Battery recycling – R-PET bottles 18-04-2023 - Arhive
Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
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-Company opens ‘North America’s largest’ EV battery recycling facility
It’s being called the largest EV battery recycling center in North America. Ascend Elements said it opened the operation in a small Georgia town.
A company has announced that it opened its first commercial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling operation, calling the facility the largest of its kind in North America.
Ascend Elements opened the plant in the small town of Covington, Georgia to meet the expected demand of recycling a large number of electric vehicle batteries as the federal government pushes for more EV production in the United States.
The $50 million project began partial operations last year, but expects to process around 30,000 metric tons of used lithium-ion batteries per year, which equates to about 70,000 electric vehicle batteries. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
While that number is just an estimate, the White House released a proposal urging automakers to set a goal of having at least 50 percent of all new passenger vehicles and light trucks sold in the U.S. by 2030 be zero-emission vehicles.
The company said it hopes the facility will be an integral part of the U.S. EV infrastructure.
The company says it employs around 100 workers and plans to increase its headcount to 185 workers by 2024.
-The PET Recycling Coalition awards new grants
The PET Recycling Coalition (Coalition), which launched in June 2022 to improve the circularity of PET packaging in the U.S., announced five new grants to bolster the efficiency and effectiveness of PET recycling at materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and PET reclaimers. This new round of grants, which follows the Coalition’s first set of grants announced in January 2023, catalyses substantial growth in multiple areas of PET recycling, with a focus on increasing the capture of PET bottles and containers, unlocking new supplies of rPET, and strengthening recycling systems for PET thermoforms and pigmented and opaque PET. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
Collectively, the five new grants awarded are projected to increase PET capture by 5.1 million pounds per year, strengthen thermoform access for over 350,000 households, and increase annual reclamation capacity for 31.9 million pounds of bottles, 31.6 million pounds of thermoforms, and 2.6 million pounds of pigmented/opaque PET.
Coalition grantmaking to MRFs focuses on enabling an overall increase in the amount of PET captured and facilitating the capture of a broader variety of PET containers. The two MRFs receiving grants from this latest round, Balcones Resources in San Antonio, TX and Republic Services in Conover, NC, are both using their grant awards to catalyse investments in new optical sorters that will be able to handle larger volumes and varieties of PET bottles and thermoforms.
Republic Services recognised the opportunity to capture more PET by replacing their existing optical sorter, projecting that their new optical sorter will capture an additional 300,000 pounds per year of PET bottles and thermoforms.
Balcones Resources is investing in two new optical sorters capable of detecting and sorting PET bottles and PET thermoforms in separate streams, improving their ability to deliver high-quality PET bales to specialised end markets.
These optical sorters will be installed in a new MRF built to serve upwards of 500 thousand households in San Antonio , and Balcones Resources estimates that the 12 million pounds per year of PET they expect to capture will constitute a 15% increase compared to currently available infrastructure. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
To complement improvements at MRFs and ensure concerted growth in PET recycling, the Coalition issues grants to PET reclaimers to stimulate additional increases in PET capture and enable stronger reclamation of PET thermoforms and pigmented/opaque PET. Three PET reclaimers received Coalition grant awards from this latest round, each of which are executing unique and meaningful projects that will add robustness to the PET recycling landscape.
-Vietnam remains top FDI destination for European businesses: Report
NSIGHTS
- European business leaders consider Vietnam as an attractive destination for foreign direct investment, a report said.
- Vietnam was ranked as a top investment destination globally by 36 per cent of respondents, and the BCI remained unchanged at 48.0 in Q1 2023.
- Enhancing political stability, regulatory frameworks, and tax regimes could boost Vietnam’s appeal. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
European business leaders continue to view Vietnam as an attractive destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), with 3 per cent more citing it as one of their top three investment hotspots worldwide, as per a recent report. Vietnam was ranked as one of the top investment destinations globally by 36 per cent of the respondents, either as their first choice, within their top three, or among their top five.
In the first quarter of 2023, the Business Climate Index (BCI), which measures the business outlook of the European business and investment community in Vietnam, remained unchanged at 48.0. Although it maintained its level from the end of 2022, there are promising signs that European business stakeholders are experiencing a positive change in their economic prospects.
Despite the improved outlook, there is still caution among European business leaders. While the number of respondents who are optimistic about the nation’s economy has risen by 8 points, the economy is still fragile, and caution is warranted. Furthermore, regulatory ambiguity, inefficient administration, and challenges related to visas and work permits persist for international enterprises operating in Vietnam. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
Complicated customs procedures pose an added obstacle for the manufacturing sector, whereas visa and work permit difficulties are a prominent challenge for service firms. Other industries, including transportation, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy, are impeded by insufficient anti-corruption legislation, the report said.
The BCI participants emphasised the importance of enhancing political stability, regulatory frameworks, and tax and tariff regimes to enhance Vietnam’s attractiveness as a thriving investment destination. Such efforts would effectively address the apprehensions of foreign enterprises and enhance their confidence in the country’s economic potential.
-NOVA Chemicals offers plan to build circular plastics economy
Calgary-based chemicals company outlines latest ESG strategy
NOVA Chemicals Corporation (NOVA) is embarking on an ambitious mission to become the leading sustainable polyethylene producer in North America. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
The Calgary-based industrial giant has outlined an ESG strategy that would put it at the forefront of the movement to create a thriving circular economy for plastics.
In keeping with its Roadmap for Sustainability Leadership, NOVA has set forth a series of benchmarks it intends to reach by 2030 as part of its drive toward decarbonization.
These goals include:
- boosting the market for recycled polyethylene (the most common form of plastic) so recycled material will account for 30 per cent of its polyethylene sales; and
- reducing its absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent.
In addition, NOVA expects to invest between $2 billion and $4 billion to build what it describes as a “state-of-the-art” mechanical recycling operation, and develop advanced recycling technologies that will deliver a wider range of new, sustainable and low-carbon plastic products to the market.
In announcing these goals, NOVA CEO Danny Dweik said his company is committed to becoming “a responsible steward of our environment” and intends to achieve net-zero by 2050. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
“Plastic products play an essential role in our daily lives,” Dweik said in an announcement outlining the company’s initiatives. “With our renewed purpose of reshaping plastics for a better, more sustainable world, we have developed a clear pathway to become a catalyst for a low-carbon, zero-plastic-waste future.”
Reducing the carbon footprint across the value chain
Dweik’s vision comes from a plastics industry often associated with the degradation of the environment.
But NOVA’s sustainability roadmap is reflective of the heightened awareness among manufacturing industries to reduce their carbon footprint at every stage of the production process, from input to output, all along the value chain. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
-Westlake Innovations invests in Circular Plastics Fund
The fund seeks to accelerate the transition to a circular plastics economy by scaling up advanced recycling technology companies.
Westlake Innovations Inc., Houston, a subsidiary of Westlake Corp., has invested in the Circular Plastics Fund. The fund seeks to accelerate the transition to a circular economy of plastics by scaling up advanced recycling technology companies that transform plastic waste streams into primary commodities used for new plastic products.
Westlake says its investment builds upon its commitment to helping develop a more sustainable future through continuous improvement in its own manufacturing as well as strategic investments in technologies and startup firms. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
Westlake Innovations was formed in 2021 to facilitate the company’s potential investments in new technologies and pursue digital, mechanical or chemical applications such as new materials or recycling. Westlake is a global manufacturer and supplier of materials and products found in housing and construction, packaging, healthcare, automotive and more.
The Circular Plastics Fund (CPF), registered in Luxembourg, is registered as an Article 9 “dark green” impact fund under the European Union’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. Infinity Recycling, Rotterdam, Netherlands, manages the CPF, which was created to catalyze the world’s transition to a closed-loop plastics economy in which residual polymer waste streams, globally representing over 85 percent of plastic scrap, are converted into building blocks for the manufacturing of new plastics. The fund’s strategy aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the plastics economy and contribute to eliminating the world’s plastic waste problem.
Infinity Recycling was established in 2019 to create markets for end-of-life waste streams by investing in waste valorization technologies. As its first offering, the CPF makes a significant contribution to solving the plastic waste problem and unlocking much-needed capacity in high-in-demand recycled commodities.
Infinity says the fund implements a return-driven investment strategy that drives value creation in advanced recycling and accelerates the transition to a circular economy for plastics. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
-Sila Nano-Composite Silicon Anode Increases Range & Reduces Charging Times
Sila says its nano composite silicon anode can improve the range of electric vehicles by 20% and lower charging times dramatically.
We first reported on Sila Nanotechnologies last May when the company announced it was beginning to produce its innovative silicon anode batteries at a factory in Moses Lake, Washington. Now almost a year later, the company says it expects to begin mass production in the second half of 2024 and will manufacture enough batteries to power one million vehicles over the next 5 years.
Sila says in a press release dated April 4 that a consumer survey it commissioned recently showed nearly 90% of respondents who own or intend to purchase an EV consider high performance battery technology as more valuable than other tech enhancements or luxury features, including autonomous driving capabilities. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
“Graphite anodes and simple silicon compounds (Si, SiO, SiO2 ) for lithium ion batteries have reached their energy limit, which stifles EV performance,” the company says.
“In contrast, Sila solutions deliver the EV experience drivers want to reduce anxieties around range and charge time. For automakers who want longer range, Titan Silicon can deliver a 20% increase in range today, which could be up to 100 extra miles for some EVs, with a development runway to double those gains in future releases.
“Titan Silicon can also dramatically improve battery charging time, charging a battery from 10% to 80% in just 20 minutes — even if your charge time is currently as long as 60 minutes. Future releases will reduce that time to approximately 10 minutes, a standard similar to refilling a gas tank. Notably, Titan Silicon achieves these gains without sacrificing cycle life or safety while maintaining low swell — comparable to graphite anodes. Also with Titan Silicon, automakers can benefit from up to a 15% reduction in battery weight and 20% increase in space, enabling higher vehicle efficiency and the addition of innovative designs and features.” Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
Gene Berdichevsky, co-founder and CEO of Sila, said “Titan Silicon is the highest performing nano-composite silicon in the market today. Our battery and materials teams are constantly iterating and improving upon our chemistry to deliver the best, and most cost-efficient results possible. With the wide adoption of EVs, consumers are looking for best in class solutions that deliver best in class performance, and our solutions provide just that — longer range and faster charging.”
-Suntory PepsiCo starts use of R-PET for beverage bottles
Thailand’s Suntory PepsiCo Beverage Co commenced the use of locally produced recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) for its beverage bottle packaging, said Suntorypepsico.
The company announced in end-March that it will produce 100% R-PET bottles soon in line with its sustainability targets. Previously, the use of R-PET for food or bottle applications was banned in Thailand due to safety concerns.
However, the country allowed the use of R-PET for food applications since June 2022 which prompted local recyclers to apply for supply permits. Only the joint venture between PTT and Alpla under the entity Envicco was able to secure the permit in March.
Other major recyclers in Thailand which include EcoBlue and Indorama continue to wait for the approval of supply permits. Approvals of the local supply permits are issued by the Thai FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
Thailand’s move to allow the use of R-PET for food packaging was welcomed by recyclers as it would help bolster the trade of recycled polymers in general.
Although the regulation is solely applicable to R-PET, with no plans announced on recycled polyethylene (R-PE) and recycled polypropylene (R-PP) yet, overall market sentiment is bullish on the steady uptake of recyclates in the coming years.
Thailand remains as one of the top producers and consumers of virgin plastics in Asia and its shift towards sustainable materials is expected to significantly impact both virgin and recycled polymers demand outlook. In May 2022, Taiwan passed a similar legislation to allow the use of R-PET for food application and most major recyclers in the market have clinched supply licenses.
With the opening of domestic market for food-grade R-PET in both Thailand and Taiwan, export volumes are not seen to dwindle due to separate allocations between domestic and overseas buyers. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
-Record accounts for the Percassi group, revenues at 1.3 billion
Record results in 2022 for Odissea, Antonio Percassi’s holding company with activities ranging from Kiko’s cosmetics to fashion, from retail to real estate up to football with Atalanta. Last year, according to a note, closed with revenues of 1.3 billion euros, up 33% on 2021, and operating profitability (EBITDA) rising by 17% above 200 million, driven by all the business segments, with beauty (+42%) and retail (+56%) making the greatest contribution.
“The results achieved by the group in 2022 were the highest in our history, and not only in terms of revenues, but also in terms of profitability and capital KPIs (key performance indicators, ed), demonstrating the solidity of our business model ” and the “goodness of the choices made in recent years, which have been focused on investments that are generating sustainable profitability over time, in areas with high added value and highly innovative”, declared the president Antonio Percassi, whose group operates in 62 countries, with over 1,200 points of sale, and about 10,000 employees, of which about half abroad. Battery recycling – R-PET bottles
