The products can purify most plastics pyrolysis oils, the company says.

Ludwigshafen, Germany-based BASF has launched PuriCycle, a new line of products for the purification of most complex scrap plastics pyrolysis oils. The PuriCycle portfolio includes novel catalysts and adsorbents developed to selectively remove or convert a wide range of impurities in pyrolysis oils and enable downstream processing of circular plastics streams, BASF says. PuriCycle can help customers meet industry compositional compliance standards, benefit from high-efficiency purification and upgrading solutions and increase flexibility in the chemical recycling process. 

PuriCycle purifies pyrolysis oils, a secondary raw material obtained from the chemical recycling of plastic scrap that is fed into the production process for new plastics at the beginning of the value chain. Purification of pyrolysis oils obtained from end-of-life plastics is among the most demanding technical tasks in chemical plastics recycling, BASF says. Impurities, such as halogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur compounds as well as higher levels of reactive components, such as dienes, complicate downstream use and impose strict limitations on further processing such streams in the production of new materials. 

“With our PuriCycle portfolio, we are in a very strong position to make a difference in chemical plastics recycling and to enable plastics circularity,” says Detlef Ruff, senior vice president, process catalysts, at BASF. “The ability of the PuriCycle products to purify the most challenging pyrolysis oil streams is a major contribution to help closing the plastics loop, minimizing waste and ultimately opening up new feedstocks for the chemical industry.”  

Paula Henderson and Jack Selby have been nominated to the company’s post combination board.

Rubicon Technologies LLC, a Lexington, Kentucky - based digital marketplace for waste and recycling and provider of software-based solutions for businesses and governments, has made changes to its board of directors. The company has nominated Paula Henderson and Jack Selby to its board of directors upon the closing of the company’s previously announced business combination with Founder SPAC.  

Henderson is the executive vice president and chief sales officer for the Americas, at SAS. Selby is the managing director at Thiel Capital and former senior vice president and corporate officer at PayPal.  

“I am thrilled that Paula Henderson has been nominated for election to the post combination Rubicon Board,” says Nate Morris, chairperson and CEO of Rubicon. “Paula has a well-earned reputation as a tireless leader, strategist and executive. She has been a driving force at SAS, helping grow the company year after year.”  

As executive vice president and chief sales officer for the Americas at SAS, Henderson leads teams across government, financial services, health care, life sciences, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, energy and telecommunications. SAS helps clients apply the power of data and analytics to improve their operations, better serve their customers and tackle humanitarian issues around natural disasters, opioid abuse, suicide prevention and more.  

“Rubicon and SAS share a commitment to creating a cleaner, healthier, and safer world through technology and innovation,” said Ms. Henderson. “I look forward to working with Nate and my fellow board members to explore new opportunities to reduce waste in ways that not only benefit the planet but have bottom-line business value.”  

Outside of SAS, Henderson serves on the executive roundtable board for the North Carolina State Chamber and as the chair of the roadside alliance, a nonprofit that raises money for highway beautification. She is also on the boards of the North Carolina State University College of Science, the Institute for Emerging Issues, Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina and First Flight Venture Center Inc. Henderson received her MBA from Meredith College and her BS from North Carolina State University.  

Selby co-founded Clarium Capital Management after selling PayPal to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Selby was one of PayPal’s earliest employees and later served as senior vice president, overseeing the company’s international and corporate operations. Selby is an active technology investor and adviser and an early investor in Affirm, Bird, Myeloid Therapeutics and SpaceX. He also facilitated several investments in Palantir over the company’s life span. Selby was also a member of the advisory boards of Blend and Offerpad.  

“We are thrilled to announce that Jack Selby is nominated for election to the post combination Rubicon Board,” Morris says “Jack brings with him more than 20 years of experience, having helped establish and grow some of the most transformational companies in the world today. He will provide invaluable guidance around corporate governance, finance, and technology strategy, as well as extensive knowledge of how digital transformation is reimagining industries around the world.”  

In addition to his responsibilities at Thiel Capital, Selby is currently a member of the board of directors of the Arizona Commerce Authority, a co-host/founder of the Arizona Technology Innovation Summit with Gov. Doug Ducey and chairperson of invisionAZ. He is also a co-founder and member of the board of directors for the Wyoming Global Technology Partnership with Gov. Mark Gordon. He is also active in film production, having served as a producer and executive producer on a dozen feature films since 2011.  

“Jack is a fantastic nomination to Rubicon’s Board of Directors,” says Osman Ahmed, CEO of founder SPAC. “His deep experience in both finance and technology will bring tremendous value to Rubicon in its life as a public company and help guide our long-term strategy as the leading digital marketplace in waste and recycling. We are thrilled that Jack is nominated to join us and look forward to benefiting from his knowledge and expertise.”  

Selby received a BA in Economics from Hamilton College, where he is also a member of the Board of Trustees. He was selected to serve on the board due to his decades of experience in managing and investing in companies in the technology industry. 

The company has acquired A&P Auto Parts and U-Pull U-Save Auto Parts in central New York.

Fenix Parent LLC, operating as Fenix Parts, a recycler and reseller of original equipment manufacturer automotive parts in Hurst, Texas, has completed its acquisition of assets of A&P Auto Parts and U-Pull U-Save Auto Parts in central New York.   

Fenix says this is its largest acquisition since the company was acquired by affiliates of Stellex Capital Management LLC in 2018.  

“We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of A&P and their sister company U-Pull U-Save,” says Bill Stevens, CEO of Fenix Parts. “We are excited about the addition of its experienced and talented team to the Fenix family. This acquisition expands Fenix’s existing footprint in New York, adding full and self-service operations and further solidifies our industry-leading Northeast position.”  

A&P is a full-service automotive recycler serving the Syracuse and Rochester markets with locations in Cicero and Palmyra, New York. U-Pull U-Save is a self-service automotive recycler servicing the Syracuse market in East Syracuse, New York. Fenix says the companies will retain their staff.  

“The Abold family of companies, A&P Auto Parts, A&P Auto Parts Rochester and U-Pull U-Save are proud to join the Stellex-sponsored Fenix organization,” says William Abold, owner of A&P. “The infrastructure, dedication to succeed, leading-edge technology and professionalism of Fenix and its officers and employees are truly impressive.”  

Fenix Parts says it continues to pursue opportunities that align with its strategic development plans. Current auto recycling owners interested in learning more about Fenix’s acquisition process should email info@fenixparts.com.

Backhaul Alaska’s success in 2021 has been recognized by the Responsible Battery Coalition, which provides support for the program.

The Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC), headquartered in Milwaukee, has recognized Backhaul Alaska’s successful 2021 program, which retrieved and recycled approximately 100,000 pounds of spent lead-acid batteries from more than three dozen remote Alaskan communities.  

The Backhaul Alaska program, administered by the Solid Waste Alaska Taskforce (SWAT), includes the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Kawerak and Anchorage-based nonprofit Zender Environmental Health, which manages the program.  

“RBC is proud to partner with Backhaul Alaska in making progress towards creating a more circular economy for vehicle batteries, and by doing so helping to protect human health and the environment in these remote communities,” says Steve Christensen, executive director of RBC. “Only through extensive coordination and cooperation among volunteers and stakeholders across Alaska are we able to help keep batteries out of the environment and recycled in an accountable, traceable system.” 

RBC supports the Backhaul Alaska program by providing packing, shipping and training supplies; supporting battery transportation by barge; and providing recycling services, all at no cost to Backhaul Alaska. In 2021, RBC also paid $20,558 back to the Backhaul program for the spent battery cores, which are 99 percent recyclable and contain valuable materials, RBC says. This funding will be used to help support new volunteer training sessions, purchase equipment and reduce operational costs. 

“RBC has been one of our strongest partners since joining with us in 2018,” says Lynn Zender, executive director of Zender Environmental. “Their financial and logistical support helps us apply limited resources where they are needed most and is a key part of our plans to expand the program from 40 remote communities in 2022 to approximately 180 communities in 2030.” 

Lead-acid batteries are a vital energy source in Alaska, providing critical power for snow machines, ATVs, boats, tractors and other heavy equipment, as well as for automobiles and trucks, RBC says. RBC’s support of Backhaul Alaska is part of its nationwide battery recovery campaign, the 2 Million Battery Challenge.  

The European company has named Javier Molina as its executive chair and Asier Zarraonandia as its CEO.

Luxembourg-based Befesa S.A., a provider of byproducts handling and recycling services to producers of steel and aluminum, has appointed Javier Molina, currently chief executive officer of Befesa, to serve as the company’s executive chair. Asier Zarraonandia, currently vice president of Befesa’s Steel Dust Recycling Business, will take over for Molina as Befesa’s CEO. Additionally, Romeo Kreinberg, currently chair of Befesa’s board of directors, has been appointed lead independent director at Befesa and remains chair of the company’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Befesa reports that these personnel changes are effective immediately.

In his new position, Molina will be the most senior executive in the group and the company’s main representative for regulators, authorities and shareholders. He will lead the implementation of Befesa’s corporate strategy, covering growth projects and the company’s Sustainable Global Growth Plan (SGGP) as well as its sustainability strategy, including C02 reduction plans and environmental, social and governance (ESG), the company says in a news release on the personnel changes.

In his new position as CEO, Zarraonandia, who developed and managed the company’s Steel Dust Recycling Business that represents about 80 percent of Befesa’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, will report to Molina. He will be responsible for the day-to-day management across Befesa’s business units and for all operations, including production, supply chain and commercial business. He also will be responsible to lead various growth projects in the business. In addition, Wolf Lehmann, currently chief financial officer at Befesa, will maintain his role and responsibilities and report to Molina.

Befesa says its renewed board of directors will lead the company over the next four years, including two new board members Natalia Latoree and José Dominguez Abascal. Both have experience in energy transition, ESG and technology development. The board includes six independent directors and three executive directors.

Additionally, Befesa’s board has established a Sustainability Committee to help strengthen the company’s commitment to sustainability. It will review the company’s sustainability plans on a quarterly basis.

Befesa reports that it also is finalizing its five-year SGGP, and as part of this plan, the company aims to invest about 500 million euros in growth projects to seize opportunities that decarbonization and the increasing electric vehicle (EV) market are generating in the steel and aluminum industries. Befesa says it hopes this will enable the company to “target double-digit growth rates over the next five years.”

According to Befesa, the global steel industry is going through major transformations to decarbonize operations and meet carbon reduction targets for 2030 and 2050. Secondary electric arc furnace (EAF) steel production consumes about seven times less CO2 compared with basic oxygen furnace production. As a result, Befesa says steelmakers are investing in EAF steel production globally, which is expanding Befesa’s customer base for its environmental services. The company says trends in the aluminum industry toward decarbonization and the increase in EV production has fueled demand for secondary aluminum and salt slags recycling in Europe.

“I am very excited about this new chapter for Befesa,” Molina says. “Asier has been managing Befesa’s main business for the past 15 years very successfully and is my natural successor. Despite the current uncertainty in the global economy, we have a solid business plan based on strong fundamentals. We believe that decarbonization and the rise of electric vehicles will remain medium and long-term growth drivers and we are in a privileged position to be able to seize these opportunities in the markets that we know best.

He continues, “Our new Sustainable Global Growth Plan targets around 500 million euros in investments globally, balanced across new markets such as China and more mature markets such as Europe and North America. This will enable Befesa to continue its accelerated expansion, targeting double-digit growth over the next five years.”