Technology firm’s X-Tract purifies aluminum alloy scrap for Alutrade in the United Kingdom.

Alutrade Ltd. is recovering “99 percent pure aluminum” from an inbound scrap stream thanks to an X-Tract unit from Tomra Recycling Sorting, the United Kingdom-based technology provider says.

Alutrade, which Tomra describes as the U.K.’s largest independent aluminum recycling and extrusion company, is the first in the world to “reap the benefits of X-Tract,” Tomra says, calling its latest iteration of the X-ray sorting device a “sophisticated new sensor-based sorting solution.”

The new X-Tract unit was installed in March 2021 at Alutrade’s Oldbury recycling plant in Birmingham, England, which processes 42,000 tons of inbound material annually. The plant’s infeed scrap consists of metal extrusions from different types of postconsumer construction material, such as windows and doors, as well as aluminum cans.

When the infeed material arrives at Alutrade’s Oldbury plant, it is initially preshredded into smaller pieces of around 3.3 to 6.5 feet (1 to 2 meters) in length before being further shredded by a hammer mill. Magnets and eddy current separators are then used to separate the metals into ferrous and nonferrous metals, removing any contaminants in preparation for the next sorting stage. 

Following magnetic separation, a combination of Tomra sensor-based sorting units is used to process, sort and recover the target fraction of aluminum. Two earlier edition Tomra X-Tract units—which were installed in 2017 and 2018 respectively—are programmed to capture an aluminum fraction of greater than 1.2 inches (greater than 30 millimeters), and the new machine targets a smaller 0.4 to 1.2 inches (10 to 30 millimeter) aluminum fraction, removing heavy metal content from the aluminum.

Both the earlier and new edition X-Tract units sort metals based on the difference in atomic density, separating out any heavy metals.   

Alutrade’s customers are remelt furnaces based in several nations that demand the highest purity grade of aluminum product for their remelting process, since any heavy metal content affects the melt specifications, Tomra says.

“Over the past five years, we have worked closely with Tomra and our main customer and have undertaken a lot of research to achieve this milestone of recovering an aluminum end fraction that meets the exceptionally high purity levels required to go straight into the remelt process,” says Andrew Powell, director at Alutrade.

He continues, “The smaller 10 to 30 millimeter (0.4 to 1.2 inches) grain size captured by the new machine is 99 percent pure aluminum, which means we can sell it at a much higher price to our customers for use in the production of new aluminum products. What’s more, the new version of X-Tract has opened up new international market opportunities for Alutrade as we can now source different infeed material, as well as sell on the ejected heavy metal products.”

Tomra’s new X-Tract uses the same process of separating metals by atomic density as the earlier editions but offers what Tomra calls “far superior X-ray capabilities.”

New features offer faster sorting and an increased capacity per meter of width, says the technology provider. A new high-resolution X-ray sensor “ensures sharper detection and shorter integration times for higher throughput,” Tomra adds.

Alutrade’s X-Tract unit is connected to Tomra Insight, which Tomra describes as its “nearly real-time and on-demand cloud-based data monitoring platform.” Insight enables customers to turn their sorters into connected devices and to transform sorting from an operational process into a strategic management tool, according to Tomra.

Powell says, “Alutrade has been using X-Tract units for the past four years to guarantee the quality of our products that we supply to our customers. This has enabled us to build up the trust between ourselves and our customers. Right from day one of operation, Tomra has helped us improve the recovery rates of aluminum in a reliable way. By using X-Tract units we have been able to upgrade our material so that it could remain in the U.K. rather than be exported.”

He continues, “Investing in the new X-Tract has enabled us to close the loop on the recycling process as much as possible, converting aluminum back into aluminum for use in high-grade aluminum products so that in effect, a window frame can be recycled into a new window frame. With low operational costs, improved safety and superior sorting capabilities, the new X-Tract definitely stands out in terms of the aluminum recycling solutions available in the global metals recycling market.”

Tomra Segment Manager Terence Keyworth says, “Tomra and Alutrade have worked together for more than 10 years, so Alutrade’s Oldbury plant was an ideal plant for us to test and prove the capabilities of our new X-Tract. As the first prototype of this unit in an industrialized environment, it has been a very exciting project. We’re delighted that Alutrade has been so impressed with the sorting capabilities of this new technology and look forward to rolling out further installations over the coming months.”

The company will relocate to a larger facility in Markle, Indiana, where it will be able to process 150 million pounds of scrap annually.

Sortera Alloys Inc. of Fort Wayne, Indiana, will expand into a new 200,000-square-foot processing facility in Markle, Indiana, following a formal groundbreaking in the fourth quarter. The company says processing will ramp up in the first quarter of 2023, adding that the site has the option to expand to 400,000 square feet.

Sortera’s technology combines artificial intelligence, data analytics and advanced sensors to sort aluminum alloys from existing streams of mixed alloy scrap, commonly called twitch, that are typically shipped abroad for processing or used to produce secondary aluminum grades. The resulting aluminum scrap created by Sortera’s sorting process will be recirculated into the manufacturing industry to be used in high-value applications, such as automotive cast and flat-rolled products and building, construction and aerospace extrusions, according to the company.

In July of this year, Sortera announced that it had raised $10 million in funding to advance end-of-life recycling for automotive metals. The funding round was led by Assembly Ventures with additional funding from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Novelis Inc. The company also announced a commercial agreement with Novelis Corp. this summer. Through that agreement, Atlanta-based Novelis says it will be able to effectively separate mixed automotive scrap into individual alloys and recycle them back into the same products, allowing the aluminum producer to meet original equipment makers' needs for performance, durability, safety and design.

"The new facility represents a significant milestone for Sortera as we look to scale our operations and capture a large chunk of the 4 billion pounds of scrap alloy that is currently sent overseas,” says Michael Siemer, CEO of Sortera Alloys. “This will allow us to fill the increased demand for high-quality recycled alloys in the domestic market, specifically with automotive customers.”

Siemer says the company is grateful to the town of Markle and to The Zacher Co., a commercial real estate company based in Fort Wayne, for their help.

The facility will be in Markle, roughly 25 miles southwest of Fort Wayne, off Interstate 69. Sortera says it plans to move its existing operations from Fort Wayne to the new facility. Once fully operational, the facility will employ approximately 110 workers. 

Ben Pope, vice president of commercialization at Sortera Alloys, says, "Sortera's low-cost, scalable sorting process enables aluminum manufacturers to use roughly 5 percent of the energy required to manufacture aluminum from virgin material, enabling customers to reduce their CO2 footprint and pursue sustainability and circular production goals. Our new facility is a perfect fit for our first mass production location. We are excited that Markle has the right workforce and is a special place that is proactively looking for partners to enhance their community.” 

Markle Council Vice President Nick Lund and President Matt Doss say Sortera will have a “significant” impact on the community “with little impact on our local environment.”

The company adds executives with experience in strategy and operational efficiency at State Street and DuPont and expands the board to 12 members.

Clean Harbors Inc., a Norwell, Massachusetts-based provider of environmental and industrial services, has appointed Alison Quirk and Shelley Stewart Jr. to its board of directors. The additions are effective immediately.  

According to a news release from Clean Harbors, Quirk is the former executive vice president, chief human resources and citizenship officer at State Street Corp. Stewart leads Bottom Line Advisory LLC as managing partner and is a former chief procurement officer at DuPont and at Tyco International.  

“We are thrilled to attract such strong corporate governance leaders to our board,” says Alan S. McKim, chairmain, president and CEO.   

McKim says Quirk brings board-level experience advising corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions and company growth objectives. Her background as a senior human resource executive aligns with the company’s initiatives in recruiting, retention, diversity and inclusion and employee engagement.   

Stewart brings expertise in logistics, supply chain management and operational improvement. The company says his strategic insights, combined with his chemical industry background, will be an asset to Clean Harbors as we continue to execute its growth strategy.  

The appointments expand the Clean Harbors board to 12 members, 11 of whom are independent. Quirk and Stewart were appointed as Class I directors whose terms will expire at Clean Harbors’ 2023 annual shareholders meeting. Quirk will serve on the compensation committee and Stewart will serve on the environmental, health and safety committee.  

Clean Harbors says Quirk retired from State Street in 2017, where she worked for 15 years, the last seven as a member of the company’s senior-most strategy and policymaking group. As chief human resources and citizenship officer, she was responsible for all aspects of human resources and corporate citizenship, leading a global team of more than 500 people. Before State Street, Quirk spent two decades in HR and business planning roles at FleetBoston Financial, Liberty Financial Cos. and Boston Financial Data Services Inc.  

Quirk is a member of the compliance committee of Wynn Resorts, responsible for ensuring compliance with federal, state, local and gaming laws. She is an adviser for King Boston, a not-for-profit organization focused on equity and economic justice. She previously served on the Legg Mason board of directors as a member of the finance committee, and the nominating and governance committee and the chairperson of the compensation committee. She served on a special committee of the board that oversaw the sale of Legg Mason. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of New Hampshire.  

The company says Stewart retired in 2018 after six years as the chief procurement officer at DuPont, overseeing procurement, global sourcing and logistics, and real estate and facility services. Before joining DuPont in 2012, he spent nearly a decade at Tyco International, where he was senior vice president of operational excellence and chief procurement officer and oversaw multiple lean six sigma initiatives. Previously, he held senior executive supply chain positions at Raytheon and Invensys PLC. He also spent 19 years at United Technologies Corp., where he held numerous positions around global sourcing.  

Stewart currently serves on the boards of Otis Worldwide and Kontoor Brands, where he sits on their nominating and governance, and audit committees. He also serves on the board of trustees of Howard University and the board of governors for the University of New Haven. He previously spent several years on the board of directors for the Institute for Supply Management. He holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University and received his MBA from the University of New Haven. 

CDE Group will highlight the role recovering construction, demolition and excavation materials can play in addressing costs and supply chain issues.

CDE, a global provider of sand and aggregate wet processing solutions for the natural processing and waste recycling sectors, will highlight the role of its technology in supporting the circular economy and zero waste agenda at Bauma 2022, a construction and mining machinery trade fair that runs from Oct. 24-30 in Munich.

As the construction sector continues to contend with the dearth and high cost of raw materials, CDE, based in the United Kingdom, will demonstrate the potential of construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste to address the challenges facing the sector.

On Oct. 26 and 27, CDE customers will join the company personnel for a series of roundtable discussions on the future of recycling, and, as part of the Oct 24 Bauma exhibitor forum, CDE will deliver a lecture titled “Creating valuable in-spec products from CD&E waste.”

“In the current economic and social climate, with materials costs rising, resources depleting, and regulations calling for the adoption of sustainable solutions, we should look to the technology of today to produce the sustainable construction materials of tomorrow [and] how CDE’s waste recycling solutions in their trademark blue can support the industry to transform CD&E waste into certified, in-spec sand and aggregates,” CDE Head of Business Development for Northern Europe Eunan Kelly says.

Earlier this year, a package of European Green Deal proposals was presented with a view to make sustainable products the norm within the EU internal market. The revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR) emphasizes the value of construction to the EU as a key employer and economic contributor. It also highlights the adverse impacts the sector has on the environment, as one generating some 30 percent of the European Union’s annual waste and contributing significantly to its domestic carbon footprint and emissions.

The construction industry is a major economic driver; in the EU alone, 25 million people are employed across 5 million companies, according to data from the revised Construction Products Regulation fact sheet. So, when the COVID-19 pandemic gripped economies and construction output slowed dramatically, it was no surprise that robust recovery plans with clear focus on investments in infrastructure were announced by nations around the world to rebound and stimulate economic growth.

However, the cost of raw materials and their availability remains a deepening challenge for the sector.

A circular approach is the only answer to supply chain problems and the environmental, Kelly says.

“It can be the means to equip us with the resources needed to supply a sector charged with a key role in the economic recovery while addressing our collective environmental footprint by reducing waste-to-landfill volumes and extending the lifespan of precious natural materials, all the while, continuing to supply a resource-intense sector with the materials it requires, materials often trucked out of our urban centers where they are needed most.”

Selma Kivran comes to Covanta Environmental Services from Ethos Energy, where she headed operations in the Americas.

Covanta, Morristown, New Jersey, a leader in sustainable materials management and a provider of environmental solutions, has announced the appointment of Selma Kivran as president of Covanta Environmental Solutions (CES).

Reporting to Covanta President and Chief Operating Officer Azeez Mohammed, Kivran will lead the rapidly expanding CES business line that is instrumental in solidifying the company as an end-to-end platform for a wide range of customers’ sustainable materials management needs. CES was formed as a subsidiary of Covanta in 2015, overseen by current CES President Paul Stauder, to provide companies with comprehensive environmental services through a network of material processing and waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities. Strauder will take on new responsibilities as Chief Revenue Officer for Covanta, assuming leadership of the WTE commercial teams including asset management and sustainable solutions. He will continue to play an instrumental role in the creation and growth of new environmental services offerings through acquisitions and greenfield expansions. “Selma brings to Covanta a proven history of leading complex and challenged businesses to new heights in potential and growth, by optimizing business and stakeholder return on investment,” Mohammed says. “With her unmatched background in both services and product businesses, I expect she will bring a focused and fresh perspective to CES and move us forward to be a one-stop-shop in providing our customers with the most sustainable outcomes.” Kivran has a background in P&L, commercial, operations, quality and engineering to drive enterprise-wide organic and inorganic customer and business growth. Prior to joining Covanta, she was executive vice president of the West Hemisphere at Ethos Energy where she had full P&L responsibility for the Americas business and led the transformation from a product-line business to a regional business model. “I am thrilled to join Covanta at this critical moment in the company’s exciting trajectory as it transforms into the leading sustainable waste management company in North America,” Kivran says. “Covanta Environmental Solutions has a proven track record of providing customers unmatched solutions for their sustainability needs. As we look toward our future growth and the incredible market opportunity ahead, I look forward to working with this agile, exceptional team.” Selma has also worked at Ingersoll Rand and led its global commercial strategy within its compressor technology services business. She started her career as a field engineer at General Electric (GE), rising through the ranks in roles of increasing responsibility in services and product industries. Her last role at GE was general manager, aeroderivative product line, a product line within GE’s power services business.