ing dinners and the entertainment -
this soon became the part of her job
that Mrs Duttlinger loved the most.
And after seven years with Citron, she came to
realise that she needed a new challenge.
‘I decided that I wanted to organise more con-
gresses on recycling topics,’ she explains. ‘I went to
my bosses and told them that I wanted to start my
own congress organising business. Putting her mon-
ey where her mouth was, Mrs Duttlinger quit her
job and returned to her native country Switzerland
where she set up ICM.
Disappointment and success
Mrs Duttlinger soon realised that the new com-
pany could not survive simply on the back of a sin-
gle congress and so she began thinking of other sub-
ject areas in the recycling sector which would lend
themselves to major international meetings. In the
end, she decided on end-of-life vehicles and elec-
tronics, and checked with leading recycling experts
whether such events might be of interest.
‘At that time, the EU Directive on End-of-Life
Vehicles (the ELV Directive) and the Directive on
Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(the WEEE Directive) were beginning to take shape
and I had a gut feeling that this would become big
business in the future,’ Mrs Duttlinger recalls. ‘It
was a disappointment to me that most of the people
I talked to had no faith in the idea of an interna-
tional congress on vehicle recycling. But I carried
on and eventually found people who were as enthu-
siastic about the idea as I was. Most of them are
still members of our congress Steering Committees.’
In 2001, ICM staged its first International
Automobile Recycling Congress (IARC) in Geneva,
Switzerland, and it became an instant success. ‘Next
year, we will hold the sixth of these congresses in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands,’ notes Mrs Duttlinger.
The success of the IARC inspired her to initiate a
third event: the International Electronics Recycling
Congress (IERC). The first of these events was held
in Davos, Switzerland, some three years ago and
the IERC has since become the world’s leading elec-
tronics recycling congress. The fifth IERC will be
held next year in Hamburg, Germany.
China adventure
ICM’s latest project is the World Recycling
Shanghai 2005 congress, which will take place on
November 8-11 at the Hotel Shangri-La in Pudong,
Shanghai, China. The event will combine the topics
of ICM’s three established congresses on automobile
recycling, electronics recycling and battery recycling.
When asked the reason for taking on this new
project, Mrs Duttlinger responds: ‘After five years of
organising our three congresses in Europe, I was
ready for a new challenge. We have seen over recent
years how China’s recycling industry has been
booming, but we have also noticed that knowledge
of recycling plant and technology, of collection and
take-back systems, and of new laws and legislation
is still in its infancy. The Chinese are eager to learn
from the successes - but also from the setbacks -
experienced in Europe and the USA.’
Last year, Mrs Duttlinger decided to investigate
58
 I N T E R V I E W

r ess bandwagon The ICM team (from left to right): Sandra Ammann,
Yvonne Steiner, Jeanette Duttlinger, Veronica Ying Liu
and Susann Schmid.

the possibility of staging a congress in China. She However, she still has ambitions to fulfil. ‘My
For more information about
flew to Shanghai and talked to a whole host of lead- dream is to organise a two-week conference on an ICM and its congresses contact:
ing players within China’s recycling industry and ocean cruiser in the Caribbean,’ she says with a big ICM, Birrwil, Switzerland,
recycling organisations. She was impressed by the smile. ‘Think about it: three speakers in the morn- Jeanette Duttlinger,
enthusiasm with which her idea was greeted by her ing on a sunny upper deck, followed by a round- Phone: +41 62 785-1000,
Fax +41 62 785-1005,
hosts. And so, back in Switzerland, she decided to table discussion at the pool-side. Exhibition booths
E-mail: info@icm.ch
proceed with the proposal. in the disco and Steering Committee meetings in Website: www.icm.ch
‘What I have in mind is basically a knowledge- the outdoor jacuzzi! I bet it would be a huge hit!’
sharing “East meets West” congress,’ she explains.
‘I want to keep our Western delegates informed
about the latest trends in recycling and, at the same
time, offer them a platform to meet leading Chinese
experts and potential new customers in an efficient
but relaxed way.’
During the event, leading recycling experts from
around the world - including manufacturers, collec-
tors, processors, steelmakers, legislators and policy-
makers - will meet to discuss: car, electronics and bat-
tery manufacturers’ recycling activities; latest devel-
opments in the recycling industry; best available
technologies, plant and processes; collection and take-
back programmes; international market prospects;
and key legal and regulatory developments.
In addition to the congress, ICM has managed to
arrange visits to leading recycling companies based
near Shanghai. Destinations will include Baosteel’s
car recycling plant, General Motors’ car manufac-
turing plant, Lenovo’s electronics manufacturing
facility, the plastics recycling plant of Pro-Green
Plastic Resource Regeneration, and Powerzinc’s
battery-making plant.
By early October, well over a hundred delegates
had already registered for World Recycling
Shanghai 2005.

Ocean cruiser congress

For the moment, organising four international
recycling congresses a year is a strenuous task for
Mrs Duttlinger and her small team of co-workers.

Recycling International • October 2005 59

Fine-tuning the fines
Over the last 51 years, SGM has established a reputation as a
designer and manufacturer of advanced equipment enshrining high-
quality magnetic separation technology, notably the separation of
ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Its latest developments include the
SRP dynamic ferrous separator, a high-frequency eddy current sep-
arator and a metal sensor with an air ejection sensor system based
on particle-for-particle separation technology.
F ounded in 1954, SGM is based at Manerbio
near Milan in the industrial heart of Northern
Italy where many steel mills are located. SGM has
continuously developed its magnetic equipment
technology by listening to - and working closely
with - steel mills all over the world. This approach
has enabled SGM to become a leader in lifting mag-
nets and magnetic separation equipment.
The company offers an impressive array of prod-
ucts - many of which are used by the metal recy-
cling industry. To name just a few: lifting magnets;
electro-permanent lifting magnets; electro and per-
manent magnet belt, magnet plate, magnet drum
By Manfred Beck and magnet pulley separators; eddy current sepa-
Recycling International • October 2005
For the recovery of stainless steel from
the fines, SGM has developed a new metal
sensor with an air ejection sensor system.
rators; stainless steel separators; and demagnitis-
ers for special alloy steels.
Application areas for SGM’s lifting and separa-
tion products are manifold and include: steel mills,
ship yards, ferrous and non-ferrous scrap separa-
tion operations, the automotive sector, and the oil
industry. SGM’s customer base is as diverse as its
product roster: the steel industry; ferrous and non-
ferrous scrap processors; waste management com-
panies; glass recyclers; wood and plastics proces-
sors; the mining industry; metal dross processors
such as foundries and refiners; electronic scrap
recyclers; and the food industry.
In 1993, SGM was acquired by the Belgian
Gantry Group, a world leader in developing and
manufacturing elastic rail-fastening systems for
cranes - clips, pads and rails - used by, among oth-
ers, steel and aluminium mills, container terminals,
cement factories and automated warehouses. This
year, the SGM magnet business of the Gantry
Group will achieve a turnover of € 15 million/
US$ 18 million.
Developing new technologies
Some five years ago, SGM set up a subsidiary
company in the USA, namely Sarasota, Florida-
60

based SGM Magnetics Corporation. ‘We realised
there was a growing market for shredder down-
stream systems,’ explains Frank Gevelle,
Development and Sales Manager for SGM’s sepa-
ration technology. ‘In addition, we noticed a change
in the mentality of scrap processors who started to
realise that their existing separation equipment
was leaving behind a lot of valuable metals in their
waste.’ This was the kick-off for the introduction of
SGM’s latest separation technology, aimed at
recovering more ferrous and non-ferrous metals
with higher concentration.
Although a newcomer to the American market,
SGM soon won the confidence of major customers
such as Hugo Neu and Newell Recycling of Atlanta.
From then on, SGM’s sales of ferrous and non-ferrous
separation systems in the USA developed rapidly.’
Targeting the shredder plants that operated
downstream systems to recover ferrous and non-fer-
rous metals, SGM offered its customers a new range
of equipment.
Didier Hagelsteen (right), General Manager of SGM and owner and CEO
of the Gantry Group and Frank Gevelle, Development and Sales
Manager for SGM’s separation technology.
For the ferrous, it offered a new generation of
Mega drum magnets - axial poles - with a much
stronger attraction force. For the fine fraction of the
auto shredder residue (ASR), the company intro-
duced high frequency eddy current systems (ECS)
with high frequency and high magnetism, as well as
a new dynamic ferrous separator for the recovery of
Recycling International • October 2005
S U P P L I E R
the ferrous from the magnetic fraction of ASR.
Especially for the recovery of stainless steel from the
ASR, SGM developed an air rejection separator.
SGM discovered that many shredder operators
had problems with recovering ferrous and non-fer-
rous from the fines fraction and therefore designed
equipment to do just that. ‘‘With fines that can rep-
resent around 40% of the weight of the shredder
residue, each extra percent of metals you can
The infeed material of SGM’s dynamic ferrous
extract from the fines means a lot of extra money,’ separator.
says Mr Gevelle. ‘Resulting from their low mass and
small shape of the metals in the fines fraction, for
instance from copper wire or round cast metals, it is
difficult to recover all of these with an ECS and, as a
result, much is lost.’
Dynamic ferrous separator
A recent SGM development is the DSRP dynamic
ferrous separator, which stands for ‘dynamic sepa-
ration with a rare-earth pulley’. This can be used
in the downstream system of car shredders. The SGM production plant in Manerbio near
Milan.
Standard separators use a pulley with rare-earth
permanent magnets to generate a strong magnetic
field for the separation process, with the magnetic pul-
ley rotating at the same speed as the belt pulley. With
SGM’s dynamic pulley, the magnetic pulley can rotate
at a different speed to the belt to create a dynamic
effect on the product being carried on the belt.
‘We found that, when we reduced the relative
speed of the pulley compared to the belt speed, we
could create a mechanical, dynamic effect on the
material which made it possible to free the non-fer-
rous metals from the inert material,’ explains Mr
Gevelle. ‘The problem with fine fractions is that
there is a lot of mixed product in which the non-fer-
rous becomes a “prisoner” of the magnetic dirt.
‘With our DSRP, we can mechanically free the
metals, for instance, from the ferrous metals, which
improves eddy current separation later in the
The three fractions separated by the DSRP.
process.’ From left: clean ferrous, a magnetic dust/fer-
Separation of the shredder fines using the DSRP rous fraction and non-magnetic metals which
can be further separated by an eddy current
yields three fractions: clean, saleable ferrous metal; separator.
61

a magnetic dust/ferrous fraction; and a non-mag-
netic fraction which can be sorted using an eddy
current system.
In co-operation with steel giant Arcelor, SGM is
currently conducting a study into the possibility of
reconditioning and concentrating the residual mag-
netic waste fraction in such a way that it can be
used in blast furnace ovens. ‘We are confident that
we can concentrate this fraction to a level where it
can be pelletised and used directly,’ says Mr Gevelle.
‘This could also be very interesting for shredder
plants, which also generate large volumes of this
ferrous/dust fraction as part of their shredder fluff.
As a result, it might be an asset in reaching the tar-
get of 95% car recycling, as stipulated in the EU
End-of-Life Vehicle Directive.’
High-frequency eddy current separator
Another SGM development is the high-frequency
eddy current separator. Mr Gevelle explains: ‘What
makes this machine so special is, first of all, that
we spin the magnetic pulley at a high frequency of
4000 RPM which considerably improves the sepa-
ration effect. It is a concentric system, so the mag-
netic pulley can be bigger and therefore can contain
bigger magnets. Secondly, we use an inclined belt to
feed the eddy current separator. Thus, we avoid the
Only a specialist can determine
the value of our
Collecting,
waste material....
processing and
recycling of:
- all kinds of batteries
- non-ferrous scrap
- non-ferrous residues
S U P P L I E R
so-called “popcorn effect”, which occurs when the
fines fraction on the belt feels the magnetic field at
an early stage. This results in the non-ferrous met-
als popping up in the air too early and, as a result,
they fall back on the belt before they have reached
the splitter,’ notes Mr Gevelle.
Stainless steel recovery
For the recovery of stainless steel from ECS
waste, SGM has developed a new metal sensor with One of SGM’s latest developments is the
dynamic ferrous separator DSRP which can be
an air ejection sensor system based on particle-for- used in the downstream system of car shred-
ders.
particle separation technology. The system is able
to win back metal missed by the eddy current sepa-
rator or by the sink/float (heavy media) plant, such
as metal with rubber attached to it.
SGM recommends the use of two air sensors in a
cascade effect: the first, blowing from top to bottom,
is used to recover as much material as possible from
the ECS waste, and the second, blowing from the For more information:
bottom, to concentrate the product. Thus, a typical SGM/Gantry, Nivelles,
residual 2-4% metal in the waste of an ECS can be Belgium, Frank Gevelle,
concentrated to a metal fraction with a concentra- Phone: +32 6788-8018,
tion of more than 90%. Fax: +32 6721-9914,
‘Using only one machine, you either recover a lot E-mail: sgm@be.gantry.com,
of low-concentration metal, or you have a high con- Website:
centration - but to the detriment of recovery,’ www.sgm-magnetics.com
explains Mr Gevelle.
P.O. Box 45, NL-3850 AA Ermelo
Tolweg 22, NL-3851 SK Ermelo
The Netherlands
Tel. +31 341 562 430, Fax +31 341 553 560
e-mail: info@peperzeel.nl
internet: www.peperzeel.nl

Market struggles with low-value
Large catalysers
Recognisable features: steel case marked with either
BMW or Mercedes, in general bigger than other cataly-
sers; monolith weighing more than 1,2 Kg.
Medium-size catalysers
Recognisable features: steel case marked with car
manufacturers’ names; monolith weighing approxi-
mately 1Kg.
Small catalysers
Recognisable features: steel case marked with car man-
ufacturers’ names; in general smaller than other cataly-
sers; monolith weighing approximately 500 grams.
By Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kerstin Kuchta
Hamburg University of Applied
Sciences, Germany
Recycling International • October 2005
C A R C A T A L Y S E R S
In Germany and some neighbouring countries, low-value catalytic converters with a
lower precious metals content have been entering circulation in increasing num-
bers. These have a market value below € 5 and can be spotted only by a trained
eye, leading to problems for the recycling chain.
T he collection and recycling of obsolete catalytic
converters is a lucrative business, with each
having a value to the car breaker or collector of
between € 15 and 53 depending on type. So-called
‘cat’ collectors drive around car workshops or dis-
mantlers’ yards to buy these precious metal-con-
taining catalysers which are recycled in large batch-
es by specialist companies.
There are two ways for an old catalyser to enter
the recycling process - when the device has become
defective or when the vehicle itself has reached the
end of its useful life. In the first instance, the catal-
yser is removed from the vehicle by the workshop; if
the workshop operates a dealership agreement, the
catalyser is usually sent back to the manufacturer
under a deposit system and then to a recycling com-
pany. Independent workshops sell catalysers to col-
lectors.
When a vehicle becomes obsolete, the catalyser
is removed by a car breaker and sold on to collec-
tors. Since millions of vehicles are scrapped every
year, it can be assumed that a similar number of
catalysers enter the recycling chain. Many scrapped
vehicles are exported to eastern Europe and Africa,
but the vast majority remain with Germany’s 1500-
plus car breakers. Additionally, a large number of
old catalysers come into the country via interna-
tional collectors.
Four categories of catalyser
In general, catalysers can be divided into four dis-
tinct groups, including large, medium and small
ceramic types. The fourth group comprises metal
catalysers. Some years ago, collectors would often
offer different prices according to the manufacturer
but this proved to be impractical because almost all
producers were putting vehicles - and therefore var-
ious types of catalyser - into all segments of the
market.
Large catalysers have a monolith weight (ie, the
ceramic core protected by a steel casing) of more
than 1200 grams. These are generally used by
BMW and Mercedes and identifying markings are
clearly visible on the case. At present, collectors are
paying between € 50 and 53 for these catalysers as
they generally contain high levels of platinum, pal-
ladium and rhodium. As the majority of these large
catalysers come from BMW and Mercedes, total vol-
umes are not very large.
Medium-sized catalysers have a monolith weight
of around 1000 grams. Once again, the name of the
car manufacturer is clearly visible on the outer steel
casing: Ford, Opel, VW, Mazda and Toyota are just
a few examples. The purchase price of these models
is currently between € 30 to 35: despite the high val-
ue of the precious metals coating, the lower surface
area of the monolith means a lower price is obtained
than for larger catalysers. Considerably more than
50% of all catalysers fall into this category.
The proportion of small catalysers is not very
great but has increased considerably during recent
years. These monoliths weigh around 500 grams on
average and, once again, the manufacturers’ names
are clearly visible on the steel casing. In line with
the precious metal content, these catalysers fetch
around € 15 to 17.
Should the ceramic monolith become broken, it
is assumed that a certain proportion of the precious
metals has been lost, thus attracting in general only
50% of the normal price. In the trade, these are
known as ‘half catalysers’.
Metal catalysers have no ceramic core but rather
a ribbed metal foil contained within the steel cas-
ing; the name of the vehicle manufacturer is again
clearly visible. These attract prices of around € 5 to
10 depending on size and make up only around 2 to
3% of the market, although the proportion is likely
to increase over the coming years.
After-market catalysers
For some time, increasing numbers of catalysers
entering the recycling chain have fallen outside the
above-mentioned categories. These ‘after-market’
catalysers, or exchange catalysers, were not built
in by the original manufacturer but were retrofitted
by unnamed parties. Most are of poorer quality and
64

e catalysers
can be recognised by poor welding of the seams on
the steel casings. The ceramic monolith weighs
around 500 grams and contains considerably lower
volumes of precious metals than the OEM models;
thus, market value is only around € 4 to 5.
After-market catalysers used to represent only
around 1% of devices entering the recycling process.
Collectors and car breakers often agreed a price or
the collector paid the normal amount to a favoured
supplier as a mark of goodwill. Over the last year,
however, after-market catalysers have come to claim
5% of the market, only partly because of a trend
towards car owners having cheaper catalysers fitted.
It is not clear whether after-market catalysers are
being deliberately imported for sale to car breakers
or collectors at inflated prices. In Germany, dealers
generally receive the price of a small catalyst for an
after-market model - between € 15 and 17 - because
its intrinsically low value is not sufficiently appreci-
ated by some collectors and car breakers.
The number of after-market catalysers offered in
Austria is also increasing. Well-trained collectors
immediately recognise the model type and accord-
ingly offer prices outside normal parameters. ‘Big
disappointments often happen because, more often
than not, the car breakers have not dismantled the
items themselves but have purchased them in con-
siderable volumes from dubious dealers,’ according
to Robert Poelzleitner, Managing Director of Örec
Österreichische Edelmetall Recycling GmbH of
Henndorf, Austria. He adds: ‘It would be better if
the detachment points were warned about such
purchases and informed about how to recognise the
characteristics of this type of catalyser.’
The collector process
Catalyser collectors represent the interface
between these ‘detachment’ points and the recyclers.
Many collectors operate well-defined and sophisti-
cated logistics: they collect catalysers from numer-
ous points, store them and then ship them in large
batches to precious metals recyclers. Some collectors
are in regular contact with these detachment points
and arrange dates for collection. ‘We have developed
our own telephone and logistics software for our
business processes which allows us to liaise with our
associates in an appropriate manner,’ explains Anja
Maier, Managing Director of Maier Recycling. ‘I
have several vehicles in use in Baden Wuertemberg
and Bavaria which service up to 15 suppliers punc-
Recycling International • October 2005
C A R C A T A L Y S E R S
Metal catalysers
Recognisable features: ribbed metal foil
instead of a ceramic central core; outer steel
case marked with car manufacturers’ names.
tually every day.’ Other collectors have no fixed
route and drive from one detachment point to anoth-
er and purchase catalysers on the spot. Registered
disposal and collection companies must issue an
acceptance note recognising the new owner and
placing liability on the collector to handle these
waste-designated devices in line with appropriate
regulations and to ensure theiy are recycled by a
suitably registered company.
The collector’s skill lies in recognising the value After-market catalysers
Recognisable features: often bad welding of
of the catalyser: if he purchases, for example, low- the seam (steel casing); no car manufacturer’s
value after-market catalysers at the price prevail- marking; marking of a known after-market catal-
yser manufacturer, e.g. Catco, Walker etc.
ing for a smaller or medium-sized device, then he
lays himself open to potentially severe financial dis-
appointment. However, the skilled collectors can
quickly recognise these low-value catalysers.
For more information:
Closer attention Kuchta group Umwelt &
Car breakers should pay closer attention to what Management GmbH
is offered them and should perhaps favour registered Darmstadt, Germany
collection and disposal companies which issue cer- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kerstin Kuchta
tificates. Only in this way can guarantees be given Phone +49 6151 999 747
that recycling will be carried out in an environmen- Fax +49 6151 999 746
tally-friendly way. To prevent discussions about E-mail:
quality and the possibility of financial losses, the col- k.kuchta@kuchtagroup.de
lector should perhaps introduce another price cate- www.kuchtagroup.de
gory for ‘low-value’ or ‘after-market’ catalysers.
65
 C R T G L A S S

Closing the loop for cathode

This article assesses the current status of CRT (cathode ray tube)
glass recycling and offers suggestions as to how to handle this partic-
ular business in the future given the emergence of major markets such
as China. The market for electronic goods will become ever more glob-
al and recycling activities will have to rise to meet this challenge.
Sustainability accepts no borders and the opportunity should be seized
to develop a much more effective and global closed-loop recycling
Cleaned and upgraded funnel glass cullets is stored at Schott
AG. The new funnel contains up to 50% of recycled funnel glass.
system.

S chott AG of Mainz in Germany estab-

lished a closed-loop recycling system for
end-of-life cathode ray tube (CRT) glass
more than six years ago. In the early stages
of those recycling activities, the main prob-
lem was obtaining significant volumes of
this end-of-life picture tube glass from the
market. Since then, CRT recycling has
become established as an every-day business
in many European countries and many elec-
Pressing of a flat CRT screen panel glass screen which contains
about 20% of recycled glass. tronic recycling companies are adopting this
route as best possible practice.
However, all the activities set in motion
over recent years represent only initial steps
along this path. A large sense of responsi-
bility has built up around this issue not only
in Europe but also in parts of Asia: Japan,
for example, is going down similar lines and
we have been able to exchange information
about useful experiences. There are still
areas even in Europe where closed-loop
recycling of CRT glass remains a distant
The glass gob falls into a mould.
goal but we are convinced that existing solu-
tions and techniques will enable tailor-made
solutions to be created for any market or
any country in the world.
Basically very simple
Recycling of CRT is basically very simple.
The recycler collects end-of-life TV units and
computer monitors, opens them up, removes
the ventilated picture tubes and puts them
into a special container. These are then
shipped to a CRT glass upgrader who sepa-
rates the picture tubes into panel and fun-
End-of-life PC monitors ready for processing in an electronic
waste recycling factory. nel glass, cleans both fractions, and ships
the cleaned, accurately separated cullet
fractions to TV glass manufacturers. In
turn, these companies produce new panels
and funnels out of the cullet. Quite simple,
isn’t it? Well, perhaps one or two difficulties
should be acknowledged.
The obstacles begin in the European mar-
ket with collection. Based on data for the
established 15 members of the European
Union, annually available volumes of end-
of-life CRT glass amount to an estimated
500 000 to 700 000 tonnes. A substantial
proportion of this volume enters non-recy-
cling channels and, in truth, this situation is
unlikely to change even after EU Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(WEEE) regulations become part of national
law within the member states.
As a maximum within Europe, an esti-
mated 300 000 tonnes of picture tube glass
will be collected and offered for closed-loop
recycling each year by private companies
and/or municipalities and official organisa-
tions. This volume is more than three times
greater than Schott can commercially and
practically absorb, even at full CRT glass
production periods: to service the entire vol-
ume, other CRT glass producers in Europe
and further afield will also have to adopt the
closed-loop route.
Differing volumes
Unsurprisingly, volumes of available end-
of-life CRT glass differ from country to coun-
try within the European Union. Finland,
France, Austria, Portugal and the UK have

Recycling International • October 2005 66

 C R T G L A S S

ray tubes
By Thomas G. Oberle
Schott AG, Germany

already completed their first deliveries to
Schott and STV Glass, Schott’s subsidiary in
the Czech Republic. It is still the case that
the majority of CRT-containing units both
inside and outside the European Union
either go to landfill or to household waste dis-
posal areas of widely varying quality. Whole
units often travel east where a reasonable
percentage can be reused but the larger pro-
portion still follow questionable disposal
routes.
A critical factor in this business is the use
of CRT glass in road construction, as a slag
complicated by the fact that picture tube
glass manufacturers are not interested in
taking back end-of-life CRT glass - maybe
because they want to eliminate any risk
associated with poor quality glass offered by
the recycling market at the outset, or
because they want to avoid the remarkably
high cost of investing in the new techniques
required to brush up internal systems with-
in the CRT glass industry. In effect, old pic-
ture tubes disappear into a ‘black hole’ and
Separation unit for panel and funnel separation with heating belt
are no longer available to the CRT glass pro- and vacuum cleaning system for the fluorescent layer on the
ducing industry. inner side of the panel glass.

former in the metal industry, and as a side As a producer of CRT glass, Schott has
material in flat glass production. Lead-con- identified clear quality and material defini-
taining picture tube glass fits only with tions for the different kinds of end-of-life CRT
closed-loop solutions: use of lead-containing cullet. In addition, Schott has developed
glass as a slag former in lead production structures via which end-of-
offers no closed-loop solution - it is more or life picture tubes can be col- Average composition of an end-of-life television unit
less a short intermediate working phase for lected, accepted, upgraded
the glass along its route towards special and cleaned by the company Capacitators Copper
Aluminium 1%
1% 1%
waste disposal. which it then feeds into panel Transformers
Electron guns 5%
Use as a supplement material in road and funnel glass melting Ferrous
0%
10% Electric motors
construction is often mentioned as a possi- tanks. This recycling process 0%
Wood Cable
ble means of bringing lead-free CRT glass can be verified at any stage 2%
13%
into the recycling structure. But we have to time by the authorities. Circuit boards
6%
keep in mind that CRT glass is mechanical- Schott’s process is an ecologi-
ly much more unstable than other types of cally and economically advan- Plastics
8%
glass and that, under normal circumstances tageous alternative to estab-
within the road structure, vibration cracks lished waste disposal prac-
The demands of the WEEE
the cullet again and again to form constant- tices. can only be fulfilled if an
ly new surfaces such that the lead is washed For this to happen, the Picture tube glass adequate way of recycling
53% is available for the CRT glass!
out and contaminates groundwater over process structures for CRT
many years. recycling have had to be
Undoubtedly, human greed has developed defined and built up anew: for
Recycling of special glasses
additional ways of side-stepping the CRT the electronics recycler, for
glass problem and of earning some easy example, Schott has been
Separation Processes of I. CRT and Housing, II. Panel and Funnel
money along the way. However, in effect, the offering a special service I. II. Panel glass without
only closed-loop solution for CRT glass is to which ensures conformity Remove back side of Clean
funnel glass, frit, pins
and inside coating
Loosen CRT,
case, ventilate CRT, CRT with separation of
return it to producers’ melting tanks - an with latest regulations, Complete removal of cables,
remove CRT
and removal rimband, panel and
TV-sets and speakers, circuit boards, inside funnel Funnel glass
of attached
area in which Schott has emerged as a including verifiable reuse in monitors dismantle deflection
unit, remove electron
silicon and coatings
and metal
with iron oxide/graphite
coating, anode,
rubber parts of panel glass
gun parts
European pioneer over recent years. melting tanks via indepen- and frit

dent CRT glass upgraders like

Generating closed loops GRIAG in Germany, or Circuit
Wood, Metal
Fluorescent
boards, Rimband, layer
Plastics electronic plastic (Degauss
Closed loops generate themselves very Coolrec in The Netherlands. components cable) mask,
anode,
Processing
getter unit for
rarely. Structures normally form by follow- These are upgrading the CRT-mix glass
Cable, wire, Electron gun Rubber, and funnel
ing the path of least resistance and lowest waste glass into a secondary metal silicon
glass
CRT-mix glass
performance necessary at, simultaneously, raw material in accordance with metals

the highest possible level of effort and cost. with instructions given to
Implementation of a closed-loop system is them by Schott AG.

Recycling International • October 2005 67


As part of setting up the necessary logis-
tics processes, a very important task is to
ensure the commercial viability of the sys-
tem for all the parties involved. A truly sat-
isfying solution could not be established
until now; that said, perhaps the producer
responsibility regulations within the EU’s
WEEE directive will bring the necessary
additional income for recyclers and
upgraders.
High WEEE standards
The targets set by the above-mentioned
EU directive for reuse of electronic devices
containing picture tubes are quite stringent.
Even a brief look at the average composition
of an end-of-life television unit shows that
these demands can be met only if the pic-
ture tube glass - which accounts for 53% of
the total weight of a television unit - can be
brought into a truly closed-loop system.
The technology for separating panel and
funnel glass - from the delivery of whole
television units and computer monitors up
to the separated picture tube - is well known
and requires a high level of manual skill and
strength. Also very important is the instal-
lation of the correct safety equipment within
each workplace.
Once the tube is dismantled, an important
decision has to be reached: thrown into the
container with the metal fraction as well as
stickers etc, it represents nothing more than
dirty mixed glass. At the upgrader’s plant,
the worst outcome is that low-value but clean
mixed glass will be produced for use as a side
mixture in the funnel glass melting tank.
However, the decisive step towards pro-
ducing a secondary raw material involves
adequate separation of the material into
panel and funnel glass, with panel glass
being cleaned of its fluorescent layer and the
pins removed. In this way, separated and
cleaned panel glass is no longer a waste - the
CRT glass producer buys it as a raw materi-
al and, following homogenisation, feeds the
glass into his panel glass melting tank.
Quality assurance
With end-of-life CRT glass accounting for
an ever-growing proportion of total raw
material fed into melting tanks to produce
new panel and funnel glass, there is a
heightened risk of impurities endangering
Recycling International • October 2005
C R T G L A S S
production quality in the new glass melt.
This underlines very clearly the need for
higher safety demands and stronger quality
assurance procedures throughout the glass
recycling process.
It has been a source of great help that,
from the very outset, Schott has worked
with recyclers and upgraders to define clear
and strict quality specifications and han-
dling instructions. Conforming with these
specifications and instructions represents
Storage for the different fractions of CRT glass – panel and fun-
an absolute priority for all those involved in nel glass.
the various stages of the recycling system.
Production of high-quality CRT glass com-
ponents which meet cathode ray tube manu-
facturers’ requirements can be achieved
only through the implementation of this
very strict quality system.
Two main fractions are made from end-of-
life CRTs via this closed-loop system. Panel
glass makes up the front part of the picture
tube; free from any other lead-containing
glass, it is prepared in the panel glass melt-
ing tank. Meanwhile, funnel glass represents The use of a diamond saw for the separation of panel and funnel
the rear part of the picture tube; this lead- glasses ensures a higher throughput.
containing glass, which contains a residual
amount of panel glass as a result of the sepa-
ration process, is fed into the funnel glass
melting tank.
Mixed glass - a mixture of panel and fun-
nel glass - is the result of reducing a picture
tube to cullet without an initial separation
stage. During the separation process, howev-
er, some pre-damaged tubes form mixed
glass. When CRT recycling first got started,
mixed glass was the only fraction available
on the European recycling market but Schott In some European countries, the workers at the separation unit
have to wear full-size masks and respirators, even when the units
and STVGlass has now reached its capacity are equipped with a laminar air flow system.
limit for mixed glass and accepts only those
small volumes resulting from the panel and
funnel separation process.
The question remains as to what repre- Thomas G. Oberle,
sents the best way to produce high-quality the author of this article,
separated panel and funnel glass that con- is Manager Strategic Projects
forms to Schott Glas’ stringent require- of the division Recycling of
ments and therefore to the demands of the Special Glasses of Schott AG,
CRT glass producing industry in general. A Mainz, Germany
picture tube will not divide off into the He can be reached at:
required fractions simply by taking a ham- Phone +49 6131 66-3834,
mer to it; however, with the right know- Fax +49 6131 66-1965,
how, the suitable separation technique E-mail:
which is available to the market in different thomas.oberle@schott.com
types, effective separation and upgrading www.schott.com
are perfectly feasible.
69
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 M A R K E T A N A L Y S I S

Ferrous

Scrap markets in a tail-spin reach US$ 239.50, before falling

back to US$ 225.83 by the end of last
month.
By mid-September, all the main importing countries had
US automobile bundle sales lev-
withdrawn from the ferrous scrap market. Turkey, Spain and els for the big three manufacturers -
Ford, GM and Chrysler - fell by
the Far East are currently refraining from buying scrap, obvi- US$ 68 per gross ton to US$ 230 per
tonne for October. A spectacular rise
ously in the expectation of another price drop to add to the
of US$ 87 per tonne in August and
US$ 20 per tonne decline of early September. However, another US$ 95 per tonne improve-
ment for September saw the sales
scrap exporters should derive some comfort from forecasts level rise to US$ 295 last month. Al-
of higher iron ore prices in the year to come, a move which though this may appear high, it is
still well below the November 2004
will drag scrap’s competitor commodities to higher levels. level of US$ 442.50 per tonne. This
figure fell to US$ 155 per tonne in
Ocean freights for Panamax- and Handymax-size ships went
June this year, thereby underlining
down in September while European traders benefitted from the volatility of the scrap market in
2005.
a stronger US dollar in relation to the Euro. By early The scrap market is attracting an
equal share of bad and good news. On
October, fob Rotterdam asking prices stood at US$ 205 per
the downside, of course, is the com-
tonne for 80/20 HMS I/II, US$ 215 for shredded and plete absence from the market of key
Far East importers (including China,
US$ 195 for the 60/40 mix. South Korea, Malaysia and Thai-
land), as well as buyers in Turkey,
Steelmakers are once again trying steel prices will decline rather than Spain and, to some extent, Italy. All
to push down the ferrous scrap mar- rise - echoing the opinions voiced last of them consider that prices went too
ket by refusing to buy large volumes, month by a number of mills, especial- high early September.
with Turkish mills pointing to falter- ly in Europe and Asia.
ing exports of steel over recent weeks. Last month’s scrap price increase Unexpected news
Analysts have expressed fears that of up to US$ 30 per tonne has been On top of this came the unexpect-
all but lost over the last fortnight by ed news that Turkey had purchased
a decline of, on average, US$ 40 per no less than 260 000 tonnes of HBI
Closed: October 3 2005 tonne. The US Composite price had and pig iron from Russia at a price of
gained US$ 52 per tonne between US$ 220-230 per tonne cfr Turkish
By Alfred Nijkerk mid-August and mid-September to harbours. Understandably, this new
move by Turkey was not applauded
by US and European scrap ex-
porters. The most recent export of
scrap to Turkey was a Belgian cargo
of 60/40 scrap sold in mid-September
at a price of US$ 220 fob; later offers
of US$ 200 were not accepted.
CIS countries have also lowered
their offers from US$ 260 in early
September to US$ 225 for 80/20 mate-
rial, delivered Turkish harbours. US
exports of shredded scrap to the Far
East also fell sharply in the third
quarter. South Korea and Malaysia
were completely absent from the mar-
ket in July and August while exports
to Thailand plunged 85% in July.
But there have also been some
positive developments, especially for
European exporters who saw the US
dollar strengthen in relation to the
Euro. Furthermore, freight rates to
Turkey from ports in the UK,
Netherlands, Northern Germany
and Belgium dropped to US$ 22-24
per tonne. Normally, Black Sea ship-
pers enjoy lower freight rates but
levels of US$ 30-35 per tonne to
Turkey have arisen due to: the onset
of the grain season; congestion in
Ukrainian ports; and the fact that
coasters often have to go up rivers
like the Dnepr to find their cargoes.
Lower Ukrainian exports
Another factor for US and EU ex-
porters is that the Ukraine cut its

Recycling International • October 2005 72


scrap exports by nearly 50% in Jan-
uary-August this year to just 0.9
million tonnes. Domestic scrap sup-
ply to Ukrainian mills fell by 9%
over the same period to just under 4
million tonnes. Scrap collection in
the first eight months of this year
declined to 4.875 million tonnes
compared to 5.897 million tonnes in
the same period of 2004. Normally,
some 20% of the Ukraine’s scrap
harvest goes for export, with logical
destinations including Turkey with
its Black Sea ports, or harbours in
the south west of the country.
An interesting take on scrap mar-
ket prospects was presented at last
month’s US Institute of Scrap Recy-
cling Industries gathering in Rose-
mont, Illinois. John Harris, North
American director of raw materials
for the world’s largest steel produc-
er, Mittal Steel, noted that Chinese
scrap imports fell to around 6 mil-
lion tonnes in the first seven months
of this year from 6.4 million tonnes
in 2004. Mr Harris foresaw a fur-
ther gradual decline in these im-
ports over the next few years, espe-
cially as virtually all of China’s new
capacity is shared among integrat-
ed mills with their comparatively
low scrap intake percentages. Chi-
na’s relative disinterest in electric
arc furnace (EAF) production stems
from concerns over the availability
of electricity and over low collection
volumes of obsolete scrap. India,
meanwhile, will have to boost its in-
take of scrap over the coming years
as the country’s new production
Recycling International • October 2005
M A R K E T
capacity is focused on the EAF route.
Mr Harris also predicted that the
cost of dry bulk shipping would in-
crease sharply over the next few
years. However, it should be noted
that, while there will be a lack of
very large Capesize tankers as new
supertankers will require a double
hull within a few years from now,
scrap is not carried in these large
vessels. For the most part, transat-
lantic transportation of scrap is in
Handymax- and Panamax-sized
ships with their deadweights of,
respectively, 10 000-55 000 tonnes
and 55 000-80 000 tonnes. Cargoes
from Northern European ports in
the UK, Germany, The Netherlands
and Belgium to Southern European
destinations in Turkey, Spain and
Italy are often carried by coasters
with loading capacities of, typically,
between 2000 and 10 000 tonnes.
Competing commodities
Huge integrated mills consume
only 10-20% scrap whereas an EAF-
based mini-mill is mostly dependent
on scrap, although this can be mixed
with 10-25% pig or HBI/DRI iron.
Iron ore and coking coal constitute
the main raw material costs for inte-
grated producers whereas scrap and
electricity costs are paramount for
the mini-mills. Given sky-high ener-
gy price levels, EAF mills are cur-
rently at a disadvantage and are
therefore looking to keep scrap
prices as low as possible. Integrated
mills, on the other hand, have suf-
fered severely as a result of this
A N A L Y S I S
year’s average 71.5% increase in ore
prices and of the jump in coking coal
prices from US$ 45-55 per tonne fob
in 2003 to a record US$ 125 fob for
2005 contracts.
Analysts at a recent coal industry
conference in Nice, France, disagreed
on what is likely to happen next
year: some predicted a roll-over of
present prices while others antici-
pated a decline in the annual con-
tract price to US$ 100 per tonne. The
main factor is China which, histori-
cally, has been a net exporter of coal.
However, having been a net exporter
of 10 million tonnes in 2003, the
country is now expected to be a net
importer of 10 million tonnes this
year. Reasons for this reverse in-
clude the spectacular rise in Chinese
steel capacity (see next paragraph)
and the closure of a number of coal
mines due to environmental and hu-
manitarian factors. This follows sev-
eral disastrous mining accidents
over recent years.
So what will happen to iron ore
prices for next year? Here too, opin-
ions differ greatly. Normally, Octo-
ber sees the beginning of the so-
called ‘mating season’ when ore-ex-
porting countries and ore-consuming
integrated steel mill groups from all
over the world gather to discuss fu-
ture price levels. These discussions
tend to last well into the following
year, typically concluding around
March or April. Although fiercely de-
nied, it had been rumoured that the
world’s largest iron ore producer -
CVRD of Brazil - was about to de-
mand a 40% increase for 2006 con-
tracts. However, some experts sug-
gest increases for next year may be
limited to 15-20%, or even as little
as 5%.
It goes without saying that higher
iron ore prices work to the detriment
of the integrated steel mills and in
favour of scrap prices, given that
mini-mills will respond by switching
to scrap from the more expensive
competing commodities. Once again,
China is the main factor: in the first
eight months of 2005, the country
imported 180 million tonnes of iron
ore - an increase of nearly 33% com-
pared to the same period of 2004.
China bought iron ore fines for US$
95 per tonne in April, but prices then
fell to around US$ 65 in June and
July before climbing to US$ 70-72 in
August and September.
In the first seven months of this
year, the world’s leading pig iron ex-
porter Brazil shipped a total of 3.9
million tonnes, or 44.5% more than
in the corresponding period of 2004.
Some 3 million tonnes went to the
USA - 61% more than in 2004 - and
151 000 tonnes to Spain.
Steel
The big question, not least for the
scrap industry, concerns the direc-
tion of steel prices in the final quar-
ter of this year. A number of EU
mills have announced price increases
for the fourth quarter but this could
be wishful thinking in many in-
stances. It would not be the first time
this year that mills have tried to pre-
pare buyers for higher prices - which
ultimately did not materialise. Steel
giant Thyssen Krupp Steel has an-
nounced a fourth-quarter price rise
of € 30 per tonne (US$ 36) for flat
products, but stockists consider this
to be unattainable. The final quarter
of the year is always a weak period
given slower activity levels in the
construction industry.
In early September, cold rolled coil
was being sold at € 430-480 per tonne
and hot rolled coil (HRC) at € 380 -
420 per tonne. However, given that
HRC imports are currently being of-
fered at € 350-380 per tonne cfr Eu-
rope, a level of around € 380 seems
more likely.
At a recent seminar in Moscow, it
was suggested that global steel
prices could fall by as much as 10%
next year on the basis that some of
the world’s main steel-exporting
countries have been installing clear-
ly excessive capacity this year. Fur-
thermore, construction steel prices
in China have dropped rapidly to-
wards their May and June levels.
However, well-known steel con-
sultant Michelle Applebaum pre-
dicted that steel prices were likely to
move higher. She ventured the fol-
lowing annual price averages (per
short ton):
2003 US$ 282
2004 US$ 605
2005 US$ 508
2006 US$ 569
2007 US$ 650
73
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 M A R K E T A N A L Y S I S

The forward price projections ap-
pear somewhat over-optimistic given
that China is building new steel ca-
pacity at such a pace that over-pro-
duction is a very real danger. That
said, China’s steel exports have de-
fied all forecasts in declining to the
point where the country recently be-
came a net importer once again, as it
had been for decades prior to 2004.
World steel production rose by
6.9% or 47 million tonnes in Janu-
ary-August this year, largely due to
a Chinese production increase of
28% or 50 million tonnes. Production
among the EU’s 25 member states
declined by 3.4%, while output in the
USA and in CIS countries fell by, re-
spectively, 5.8% and 1.5%.
The damage caused to buildings,
oil rigs and general industry by re-
cent hurricanes in the Gulf region of
the USA is expected to boost de-
mand for construction and flat steel
both this year and next. It has been
reported that Nucor, for example,
will again impose a raw materials
surcharge of US$ 113 per short ton
for October, although this may be
only a temporary measure.
Conclusion
Weakness in the scrap market is
unlikely to last too long although a
return to the high prices of early
September is not anticipated in the
near future. As suggested earlier, a
price of around US$ 200 fob Rotter-
dam for the 60/40 I/II mix appears
reasonable.
The current yo-yoing of scrap
prices is artificial and owes much to
the uncertainty surrounding 2006
raw material prices. What will iron -
and hence pig iron and HBI/DRI - do
next year? Will prices rise again?
Will coking coal prices move side-
ways or even decline? Will oil prices
remain around US$ 60 per barrel?
How will the US dollar fare in rela-
tion to the Euro? Will there be fur-
ther terrorists attacks? And finally,
how will freight rates move over the
next year?
In short, with so many factors in-
fluencing the global economy, and
hence the commodity markets, scrap
price predictions remain a difficult
and dangerous task.

Ferrous Scrap Prices (Reference date: September 30, 2005)

260 270
252.83 265
250 249.17 260
239.50
240 242.33 250
240 240
230 240 250
Highest price
235
225
220 225.83 230
214.50 235
235
210
210 220 225
209.50 220
210 210
200 199.9 205
210 205 205
200.50
197.35
190 195.33 200 205
193.17 200
200 200 200 200
180 195 195
190

170 180
168.33
Lowest price
160 157.67 170 165

150 160 150

140 155
150

130
USA Domestic Scrap Prices (US$/GRT)
140 145
HMS 1 heavy steel scrap (1/4 Inch) Fob Rotterdam Export Prices (US$/t)
120 composite price delivered at mills 130 HMS 80/20 heavy steel scrap
120
110 120
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep

270 270 271.8

270
270.8
260 255 260
Fob West 257.4

255
Coast price 253.4
250 255 250 257.1
255 239.6
240 235 225
240 244.6
235

230 235 230

230 230 230 230
235
220 220 220
214.3
220
210 210 213.7
205
185 207.4
200 205 205 205 200
200 200 200
190 190

190 180
180
Fob East
170 Coast price 170 169.2

160 160 159

160 160
150 150

140 140
USA Export Prices (US$/GRT) 140 * Average German Scrap Prices (€/t)
130 HMS 1, heavy steel scrap (1/4 Inch) 130 S2 / E2, steel scrap (3 mm) Delivered at mills
127,7
120 120
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep

Recycling International • October 2005 75

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 M A R K E T A N A L Y S I S

Nickel & Stainless

Closed: October 3 2005

By Alfred Nijkerk et al

Stainless scrap prices remain key influences on standard product

grades. Another strongly negative
month. Chinese ferro-molybdenum
prices fell slightly but remained at
depressed factor has been the 54% increase in
China’s stainless steel production
US$ 78 -80 for the final three weeks
of September, while European prices
capacity during the course of this are expected to remain at their end-
Producer over-stocking and reduced global demand for stain- year, as a result of which global September levels of around US$ 80-
less steel adversely affected scrap purchasing patterns in stainless steel production appears 85 per kg delivered. Molybdenum
set to increase by at least 5% this (drummed oxide) was standing at
the third quarter, especially in Europe. Stainless steel scrap year to around 26 million tonnes. In US$ 35.50 per lb.
the first six months of 2005, world Prices for 70-80% ferro-vanadium
prices have duly fallen, whereas values of most of the noble
production grew by 5.5% whereas material stood at US$ 65-67 per kg
alloys have remained broadly unchanged over recent weeks. Asian output was 13% higher than last month and ferro-tungsten prices
in the corresponding period of 2004. have spent the last two months at
In addition, low-nickel 200 series
Prices of 18/8 stainless steel scrap Recently, a number of the main- stainless steel has achieved spectac-
have fallen at least US$ 180 per stream non-ferrous metals have ular growth, especially in Asia where
tonne in the past month, outstrip- been registering ever-higher values it is seen as a cheap substitute for
ping the decline in the LME nickel on the LME with copper, for in- the 304 and 316 grades, which con-
quotation over the same period. In stance, reaching an all-time high of tain 8-10% nickel. The emergence of
the third quarter, scrap purchases in more than US$ 3800 per tonne. the 200 series has adversely affected
Europe were 75% lower in most in- However, nickel remained weak in the market and has also led to con-
stances as a result of production cuts comparison to its second quarter siderable confusion, partly because it
by virtually all the major stainless price (see the SMR graph) when it is non-magnetic just like the
steel producers. This was their re- had broken through the US$ 16 000 austenitic 300 series. This is in con-
sponse to over-stocking and soften- barrier. By the end of September, trast to the ferritic and strongly mag-
ing global demand. LME three-month nickel was back netic 400 series which contains 13%
By contrast, special alloy prices at US$ 13 600 - some way below its and 17% chromium but no nickel.
have effectively been moving side- level of 22 September 2004 when it The non-magnetic properties of the
ways. By October 3, the Rotterdam stood at US$ 14 000. 200 series make it difficult for
304 (18/8) scrap price was standing There are a number of reasons traders to identify and to separate
at US$ 1240 per tonne while the 316 why stainless steel producers were out from the 300 series (see box).
(18/10/2) price had declined to US$ forced to cut production and to lower
2000 per tonne. The ferritic 430 their prices. Over-stocking was Special alloys
(17% chromium) price was around blamed for the current difficult mar- As mentioned above, the values of
US$ 320 per tonne while 409 (13% ket conditions while an erosion in most of the noble alloys have been
chromium) was nearer US$ 280. base prices was seen as one of the moving sideways over the past

Recycling International • October 2005 78

 M A R K E T A N A L Y S I S

US$ 30-35 per kg. Ferro-titanium

prices are expected to rise in the near
future due to higher demand from
aircraft manufacturers. Boeing, for
instance, has announced that titani-
um will account for 15% of the weight
of its new 787 model, which is double
the amount used in its successful 777.
The company has also confirmed that
it will consume 50% more titanium
than in previous years.
Europe
While most metals were enjoying
a clear upward trend, the LME
three-month nickel price fell below
US$ 14 000 during September. How-
ever, market experts are predicting
that nickel prices will remain at
around US$ 14 000 per tonne over
the coming months - notwithstand-
ing the likelihood of significant fluc-
tuations either side of this level.
Meanwhile, the volatility of nickel
has attracted criticism from the mar-
ketplace. At last month’s 4th Metal
Bulletin Nickel, Stainless and Spe-
cial Steels Forum in Bilbao, Spain,
BIR President Fernando Duranti
raised the question as to why nickel
consumers had to pay price levels
that were largely attributable the ac-
tions of speculators. Representatives
of Russian nickel producer MMC No-
rilsk also expressed concerns about
the current volatility of the nickel
market.
In Germany, nickel cathode prices
have fallen from US$ 14 984 to trade
recently at US$ 14 264. As for al-
loyed scrap, V2A (304) prices fell to
US$ 1250 whereas V4A (316) scrap
also went down to lower levels. In
the Netherlands, INOX 18/8 scrap
was recently trading at US$ 1240 as
against US$ 1420 four weeks earli-
er, while INOX 316 was fetching at
US$ 2000.
less steel capacity, Chinese produc-
tion is expected to continue its rapid
rise. Although China’s domestic
market is growing, the country’s ex-
ports are likely to increase - a factor
which will contribute further down-
ward pressure to an already weak-
ened market. For the moment, how-
ever, demand remains robust for
stainless scrap in the Far East.
North America
Latest data indicate that global
stainless steel production reached
12.9 million tonnes in the first six
months of this year - some 5.5%
higher than in the first half of 2004.
However, the only region of the
world to achieve a production in-
Fernando steals the show in Bilbao
At last month’s 4th Metal Bulletin Nickel, Stainless and Special
Steels Forum in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao, BIR President
Fernando Duranti called for the return to a normal rather than fund-
dominated nickel pricing system. Mr Duranti was applauded when he
asked the world’s largest nickel producer - Russia’s Norilsk Nickel - to
explain why consumers should pay prices that had been generated pri-
marily by the actions of speculators/hedge funds. These speculators
keep stocks low, thereby maintaining high nickel prices which mainly
benefit producers. Indeed, it is a known fact that the world’s ten largest
nickel producers control over 75% of the market compared to 43% in the
copper market.
Mr Duranti, who is also CEO of Milan-based non-ferrous trading
company Leghe & Metalli International, also offered a solution to the
current confusion surrounding the different series of stainless steel. He
highlighted in particular the problems that the comparatively new low-
nickel 200 series were causing within the scrap market: whereas in the
past a scrap trader had only to sort magnetic 400 (ferritic, Fe/Cr) series
from the non-magnetic 300 (austenitic, Ni/Cr/Fe) series, he is now con-
fronted with a flow of non-magnetic, low-nickel 200 series containing a
high percentage of low-value manganese. Stainless steel-consuming
mills cannot accept 200 series scrap alongside far higher-priced 304 or
316; these latter qualities are valued mainly for their nickel content
and so every piece of 200 series material has to be separated out.
Mr Duranti also suggested that stainless steel mills achieve better
results by using stainless steel scrap in their raw material blend rather
than simply a pure nickel and carbon steel scrap feed.
(See also the interview with Fernando Duranti on pages 38-41).
crease was, predictably, Asia. Fol- world production is expected to ad-
lowing recent stainless steel produc- vance by just 2.5%. Further down-
tion cutbacks, at least one leading ward pressure on nickel prices is en-
analyst suspects that the Western visaged next year although the met-
World will record no increase in out- al’s value is thought likely to survive
put this year. Meanwhile, overall at historically high levels.

Asia & Pacific Rim

LME three-month nickel prices
have fallen by nearly 23% from the
June high of US$ 16 600. Even with
the recent recovery to around US$
13 600 on the back of all-time high
copper levels, supply/demand factors
suggest even lower prices ahead for
the nickel market. While there ap-
pears to be a global surplus of stain-

Recycling International • October 2005 79

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 M A R K E T A N A L Y S I S

lysts expect prices to continue to rise

Non-Ferrous and even to break through the
US$ 4000 barrier, whereas others
are forecasting price falls in the
fourth quarter of this year.
Scrap prices have followed the up-
ward trend set by primary copper. In
Germany, bright wire scrap (Kabul)
has risen recently from US$ 3510 to
US$ 3580, while copper granules 1
(Kasus) have climbed by around
US$ 80 to US$ 3648. Non-alloyed
bright wire scrap (Kader) was re-
cently yielding US$ 3457. In the UK,
No 1 bright wire (Ordinary) prices
have advanced from US$ 2431-2485
to US$ 3409-3500, while copper
granules 98% have gone up from
US$ 3069-3186 to US$ 3117-3209.
In Dutch market, bright wire scrap
prices have risen from US$ 3227
to US$ 3528, while mixed scrap
has gone up by some US$ 200 to
US$ 3163.
Copper remains red hot 99.7 prices have fallen recently from
US$ 2106 to US$ 2050 whereas Lead & Zinc
scrap prices have barely changed. The lead market was in the dol-
The summer may have run its course but the heat has not
Wire scrap (Achse) was recently drums last month and processors
left the metal markets, with most of the base metal prices trading at US$ 1812 and aluminium have been ordering in line with only
turnings (Autor) at US$ 1191. In the their immediate production needs.
remaining at high levels; in particular, copper has showed UK, scrap prices have showed some LME three-month prices broke
improvement over recent weeks: through the US$ 900 barrier on sev-
little sign of losing its upward momentum. Meanwhile,
commercial pure cuttings were re- eral occasions while stocks in Euro-
Hurricane Katrina has served to create an element of uncer- cently fetching US$ 1386-1458 and pean warehouses have continued to
commercial turnings US$ 893-902. dwindle. Hardly any prompt lead is
tainty and volatility in the marketplace. In Europe, many buy- In The Netherlands, aluminium available in Europe and, should de-
scrap prices have found themselves mand rise, traders are predicting
ers have been reluctant to commit to any tonnages for
on a gentle downward trend of late: that there will be high surcharges.
which there is not an immediate production requirement. In prices of new pure aluminium scrap In Germany, new soft lead was re-
have dropped to recently US$ 1108 cently trading at US$ 1075 while
North America, meanwhile, some sellers have been holding while first-quality old rolled alu- soft lead scrap (Paket) was stable at
on to their copper scrap in the hope of higher prices still. minium scrap has slid from a level US$ 743. In the UK, soft lead scrap
of US$ 1145 to US$ 1095. prices rose slightly to US$ 510-529.
Zinc prices have risen in line with
Closed: October 4 2005 Copper LME trends and market experts are
There appears to be no end in anticipating stability at high levels
Europe sight to the phenomenon of rising in the near future. European proces-
copper prices. Over the last month, sors have been reluctant to buy large
Pressure from energy prices LME three-month grade A prices volumes of late owing these high
have jumped from US$ 3614 to prices but sales expectations for the
Aluminium proving especially detrimental to the US$ 3668. Market experts have at- fourth quarter are generally high.
LME three-month high-grade aluminium processing industry. In tributed this price growth mainly to Also on the positive side of the mar-
aluminium prices have dropped Germany, energy prices increased strong demand from Asia and to the ket equation, LME zinc stocks are at
from US$ 1914 to US$ 1824, while by almost 10% between December general increase in raw material relatively low levels.
aluminium alloys shed some US$ 150 2004 and August this year, while prices. Some of these experts were Zinc prices in Germany have sta-
to stand around US$ 1605 towards prices of natural gas advanced by an surprised by the recent increase in bilised at high levels. Special high-
the end of last month. Meanwhile, even steeper 16.7%. As a result, LME stocks, although these are still grade zinc prices have risen in
aluminium stocks in LME ware- there has been continued erosion of considered to be at very low levels. recent weeks from US$ 1471 to
houses have climbed by around Western Europe’s secondary alu- Predictions about the future devel- US$ 1529, while old zinc scrap
10 000 tonnes. minium smelting capacity. opment of the copper market are prices have gained some US$ 30 to
Europe’s high energy costs are In Germany, primary aluminium more varied than ever: some ana- stand at US$ 921.

Recycling International • October 2005 82

 M A R K E T A N A L Y S I S

Asia & Pacific Rim

Copper
500 3800
Increased scrap demand

400 3600
Aluminium ly unchanged. Bellwether Birch Cliff
LME stocks (x 1000 metric tonnes)

The last quarter has seen an in- is being bid at a discount of 12-15%

LME prices (in U.S. dollars/MT)

creased level of interest in secondary of settlement, delivered China ports.
300 3400 grades of aluminium scrap such as Demand remains extremely strong
Tense and Taint/Tabor - most likely for brass scrap grades such as Hon-
a reflection of the new aluminium ey, with orders proving to be particu-
200 3200
ingot orders booked by the automo- larly strong out of China. Aggressive
tive industry for the fourth quarter buying seemed to follow LME copper
100 3000 of 2005. Secondary smelters in the movements dollar for dollar as buy-
Far East are reported to be operat- ers feverishly looked to cover every
ing at near capacity and yet margins available tonne.
0 2800 remain soft given that cheaper, im-
SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEBR APR JUNE AUG SEPT OCT
ported ingots are readily available.
The market had clearly anticipat-
Nickel ed the decision in China to drop the
50 17.000
5% duty on secondary aluminium
exports, with the result that in-
40 16.000
creased prices have failed to appear
as discounts for secondary grades
LME stocks (x 1000 metric tonnes)

LME prices (in U.S. dollars/MT)

widened. However, specific grades

30 15.000 such as Zorba have continued to en-
joy good demand and healthy prices.
China’s primary aluminium pro-
20 14.000
duction increased by 21.3% in the
first eight months of the year to near-
10
ly 4.9 million tonnes, despite govern-
13.000
ment attempts to clamp down on en-
ergy-inefficient plants. The Chinese
0 12.000 government is shortly expected to im-
SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEBR APR JUNE AUG SEPT OCT plement a plan to curb primary alu- Lead & Zinc
minium exports and to call on pro- Global tightness in the lead con-
Lead ducers to target the domestic market. centrates market has helped to boost
120 1100 LME three-month lead prices to
Copper US$ 960. A reduction of almost 20%
Copper has continued to amaze in LME stocks has helped to push
100 1000
the analysts during the past quarter, primary and secondary lead premi-
LME stocks (x 1000 metric tonnes)

establishing new settlement highs on ums to levels not seen since the early
LME prices (in U.S. dollars/MT)

80 900 the LME. Although LME stocks have part of 2005.

continued to rise and some profit-
taking has taken place, the market
60 800 has rallied again to test new highs.
Meanwhile, copper futures prices on
the Shanghai Metal Exchange have
40 700
followed the LME’s lead.
Most overseas buyers of copper
20 600 scrap have been extremely unsettled
SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEBR APR JUNE AUG SEPT OCT by these volatile market conditions
and have been reluctant to place or-
ders. And throughout these most re-
cent market moves, base demand
appears to be reasonably sound as
China’s copper scrap imports have
increased by some 35% in the year
to date.
Surprisingly, discounts and pre-
miums for all the higher grades of
copper scrap have remained virtual-
Zinc experienced an interesting
September: LME three-month prices
moved to US$ 1450, largely as a re-
sult of the disastrous impact of Hur-
ricane Katrina on the US Gulf Coast
region and of the seemingly unstop-
pable copper market. This rally was
quickly halted by some volume sell-
ing, and zinc quickly retreated to
US$ 1333 before mounting a recov-
ery to US$ 1430.
Chinese demand for zinc has re-
mained robust during the course of
the past quarter, but a global short-
age of concentrates is thought likely
to limit the output of refined product
in the immediate future. As a result,
China will yet again be a net im-
porter of zinc ingot in 2005.

Recycling International • October 2005 83

 M A R K E T A N A L Y S I S

North America
Aluminium
Limited sales opportunities 1300 1900

Aluminium remains very tight. The flow of both 1100 1800

LME stocks (x 1000 metric tonnes)

Consumers of aluminium scrap copper and brass into scrap proces-

LME prices (in U.S. dollars/MT)

have reported little difficulty in sourc- sors’ yards has diminished over re-
ing material although many are look- cent months and, according to the ex- 900 1700

ing to restrict their inventories in re- perts, supply of these materials can
sponse to increased borrowing rates, be expected to remain short over the
700 1600
lacklustre business conditions and near to medium term. Processors
limited sales opportunities. Latest claim that some suppliers are re-
scrap price indications include: cast fraining from selling them material 500 1500
and sheet in the mid 50 cents range; in the hope of scrap prices going even
turnings and siding in the upper 50 higher. Among the elevated levels re-
cents range; and MLCs delivered to ported towards the end of September 300 1400
SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEBR APR JUNE AUG SEPT OCT
smelters in the low 60 cents range. were 96 cents for auto radiators and
The longer-term impact of Hurri- US$ 1.14 for red brass.
cane Katrina on scrap generation is The current month was expected Zinc
1000 1500
not yet known although the re-build- to start slowly in terms of exports to
ing effort in the Gulf Coast region China as this major Asian consumer
will clearly have a beneficial impact was due to take its national Golden LME stocks (x 1000 metric tonnes) 900 1400
on demand for a wide range of indus- Week holiday. Furthermore, some

LME prices (in U.S. dollars/MT)

trial raw materials, including alu- Chinese buyers are reported to have
minium and other base metals. Ac- backed off in response to higher cop- 800 1300

cording to the US Federal Reserve, per prices on Comex. Meanwhile, lat-

Hurricane Katrina reduced the est figures reveal that US overseas
700 1200
country’s overall industrial produc- shipments of copper scrap fell by 7%
tion by 0.3% in August. in the first seven months of this year -
Meanwhile, US exports of alu- from 405 726 tonnes in January-July 600 1100
minium scrap increased by a 2004 to 375 738 tonnes this time
weighty 69% in the first seven round.
months of this year - from 351 089 As September drew to a close, a 500 1000
SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEBR APR JUNE AUG SEPT OCT
tonnes to 591 871 tonnes. The total strike at Asarco and uncertainty
incorporated a 20% jump in overseas surrounding the outcome of labour
shipments of remelt scrap ingot to talks at Falconbridge’s Kidd Creek compared to 790 000 tonnes in 2004. Trail facility on strike since mid-July
16 562 tonnes, as well as a 281% facility were applying pressure to World refined production of copper while, as mentioned above, there is
leap in UBC exports to 8194 tonnes. both the copper and zinc markets. increased by just over 5% in the first the potential for industrial action at
The most recent statistics from the six months of 2005 and yet consump- Kidd Creek. Despite these factors,
Copper International Copper Study Group tion fell by more than 2% over the however, several analysts have sug-
Demand for copper and brass indicate that the global market was same period. Indeed, if one were to gested that the zinc market could run
scrap has remained strong across the in deficit to the tune of 219 000 exclude China from the equation, out of steam in the near future and
board as the supply of refined copper tonnes in the first half of this year global copper consumption slumped that its value could drop as low as
5.7% over the latest January-June US$ 1200 before the year is out.
period. And as for the USA, con-
sumption tumbled almost 10% in the
Contributing to the
first half of the year.
Non-Ferrous
On a brighter note, analysts at
Metals Market Analysis:
Bloomsbury Minerals have predict-
ed that LME copper stocks will fall * Ralf Schmitz, German
■ Non-ferrous metal scrap, stainless, nickel scraps …
■ Telecom relay, military and meter scraps
to around 20 000 tonnes over the Non-Ferrous Trade Association
■ Cable, motors, transformer core, mixed metal scraps next two months, leading to an in- VDM (Europe)
■ Shredded heavy metal, Alu. shredder crease in the cash copper price to * Kumar Radhakrishnan,
■ Dismantled silicon steel, secondary grade steel coil, offcut steel,
reusable rail, steel scrap, shredded steel above US$ 1.90. General Manager,
■ PET, HDPET, LDPET, PVC, Nylon, ABS, plastic scrap International Division of
Lead & Zinc Simsmetal Ltd, Australia
Not often the metal to capture the (Asia & Pacific Rim)
headlines, zinc powered to an eight- * Ian Martin, Recycling
year high of US$ 1460.50 towards the International’s Editorial
end of last month. The industrial dis- Consultant (North America)
pute at Teck Cominco has seen its

Recycling International • October 2005 85

 M A R K E T A N A L Y S I S

Paper & Pulp

Closed: September 30 2005

Higher costs hurt recycling operations

Following the holiday season, Europe has seen an improvement in the generation of many

grades of recovered paper - with the notable exception of some of the higher grades. In North

America, margins among many of the paper mills are being squeezed by higher oil prices and

by the lack of scope for raising finished product prices. Meanwhile, following a month of

decent demand from various countries in the region, lower-grade prices in Asia are expected

to remain broadly unchanged in October

Europe
Return to normal
Incoming volumes of the lower
grades of recovered paper have re-
turned to pre-summer holiday lev-
els. In most instances, European
mills have been ordering normal vol-
umes for this time of year and have
maintained their prices. Demand
from China and India has remained
healthy while Indonesia has recent-
ly re-emerged on to the market.
European and Far Eastern de-
mand for the de-inking grades has
been good, although wider export
prices have not mirrored European
levels. Production of these grades re-
covered to anticipated levels during
September.
Similar conditions have been wit-
nessed among the middle grades of
recovered paper: production re-
turned to pre-summer levels and, for
the most part, printers appear to be
enjoying healthy order books. De-
mand from mills in Europe and In-
dia has been particularly good.
Prices have been kept relatively sta-
ble, partly as a result of higher
freight surcharges.
Once again, stable conditions
have been seen among the higher
grades of recovered paper, although
lower generation has brought a sig-
nificant reduction in stocks for mer-
chant processors. Prices have been
generally stable even though de-
mand has been showing signs of im-
provement for some grades.
North America
Taking downtime
Given the lack of major improve-
ment in overall economic conditions,
the North American paper markets
have remained very quiet. The pack-
aging sector has been particularly
weak and, as a result, prices have
fallen throughout the USA. There
are currently high inventories of lin-
er board and, following the holiday
season, generation of corrugated has
picked up. A number of mills, no-
tably in the brown sector, have been
taking maintenance downtime - a
sure sign that the market is not
overly strong. Conditions are not ex-
pected to change significantly dur-
ing the fourth quarter of the year.
There is currently a slight over-
supply of cardboard amid scant do-
mestic demand. At the same time,
Chinese mills have reported that they
are holding sufficient stock to last four
months - at least two months’ supply
at the mills, one month’s supply cur-
rently on the water, and a further
month’s supply in the form of materi-
al currently being purchased. Chinese
buyers are also claiming that there is
plenty of European, Australian and
Japanese fibre available at prices
around US$ 10 lower than those of-
fered by US traders.
The short-term market for new
grades is fairly tight. China has been
trying to buy more volume of late
and, as a result, prices for de-inking,
newsprint and board mill news have

Recycling International • October 2005 86


Pulp Market Trends
Sluggish paper and board markets
For September deliveries, con-
tract prices for most pulp grades
edged up by US$ 10-20 tonne in
Taiwan and South East Asia. At the
time of writing, however, price lev-
els were still under negotiation in
both Korea and Japan.
These price hikes were introduced
despite sluggish paper and board
markets; pulp producers have been
struggling with rising chemical and
energy costs, while Canadian manu-
facturers have also been hit by the
appreciation of their currency in re-
lation to the US dollar.
Northern bleached softwood kraft
pulp has risen by US$ 20 per tonne
while other grades have climbed by
US$ 10 tonne. Exceptions include:
Brazilian eucalyptus, the market
for which remains flat; and also
mixed hardwoods, which are not
currently on offer in these markets.
Purchasers are continuing to
complain about the differential be-
tween their own buying prices and
those prevailing in China. However,
producers have been pointing out
that China is a spot market charac-
terised by volatile prices and that
levels there can be higher than con-
tract prices. China is also the largest
buyer in Asia and producers com-
pete fiercely to secure business from
this giant consumer. Furthermore,
firmed. However, this is expected to
be a short-lived revival.
Woodfree de-inking grades such
as paper and coated book have also
showed signs of weakening and ex-
port demand is rather slow, especial-
Recycling International • October 2005
M A R K E T
shipping costs to China are cheaper
than to other Asian countries due to
the country’s robust export trade.
In Korea and Japan, Canadian
suppliers are pushing for US$ 20 per
tonne price hikes for NBSK, but so
far buyers seem willing to accept
only US$ 10. Purchasers have also
indicated that they would fight any
attempts to raise short fibre prices,
justifying their stance by citing over-
supply and low paper/board demand.
In North America, Sappi Fine
Papers told customers in late Sep-
tember that it would be increasing
its northern bleached hardwood
kraft pulp prices with effect from
October 1 and until further notice.
A producer of some 410 000 tonnes
per annum of market pulp at mills
in Minnesota and Maine, Sappi
plans to raise its list price to US$
630 per tonne for aspen grade and
mixed northern bleached hardwood
kraft, and to US$640 per tonne for
single-species maple pulp. If fully
implemented, these would repre-
sent increases of US$ 20-30 per
tonne from this month’s effective
list price.
The firm is the latest hardwood
kraft producer to propose higher
prices for October: upward price
moves for hardwood kraft had al-
ready come from Alberta-Pacific
ly from South America and India.
In general, paper mills’ margins
are declining because of higher oil
prices and the lack of scope for rais-
ing their finished product prices.
There is a real possibility that some
older mills will be shut down in the
near future.
Although freight rates from the
USA have not risen of late, the ship-
ping lines have started to impose
bunker fuel surcharges. In addition,
high fuel prices are driving up the
costs of trucking recovered paper to
and from the ports.
Conditions in the North American
market are not expected to change
drastically over the next four weeks,
unless perhaps winter conditions ar-
rive to hamper collections.
A N A L Y S I S
Forest Industries (APFI), Domtar
and International Paper. APFI had
informed US and European cus-
tomers of its intention to raise
prices on two grades of market
pulp: the Vancouver-based firm has
upped its northern bleached soft-
wood kraft pulp price by US$ 20 per
tonne to US$ 640 with effect from
October 1 and until further notice -
the same price that major produc-
ers such as Bowater, Canfor, Inter-
national Paper, Pope & Talbot and
Weyerhaeuser had earlier proposed
for domestic business. APFI also
slated a US$ 20 per tonne increase
to US$ 630 for its aspen northern
bleached hardwood kraft pulp,
while in Europe the company pro-
posed a US$ 20 per tonne increase
for NBHK but did not cite a specific
price to customers.
UTI-pulp European consumer
pulp inventories rose by 4.1% or 45
711 tonnes in August to some 1.163
million tonnes, their highest level
since May 2005 when inventories
had stood at 1.186 million tonnes.
However, stock levels were 43 813
tonnes or 3.6% lower than the Au-
gust 2004 level of 1.206 million
tonnes. The figures break down as
29 days’ worth of supply for August
2005, 28 days for July, and 30 days
for August 2004.
Asia
Pick-up in orders
Following a month of decent low-
er-grade demand from China, Tai-
wan and Indonesia, prices are ex-
pected to remain broadly unchanged
in October. That said, the market
has had to contend with slight BAF
and CAF increases. The markets for
both the middle and higher grades
of recovered paper experienced a
slow-down during the summer, but
demand picked up again last month
and is expected to improve still fur-
ther during October. In contrast to
the lower grades, the middle and
higher grades are expected to at-
tract slight, post-summer price in-
creases.
Pulp consumption fell by 16.1%
to almost 1.068 million tonnes in
August, the lowest level seen since
August 2004 when it had stood at
nearly 1.038 million tonnes. Con-
sumption in August this year was
2.9% higher than in the same
month of 2004.
August statistics reveal that
stocks of wood pulp at European
ports rose for the first time in five
months. Inventories climbed from
1.278 million tonnes in July to 1.45
million tonnes one month later,
with stocks showing an increase at
all of the surveyed ports. The
largest jump in percentage terms
was registered in Italy where stocks
rose 22%.
European paper mill order
books for August:
Coated woodfree 12-18 days
Uncoated woodfree 9-16 days
Wood-containing papers 9-17 days
European pulp prices as
from September 1
(per admt CIF):
NBSK US$ 620
SBSK US$ 590
Radiata US$ 600
SMHW US$ 580
NMHW US$ 590
BEK US$ 600
Contributing to the
Recovered Paper Market
Analysis:
* Dick de Groot (Van Gelder
Recycling, The Netherlands)
* Marielle Gommans
(Bel Fibres, Belgium)
* Steve Vento (Tidewater
Fibre Corp., USA)
* Dante Weyerman (CNC
Company, The Netherlands)
87
 Young but experienced specialists in
Collecting and recycling of
• Paper
• Board
• Plastics
• Archives destruction

Bel Fibres SA
Rue de Monte en Peine 2 Phone (+32) 65.760.960
7022 HYON Fax (+32) 65.760.965
Belgium E-mail belfibres@skynet.be

Central National
Company B.V.

Specialists in pulp and paper

In cooperation with our American
associates Central National -
Gottesman Inc. Established 1886,
New York, U.S.A. our company
provides the industry with woodfree
and woodcontaining paper, kraft
and testliner board, bleached and
unbleached pulp.
We have 23 associated offices in key
world centers with specialised people
who can make the difference for you.

Address: Rapenburg 9,
2311 GD Leiden, The Netherlands
Telephone: +31 71 5160 050
Telefax: +31 71 5160 051
E-mail: info@cenaco.nl
Website: www.cenaco.nl
 M A R K E T A N A L Y S I S

Textiles

Closed: October 3 2005

Growing demand for high-quality sorted clothing

In Europe, premium and No 1 qualities are proving saleable to be broadly in balance. A similar clothing people discard is in a direct
situation applies to the recycling ratio to what is being purchased,’ ac-
to Eastern Europe and Africa in particular, with the result grades whereas bed feathers are con- cording to Mr Usatch.
that many sorting companies have increased their capaci- tinuing to enjoy very strong demand. Sales of sorted clothing from the
USA are currently good. ‘It’s a mat-
ties. In North America, material generation has been affect- ter of numbers,’ Mr Usatch continues.
North America
‘Since there are not as many goods
ed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita; there is currently a slight Business conditions in North available, it’s easier to sell what
shortage of wiping cloth material and demand is quite firm. America continue to be fairly strong you’ve got and currently no company
partly because a considerable num- has huge stocks. There simply isn’t
ber of sorting companies have shut enough unutilised capacity around.’
Europe companies have increased their ca- up shop over recent years and have As usual in the run-up to Christ-
pacities and many are currently run- left more opportunities for those mas, seasonal demand from Africa
Experts in Europe are broadly ning at full tilt. As a result, the that remain. Jerry Usatch of Du- has picked up strongly and is expect-
agreed on the current status of sort- growth in demand for high-quality mont Export Corp. in Pittsburgh ed to last until the end of the year.
ed used clothing sales, describing original material is expected to last adds: ‘Customers do not have as Given that there is currently a
the market as somewhere between until at least the end of October. It is many options when shopping for slight shortage of wiping cloth ma-
satisfactory and good. Overall, it hoped that, despite the recent onset material as in the past. If you have terial in North America, demand has
would be fair to say that the used of autumn collections, there will be no good-quality merchandise, it has be- been quite firm. Wiping rag prices
clothing business is considerably repeat of the huge over-supply wit- come easier to sell these days.’ increased several months ago and
less tense than 12 months ago. nessed in previous years. That said, Prices of original material from have subsequently stabilised. Mar-
In late September and early Octo- an on-going increase in the propor- collections increased some months ket experts consider these prices to
ber, premium and No 1 qualities have tion of waste and low-quality textiles ago and have been stable ever since. be still too low but do not expect any
proved readily saleable in the Euro- found in original material remains a Material generation has been good al- major changes in the near future.
pean Union and in Eastern Europe. source of concern for textile recyclers. though supplies are not huge - a fac-
Buyers in Africa have also been or- In contrast to used clothing, hard- tor which has affected margins. One
dering considerably larger volumes ly any movement has been noted in of the reasons behind the lack of sup-
Contributing to the
as a consequence of the seasonal up- the market for recycling qualities. ply has been the impact of hurricanes
Textiles Market Analysis:
turn in their domestic sales of second- Despite the rising prices of raw ma- Katrina and Rita on collections in the
hand clothing. In line with this rising terial, it has become virtually impos- Gulf Coast region of the USA. Anoth- * Günther Krippendorf,
demand, there has also been a slight sible to achieve higher returns on er factor has been the absence of real FWS/Alta West, Germany
improvement in the payment perfor- these grades. recovery in the North American econ- * Jerry Usatch, Dumont Export
mance of many customers. Prices of wiping cloths are stable, omy, prompting people to spend less Corp., Pittsburgh, USA
The majority of European sorting with supply and demand appearing on new clothing. ‘The amount of

Recycling International • October 2005 89

 E
S E
U
The November issue of Recycling International will feature:

I H
S
T T
World recycling update
E IN

In late October, more than 600 recycling-minded

individuals from over 50 countries are expected
X

to gather in Milan, Italy, for the BIR Autumn

Editorial closing date: Round-Table and Trading Sessions. Delegates
N

October 28 2005
will include traders, processors and machinery/
Contact Manfred Beck
phone: +31 26 3120-994 equipment manufacturers, as well as represen-
fax: +31 26 3120-630 tatives from trade associations and from national/international authorities.
e-mail:
manfred@recyclinginternational.com Recycling International will carry in-depth reports on the following session topics:

Advertisement closing date: * Ferrous metals * Media & metal separation

October 31 2005
* Non-ferrous metals * Recovered paper & textiles
Contact Jan-Willem Ypma
phone: +31 343 517-488 * Stainless steel & special alloys * Plastics & tyres
fax: +31 343 510-253 * International legislation * Shredders
E
e-mail: ypma-jan-willem@wxs.nl
c i r c ux t r a
A d d it lation
If you want to get your The November issue will also feature Nove io na
m b e r l c o p ie s o
!
message across to more than I n t e r n is s u e o f R f t h e
the following regular sections: a t io n e c y c li
6000 leading recycling al n
d is p la w il l b e o n g
companies in 108 countries y at:
* News * Product News * Magazine Round Up *
worldwide, then call/fax/ Pollut
ec
e-mail us about editorial In-depth Market Analyses covering ferrous and Paris, 2005
features or advertising in the
non-ferrous metals, paper and textiles * Franc
November 2005 issue of
Novem
be
e
Recycling International. Viewpoint * Decem r 29 -
ber 2

Get the
Scrap Edge
Scrap, published by the Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries (ISRI), keeps you on the cutting edge of
recycling information—the information you need to gain
a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Every bimonthly issue of Scrap offers in-depth articles on market trends, new equipment
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 C L A S S I F I E D A D S

e q u i p m e n t

Ask us when you look for:

(1992) Lefort Car Baler - portable Used machines:
(1997) Bonfiglioli Car Baler - portable • Guillotine shear with 500 tons and 6 meter box, generator. Excellent!
• Guillotine Lindemann 500 in good working condition. New PLC control
(1998) Lefort 750T Shear - diesel • Lid baler MBH, bale 30 x 30 cm. Box 1600 x 1000 mm. Reconditioned
• Lid balers, MBH, bales: 40 x 40, 30 x 30 cm, box 1600 x 1000 mm
(1999) Taurus TS652P Shear - static • Lid baler MOROS GCF /J 40, bale 40 x 40 cm
NEW Akros 600T Shear - portable • Metal baler JMCIntyre type 2035
• MBH car flatteners with Deutz diesel engine.
BJD 668 Hammermill & Spares • MBH hydr. Alligators with 900 mm blades with
infeed system. Cuts 110 round!!!
ELV DEPOLLUTION EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE NOW • Lefort hydr. Alligator C 750 with 750 mm blades
• Cable granulation plants, 400 – 850 / input
MANY MORE MACHINES ON WEBSITE
• Cable strippers for pvc cable
Tel: +44 (0) 8700 100 097
• UNTHA (960 x 700 mm) rotary shear with in
Fax: +44 (0) 121 313 2600 (Mobile) MBH-Bronneberg scrap
info@adrecyclingsolutions.com feed conveyor lid baler with pre-loading hopper.
www.adrecyclingsolutions.com • Vertical paper balers for stores etc. Box 1600 x 1000 mm.

All machines in good condition !!

From stock
SECOND-HAND MACHINERY FOR SALE • NEW MBH CABLE STRIPPERS / MBH ALLIGATORS 400 – 500 - 600
Alan Ross Machinery Corp Our Program:
North America’s largest inventory of used equipment for recycling and scrap processing.
Balers, shredders, automobile shredders, magnets, eddy-current separators and more. • Mobile, portable and stationary guillotine
We buy used equipment worldwide. shears 420-1000 tonnes
• Mobile car-, steel and metal scrap balers
What surplus equipment do you have for sale?
60 x 80/50 x 25/60 x 30/40 x 40/30 x 30 bales
Web: www.rossmach.com Email: director@rossmach.com • Phone: +1 847.480.8900 (USA) • Alligator shears 400 / 500 / 600 / 750 / mm
MBH-Bronneberg high speed shear blades
baler. Box 3400 x 1400 mm. • Cable strippers for plastic and armoured cable
• Car flatteners, cable granulation plants
WANTED: • Roll splitters for paper and aluminium
Do not hesitate to contact us if the
• FUCHS and LIEBHERR machines are in bad condition or
material handling machines need repair. We are interested! MBH Bronneberg & Jegerings BV
from 1985 to 2000 A. Strauch GmbH Phone: +31 492 591 900
Fax: +31 492 543 045
• Scrap grapples Phone: +49 171 770 2560
Email: info@bronneberg.nl
Fax: +49 5931 845 890
• Mobile Scrap shears E-mail: AntonStrauch@t-online.de Website: www.bronneberg.nl

Own reparation
workshop
round magnet drum magnet headroll magnet rectangular magnet overband magnet Guarantee: 24 months
Ruhrorter Strasse 112, D-45478 Mülheim-Ruhr. Postfach 100837, D-45408 Mülheim-Ruhr, Tel. +49 208 423020 Fax +49 208 423780

Recycling International • October 2005 92

 C L A S S I F I E D A D S

m a c h i n e r y

SPECIALIST INTERNATIONAL
SHIPPING AND TRANSPORT
MACHINERY AND PLANT
UK EUROPE WORLDWIDE

TEL +44 (0)1206 501688 www.fastshipuk.com

FAX +44 (0)1206 863432 info@fastshipuk.com

GRANULATORS FOR SALE

new and second hand, refurbished
drive motors 55 to 300 kw
contact: via mail: Herbold@Herbold.com
via telephone: + 49 6226 932-130

REGULATOR - CETRISA
Regulación de Motores, S.A.

YOUR BETTER CHOICE

Eddy Currents Separators
Cans-Bricks Separators
Stainless Steel Separators
Overbelt Separators
Drums Separators
Rollers Separators

Ignacio Iglesias 117 - 119

08820 EL PRAT DE LLOBREGAT
TFN: +34 93 370 58 00
FAX: +34 93 370 12 00
WANTED
Used or damaged lifting magnets with
BARCELONA regulator@regulator-cetrisa.com
SPAIN www.regulator-cetrisa.com diameters of 1000 mm, 1100mm and
1200 mm, ribbed design, defective or used.
USA Based International Business Manager Engineering/Technical Liaison
Looking for new challenge in metal scrap/waste management industry, etc.
Broad experience in:
Himmelmann Elektromotoren
Global Metal Shredding Industry
Ruhrorter Strasse 112
Heavy Equipment and Components Contact: D-45478 Mülheim/Ruhr
Fabrication subcontrating. Phone & Fax: 001-210-690-2234 Phone: +49 208 42 30 20
USA, Latin America & Europe markets. Mobile: 001-210-835-7288
Degree in Mechanical Engineering Multilingual. e-mail: sboari@sbcglobal.net
Fax: +49 208 42 37 80

Recycling International • October 2005 93

 C L A S S I F I E D A D S

m a c h i n e r y t e x t i l e s

For sale:
☞ original clothing
☞ sorted secondhand clothing
☞ original shoes
☞ also all grades of uncut wiping rags

Carl-Benz-Str. 24 – 77871 Renchen – Germany

Phone: + 49 7843 / 99169 -20
Fax: + 49 7843 / 99169 -23
eMail: info@terec.de Homepage: www.terec.de

Watch Advertiser Index

this space: For advertisements please contact:
Jan Willem Ypma
it could be (Sales Manager)
carrying your P.O. Box 2098
advertisement 6802 CB Arnhem
The Netherlands
in the next Phone: +31 343.517.488
Fax: +31 343.510.253
issue. E-mail: ypma-jan-willem@wxs.nl

A1 Specialized Ludlum Measurements 36

Services & Supplies 8 Lynxs Shredder Technology 44
Andrin 14 Mantsinen 56
ATM Maschinenbau 13 Mewa Recyclinganlagen 7
Magnets and John R Adam & Sons
Akros
36
24
Metso Lindemann
Moros (Industrias
76

non-ferrous separators Alex Stewart

Bakker Magnetics
80
77
Hidráulicas)
MTB Recycling
70
57
Batrec 12 Niton 41
for recycling Bel Fibres
Birim Makina
88
14
Norddeutsche Affinerie
Oelde, Ventilatorenfabrik
71
54
Cheng Ho Hsing 18 Oxford Instruments 70
CNC Network 88 W.A. van Peperzeel 63
Goudsmit has been developing, Deltax/Gensco 84 RadComm Europe 12
manufacturing and installing Eldan Recycling 9 RecycleNet 88
magnetic systems for removal of ELG Haniel 16 RIISA 15
iron and non-ferrous particles from
Duesmann 74 RecySystems 68
waste and bulk materials since 1959.
Fuchs-Terex 4 RNS Engineering 30
The range of products includes Galloo Group 20 Schmachtenberg 36
non-ferrous separators, electro and
GHS Strahlenschutz 17 Scrap Magazine 91
permanent overbelt magnets,
Granutech-Saturn 81 SCS 46
magnetic drums and metal
Hagglunds Drives 32 Sennebogen 25
detectors. For recycling of plastics,
glass, car tyres, household refuse, Harris Waste Management 33 SET International 85
wood and demolition waste. Holmatro 81 SGM Gantry 12+51
ICM 46 Sharif Metals 74
Do you need a clean end-product
from recycled material? With a ILG 77 The Shredder Company 62
system manufactured according INARE 12 2B Consultancy 96
to your specifications? Then ask for IPTS 84 Sierra Europe Recycling 2
one of our many reference projects. IUT Beyeler 95 Sims Group 90
JMC Recycling Systems 80 Steinert 46
Visit us at IFAT, Hall B3, stand 122. Kiesel 74 Tung Tai Trading Corp. 77
Leghe & Metalli 81 Universal Alloy & Metals 59
Liebherr 48 Vezzani 40
Loglift Jonsered Cranes 30 Wright Engineers 74

Petunialaan 19, P.O. Box 18, 5580 AA Waalre, the Netherlands

94
Tel + 31 (0)40-2213283, Fax +31 (0)40-2212479
e-mail: info@goudsmit-magnetics.nl www.goudsmit-magnetics.nl
 October 2005, No. 8

Shanghai Sigma Metals

Re-defining
secondary smelting
Granuband
Not just any tyre
processor
October 2005, No. 8

Shipbreaking

Two days in Alang

 October 2005, No. 8

Shanghai Sigma Metals

Re-defining
secondary smelting
Granuband
Not just any tyre
processor
October 2005, No. 8

Shipbreaking

Two days in Alang