The Taiwanese company stated that its machines provide "three-in-one" shredding, squeezing and pelletizing capabilities.
Taiwan's Tainan Yeyi Machinery Factory Co., Ltd. stated that its plastic waste recycling machine series equipment provides "three-in-one" shredding, extrusion and pelletizing functions in one equipment.
YE I said that its water-cooled plastic waste recycling machine adopts a three-in-one design, which “combines a crusher, extruder and pelletizer into one, simplifies the process, and also saves labor and space.”
The company said that its mechanical production line can help produce a variety of recycled resins, including polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate ( PC), polylactic acid (PLA), expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polyethylene (EPE), nylon plastic (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and other resins have been processed through this equipment line.
"With more than 60 years of experience in this field, YE I has been able to develop low-energy-consumption machines and enhance them with customized adjustments," the company said.
YE I said that one of its customers in Japan produced more plastic waste as it grew, "so they urgently need to add two more recycling machine production lines to solve this problem." Yewo modified the existing screw of the machine. Designed to increase production and "enhance the safety design according to the customer's usage habits, and improve the database programming [so] the machine will automatically calculate the maintenance cycle of the motor and issue a reminder."
The Taiwanese company stated that its plastic recycling machines can be customized to meet the preferences of global customers. More information about the product line is available on this page.
The company's annual report cited the acquisition of Alumisource in the United States to achieve healthy non-ferrous metal sales growth.
Sims Ltd., a global listed recycling company, stated that its newly released fiscal 2021 annual report "highlights the company's strong and sustained recovery after a challenging year."
Sims said the report covers the period from July 1, 2020 to June 30 this year, depicting the rebound in the recycling industry and the broader economy during this period. The company stated: “Although the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to put pressure on operating conditions, Sims Ltdl ended the year with a basic pre-interest and tax (EBIT) of US$287.3 million, an increase from the previous year. 768%," the company said.
Chairman and Independent Non-Executive Director Geoffrey Brunsdon said: "The company not only achieved growth through acquisitions, increased our market share and made progress in the development of new sites, but Sims Ltd. also maintained a stable and well-positioned position. A strong balance is maintained at lower costs compared to FY 2019, allowing the company to take advantage of opportunities when and if they arise."
Alistair Field, CEO and Managing Director of Sims Group, added: “After a disappointing fiscal year 2020, the recovery presented in the second half of fiscal 2021 has been welcomed.” He referred to the improved EBIT figure as “ Indicators of business development trajectory".
The company also updated its strategic growth plan announced in 2019 and mentioned that the acquisition in the United States provided a key step. Sims stated that the acquisition of Pittsburgh-based Alumisource Corp. at the beginning of this year resulted in "Sims Metal North America's non-ferrous metal retail volume is expected to increase by 24%."
The company said that another acquisition of "existing purpose-built recycling facilities" will result in "expected growth in Sydney's fast-growing southwestern market."
According to the annual report, the conversion of car shredder residue or ASR and other by-products into energy is still part of the company's current fiscal year plan.
According to the report summary, Sims “has obtained planning and development approval for the Sims Resource Renewal Pilot Facility in Rockley, Queensland, Australia, and is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2022.”
Sims said it is also preparing to produce hydrogen as a waste by-product at Sims Resource Renewal's Campbellfield plant in Victoria, Australia, "based on commercial demonstration results and financial analysis."
The new annual report and the company's latest sustainability report can be viewed or downloaded on this webpage.
Will the increasing nickel consumption of electric vehicle battery manufacturers affect their availability in the stainless steel industry?
The demand for nickel has grown rapidly in the past decade. According to data from the International Nickel Research Group (INSG) in Lisbon, Portugal, the global nickel demand in 2000 was 1.1 million tons, and in 2010 it increased by 21% to 1.4 million tons. However, by 2020, the demand for this metal has increased by 41% to 2.3 million tons.
Nickel production has been unable to keep up with the increase in demand. The UK's World Metal Statistics Service (WBMS) reported that the nickel market was short of 41,100 metric tons in the first half of this year.
WBMS data shows that in the first six months of this year, the demand for refined nickel exceeds the output by nearly 100,000 tons, and it is expected that the demand in 2021 will further increase by 255,000 tons over the previous year.
Much of this demand is caused by the increase in nickel consumption in the electric vehicle (EV) battery industry.
Nickel is a key raw material for most lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles because its characteristics help to provide higher energy density and higher storage capacity at a lower cost. The most commonly used batteries are nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) (containing 80% nickel) and nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) (containing 33% nickel).
As the global demand for and production of electric vehicles continues to grow, the production of nickel-based electric vehicle batteries will also leap forward. The Washington Electric Drive Transportation Association predicts that by 2025, sales of new electric vehicles will increase by 10% to 8.5 million units, by 28% by 2030, reaching 26 million units, and by 2040 by 58%, reaching 54 million units.
According to a publication of the Toronto Nickel Association, demand for high-energy nickel batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage will continue to grow. The institute stated that 39% of lithium-ion batteries contain nickel, and this number is expected to increase to 58% by 2025.
Long before electric cars became popular nickel consumers, stainless steel was the main consumer of this metal.
Although chromium is the main alloying element in stainless steel, nickel enhances the formability, weldability and ductility of this metal. The Nickel Association estimates that nickel-containing stainless steel grades account for 75% of today's total stainless steel production.
According to a report issued by the Brussels International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) in May, despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, stainless steel production in 2020 was only 2.5% lower than the previous year. In the first quarter of this year, global stainless steel production increased by 24.7% year-on-year.
ISSF Secretary-General Tim Collins wrote that since 1980, the demand for stainless steel has grown at a rate of 5% per year. This in turn means that since then, the demand for nickel has also been growing.
So the question is, will the rise of electric vehicle batteries affect the supply of nickel in stainless steel?
Collins said that is not the case. He pointed out that the development of nickel-free stainless steel and low-nickel duplex stainless steel may balance the industry's overall demand for nickel. He said that as the demand for these grades continues to grow, the use of nickel in stainless steel can also be reduced.
The new form of stainless steel
With the introduction of low-nickel or nickel-free grades, stainless steel scrap and nickel pig iron (NPI), the use of nickel in stainless steel has been curbed.
According to INSG, China's annual output of NPI produced in various forms and grades for the first time in 2005 has increased. In 2010, NPI production was 160,000 metric tons, which increased to 505,000 metric tons in the following ten years.
Indonesia also started producing NPI in 2014, and the output in 2020 will reach 605,000 tons. INSG pointed out that all these NPIs are used to produce primary stainless steel, replacing traditional raw materials such as nickel metal and stainless steel scrap.
Nonetheless, Collins wrote, we did not collect all the stainless steel scrap that was available at the end of its useful life. About 20% of this will be lost to landfills and general steel industry use, which may be reused to produce primary stainless steel and may reduce the demand for nickel.
All these factors make stainless steel a self-sufficient metal, and the demand for nickel is out of proportion to the growth in demand for stainless steel.
Collins warned that although the growth of electric vehicle batteries is still unknown and is unlikely to affect the availability of nickel used in stainless steel, the dramatic growth of battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles may change this situation to some extent.
In other words, battery technology is also constantly evolving, and from a mid- to long-term perspective, the battery's demand for nickel may also change.
Countries that can fill the gap
The INSG report stated that nickel production in 2007 was close to 1.4 million tons and fell to 1.3 million tons during the 2008-2009 global economic crisis. The market rebounded again to 1.4 million tons in 2010 and continued to increase to 2 million tons in 2013. According to INSG's data, global nickel production in 2020 will be close to 2.5 million tons.
As shown in the table on the opposite page, the surge in nickel demand has also benefited a few countries.
Many countries producing stainless steel and electric vehicles have increased their imports of nickel to meet the growing demand for metals. The current supply of nickel seems to be sufficient to meet the current growing demand for stainless steel and electric vehicles.
Divya Shastry is an analyst at Davis Index and you can contact him at divya.shastry@davisindex.com.
This food service packaging company is certified for its plant-based packaging that does not use PFAS.
Eco-Products, a food service packaging company based in Boulder, Colorado, has received the GreenScreen Certified Silver Medal for its line of compostable plates and containers made from sugar cane. GreenScreen Certified is an independent non-profit certification standard that aims to promote products that do not use perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) but use preferred chemicals in their products and manufacturing.
Eco-Products' Vanguard series uses proprietary chemicals to achieve grease resistance without the use of PFAS. The company said that GreenScreen-certified products do not contain other chemicals of high concern or known regrettable substitutes.
"We are very excited that our Vanguard compostable product line is GreenScreen Silver certified," said Ian Jacobson, President of Eco-Products. "Finding alternative formulations to replace PFAS is our top priority. We also want to ensure that our products do not contain other highly concerned chemicals or known regrettable substitutes."
According to a press release from Eco-Products, GreenScreen Certified evaluated every chemical used in the Vanguard formulation before it was approved.
Eco-Products stated that it is the first manufacturer to receive the designation of the GreenScreen food service product line. The certification is developed by the Cleaner Production Initiative (CPA) and the Center for Environmental Health (CEH).
"CEH and CPA are very happy to launch GreenScreen Certified," said Sue Chiang, CEH Food Program Director. "This new safety standard will enable consumers to make healthier decisions for themselves and their families."
All Vanguard products are plant-based and certified by the Building Performance Institute. They are compostable, microwave friendly, cut resistant, and effective in hot and cold applications. The initial product line includes a variety of plates, bowls and clam shells, and more products will be added soon. The new formula of Eco-Products is applying for a patent.
It is expected that 5,000 industry professionals will participate in the live event.
The Waste Recycling Industry Association (ISRI) in Washington has started registering for the ISRI2022 conference and expo. The conference will be held in Las Vegas from March 21 to 24, 2022. ISRI members can now register for the event, and registration will be open to the public on November 8.
"We are very happy to be participating in ISRI2022 in Las Vegas," said Stephen Moss, chair of the ISRI2022 conference. "This will be a great global reunion of the industry as we gather together to learn about the circular economy and see a face-to-face exhibition for the first time in three years."
ISRI stated that more than 5,000 recycling industry professionals are expected to participate. ISRI2022 will provide attendees with the opportunity to obtain the latest information on key industry issues and trends, as well as the opportunity to obtain the latest equipment and technologies. Attendees can also connect with thousands of industry professionals through networking opportunities that have been part of ISRI's annual meeting.
The ISRI2022 program focuses on a range of themes for professionals in the recycling industry, including issues such as sustainability, untapped labor markets, fire protection, transportation and supply chain challenges and opportunities. Some meetings include:
For more detailed information about conferences, hotels, schedules, conference registration and exhibition halls, please visit the ISRI2022 website.