Company says its PET food trays are easily recyclable.

Clearly Clean Products LLC has announced it will open a new manufacturing Plant in Frackville, Pennsylvania, which is about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania-based company refers to itself as a recyclable food tray manufacturer, with its product line including what it calls 100 percent recyclable roll over-wrap trays, vacuum-sealed packaging (VSP) trays and recyclable modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) trays. The food trays can be used for meat, poultry, seafood, produce and deli products and can be customized in terms of size, shape and color.

In Frackville, Clearly Clean intends to purchase and renovate 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space to install a thermoforming plant. The project will initially create approximately 25 new jobs, and that number could grow to more than 125 as the company further expands its line operations and builds out its tooling, says the firm.

Clearly Clean says its “crystal clear” food trays are recyclable in part because of a peelable barrier layer that provides a “sustainable alternative.”

Numerous city and county bans on polystyrene foamed plastics, combined with consumer pressure and corporate commitment, “are fueling the demand for eco-friendly packaging and accelerating the sustainability timelines of many organizations,” says Clearly Clean.  It says its PET (polyethylene terephthalate) trays offer a recyclable, smooth-edged tray option to grocery stores, food processors and packaging distributors.

“We are excited that companies are realizing the benefits of Clearly Clean’s patented smooth-edged, recyclable trays, which are three times the strength of polystyrene, are environmentally friendly, and help mitigate leakers,” says Millard Wallace, a managing partner at Clearly Clean.  “We are also excited that this strong demand allows us to bring additional economic opportunities to Schuylkill County [in Pennsylvania0.  Clearly Clean is rapidly expanding and has been hiring for practically every position, from lawyers to engineers and production line workers.”

Clearly Clean says that over the past 12 months it has added multiple big-name clients and grown by 550 percent, and is poised to grow at an even faster pace in 2019.

“Clearly Clean needed a large facility that would accommodate our additional assets and personnel,” says Jeff Maguire, a managing partner at Clearly Clean. “We decided on Frackville so that we were in the vicinity of our Orwigsburg plant -- yet able to recruit from a broader geographic region.”

Environment, waste and recycling trade fair is Oct. 30 to Nov. 2.

The theme “Less Carbon, Less Waste • Green Innovation” has been chosen for the 14th Eco Expo Asia. The event, organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd., the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Environment Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will take place Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 at the AsiaWorld-Expo facility near Hong Kong’s airport.

The organizers say the event will showcase a wide range of products and solutions focused on environmental protection and waste management, reduction and recycling.

Organizers held a luncheon in late March to provide a preview of the expo. At that event, Wong Kam-sing, secretary for the environment of Hong Kong, said the government has put considerable effort into the development of waste management infrastructure projects in recent years.

Wong pointed to WEEE·PARK, the government’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Treatment and Recycling Facility, and to O·PARK, which he described as Hong Kong’s first organic resources recovery center, designed to convert food waste into energy. The government will build the second O·PARK soon and plans to have more relevant facilities to face the challenge of Hong Kong’s food waste, Wong says.

The environment secretary also said Hong Kong’s government is looking into several new initiatives that can improve waste management. “We have submitted the Waste Disposal (Charging for Municipal Solid Waste) Amendment, Bill 2018, to the Legislative Council,” he stated. “We are going to review the plastic shopping bag charging level and exempted items. We are also applying reverse vending machines that can help to collect and recycle plastic beverage bottles. In addition, after the super typhoons in recent years, we are working on a new scheme to see how to make the best use of yard waste.”

At Exo Expo Asia, “The Startup Zone” will return in 2019. “Startups from around the globe can leverage this opportunity to showcase their latest innovative products and solutions and to meet with potential buyers, manufacturers and investors,” says Benjamin Chau, HKTDC deputy executive director.

More information on the event can be found here.

Jeff Kaveney, who has been with Eriez for 24 years, has been promoted.

Jeff Kaveney, a 24-year employee with Eriez, Erie, Pennsylvania, has been promoted to director of sales and product management, says Senior Sales Director of Eriez – USA Dave Heubel. Kaveney had served as manager of product marketing and administration prior to this promotion.

“As director of sales and product management, Jeff’s responsibilities include providing leadership for our separation, vibratory, metal detection and recycling product lines, developing key sales strategies for our light industry markets and overseeing order administration,” Heubel says. “Jeff’s proven dedication, wealth of product knowledge and widespread application experiences make him uniquely qualified to guide Eriez – USA in meeting our continually evolving strategic goals for product standardization and organic product development.”

Kaveney earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Gannon University in 1984. He joined the Eriez sales team in 1995 as a technical sales representative. During his tenure with Eriez, Kaveney has completed numerous training programs and authored an extensive array of technical articles that have appeared in national trade publications.

Eriez magnetic lift and separation, metal detection, fluid recycling, flotation, materials feeding, screening, conveying and controlling equipment have application in the process, metalworking, packaging, plastics, rubber, recycling, food, mining, aggregate and textile industries. Eriez manufactures and markets these products through 12 international subsidiaries located on six continents.

The company will feature two material handlers and a wheel loader.

The construction equipment division of Liebherr USA Co., based in Newport News, Virginia, is displaying two material handlers and a wheel loader at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries ISRI 2019 Convention & Exposition (ISRI2019) in Los Angeles April 8-10.

Liebherr will display the LH 22M and LH 30M material handlers and the L 550 XPower wheel loader at ISRI2019, which is expected to draw more than 5,000 recycling industry professionals from across the U.S. and world. 

The LH 22M material handler has a reach of nearly 33 feet and a sturdy, compact design, which makes it particularly suitable for deployment in the area of recycling, the company says. It has the latest engine and hydraulics technology, developed in-house by Liebherr. The LH 22M is equipped with a fuel-efficient 143 horsepower/105 kilowatt engine that meets emissions standard IV.

The LH 22M and LH 30M feature a four-cylinder inline diesel engine from Liebherr. The LH 30M produces 190 horsepower/140 kilowatts. This engine output results in more available torque for machine movements. Liebherr says load peaks are intelligently managed, which allows maximum torque availability at all times. These material handlers combine intelligent electronics with sensitive hydraulics, which are designed to do precise work with fast and powerful movements, Liebherr says.

Liebherr’s engine technology features intelligent machine controls that optimize the interaction of the drive components designed to create maximum efficiency and power. Liebherr Power Efficiency (LPE) enables machines such as the LH 30M to operate with the lowest specific fuel use possible.

At ISRI 2019, the LH 22M will be on display with a Liebherr sorting grapple, and the LH 30 will have a Liebherr type 64 grapple. Attachments are available to suit any application, Liebherr says. The components are configured for a long service life even when subjected to heavy lateral stresses during demanding tasks. Liebherr offers a wide variety of attachments, machine options and configurations to meet specific application requirements.

The operator cab of the LH 22M and LH 30M features a foldable left armrest that permits easy and safe entry into the cab. A joystick allows for smooth, precise steering movements. Replacing the steering wheel in favor of joystick steering provides additional legroom and a clear view of the working area, Liebherr says.

The Liebherr L550 XPower wheel loader on display at the ISRI 2019 exhibit booth features the company's full guarding package offered, which protects vital areas of the machine. The wheel loader also has particle protection and an air precleaner. This, combined with the optimal placement of the cooling package, prevents debris contamination in the cooling components, the company says.

The Liebherr-XPower driveline, paired with LPE, is designed to increase machine uptime and fuel efficiency. Together this design reduces the wheel loader’s fuel consumption by up to 30 percent when compared with conventional travel drive systems, Liebherr says. In addition, the Liebherr-XPower driveline brakes automatically. The service brake acts only in a support function and is therefore subject to minimal wear.

A continuous tractive effort control of the XPower driveline prevents wheel spin. Combined with automatic self-locking differentials, tire wear is reduced by more than 25 percent, Liebherr says. Finally, gaining access to the engine on Liebherr-XPower wheel loaders is safe and easy, as checkpoints and critical maintenance points on the machine are easily reached.

Education was driver behind city’s decision to use the app.

North Battleford, Canada, will be the latest city to start using Recycle Coach, an educational app that reminds residents of pickup schedules and educates them about changes in recycling programs.

According to an article in battlefordsNOW, the city was previously using the Recollect app. The move will “save the city around $4,000 in annual subscription fees and provide more features to users.”

More than 3,000 municipalities use Recycle Coach to update residents on collection schedules, notifications and recycling changes.

“Ultimately, when it comes to recycling, a lot of people don’t realize how little they know,” Recycle Coach content specialist Tyler Munro says. “One in every three pounds of material that go in recycling are contaminants. People don’t even realize when you go from program to program everything is different. That creates a lot of confusion. Our reason for being is to simplify everything.”

With a vision to make recycling easier for people and municipalities amid a constantly changing recycling market, Creighton Hooper, president of Toronto-based company Municipal Media Inc., and his team created the app and has been growing its capabilities.

Of its features, Recycle Coach’s “What Goes Where?” search tool database, containing more than 10,000 common and uncommon items, and problem-reporting tool, which allows users to notify municipalities of illegal dumping, for example, are some of the perks of using the app beyond the overall goal to educate and reduce curbside contamination.

The focus on education was a key driver behind North Battleford’s desire to use the app, Tammy MacCormack, assistant director of utility services, told the news company.