Nihot Releases i-Series Single Drum Separator

Amsterdam-based Nihot Recycling Technology (NRT) (now owned by Bulk Handling Systems, based in Oregon, USA) has updated it Single Drum Separator (SDS) product line with the release of the i-Series.

The SDS 650-i and SDS 800-i, the two initially available models, are both self-contained, ‘plug-and-play’ units that use negative pressure to separate materials based on density and shape; the SDS 650-i will be on display at the Waste Expo, held in Georgia, USA, from 28 April until 1 May.

The i-Series is said to feature numerous improvements over the previous models, such as: improved separation results and straightforward adjustability; a longer expansion chamber and blow-nozzle; more robust components in a modular design; integrated return ducting and dust collection; and an ‘improved look and feel’. Target markets for the equipment include construction and demolition waste; commercial and industrial waste; municipal solid waste; e-waste; glass; biomass; metals; and incinerator ash.

“This machine is lighter yet more durable, and features increased adjustability and mobility”, said Nihot’s General Manager Huig van der Meij.

“Our team has taken an industry-leading offering and improved upon it. We’re all quite proud and excited to bring this equipment to market and to show it off at Waste Expo.”

Read more about NRT.

Novelis expands finishing capacity for beverage can sheet in Europe

Aluminium rolling and recycling company Novelis has announced its €15 million (£12.3 million) investment in a new aluminium slitting and packing line at its joint venture facility in Germany, which is set to increase the plant’s finishing capacity for beverage can sheet.

The Aluminium Norf GmbH (Alunorf) aluminium rolling plant in Neuss, Germany casts sheet ingots and rolls semi-finished products for various applications, and is an ‘essential’ part of Novelis’s operations network

Pierre Labat, Vice President and General Manager for Novelis Europe, commented: “As part of its growth strategy, Novelis Europe is continuously investing to strengthen its market leadership by increasing can sheet production and used beverage can recycling capacity to meet our customers’ requirements.”

Novelis also recently upgraded its UK recycling facility in Latchford, resulting in an increased capacity of over 60,000 tonnes.

Find out more about Novelis.

Huhtamaki showcase eco-vending

Huhtamaki’s ‘Love Nature’ BioWare paper vending cups, ‘complete with plant seedlings’, will be ‘vended’ from a machine at this year’s Sparsholt College Hampshire’s (SCH) 2014 RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden entry.

The garden on display, designed by SCH’s horticultural students, has been created using compost made from Huhtamaki’s BioWare foodservice packaging range to showcase the process ‘from tree to cup’.

The vending machine, donated by vending services company Bettavend, was chosen for its large glass front, which provides more visibility of the plant seedlings.

The ‘Love Nature’ BioWare paper vending cups are part of the new compostable BioWare cup range, which has been redesigned to give the products a ‘modern’ appearance whilst placing further emphasis on their green credentials.

See more products from Huhtamaki.

New alga that could clean nuclear wastewater discovered

A radiation-tolerant alga, capable of living in extreme conditions, may soon be used to help clean-up effluent and wastewater produced by nuclear facilities.

The micro-alga, Coccomyxa actinabiotis, was discovered in a used fuel cell storage pool at a nuclear facility and is capable of withstanding extreme radiation doses of up to 20 kilograys (kGy).

The potential of the alga, which uses photosynthesis and metabolic processes to ‘take up’ contaminants, is being explored by a French research team from Grenoble University, Montpellier University, Institut Laue-Langevin, and the Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission – Division of Nuclear Energy.

The Institution of Chemical Engineers’ (IChemE) Chief Executive, Dr David Brown, commented: “The researchers in France are breaking new ground by helping us to understand the feasibility of using algae for the highly controlled nuclear decontamination process, including issues such as fouling, pore size and reuse of this remarkable alga.”

Find out more about IChemE.

Acton café fined for flytipping

The owner of a café in Acton, in the London borough of Ealing, has been charged a total of £1,420 for dumping rubbish on a busy high street.

Staff from the ‘More Munchies’ café were filmed on CCTV over several days in April and May 2013 dumping cardboard and sacks of waste on the pavement outside the café, despite receiving previous warnings from the council about how to properly dispose of waste.

Mr Rouzbeh Ghiassian, the owner, pleaded guilty to seven flytipping offences, at Ealing Magistrates Court on 7 April 2014, where he was ordered to pay a £900 fine, £500 in council prosecution costs, plus a victim surcharge of £20.

Keith Townsend, Executive Director of Environment and Customer Services at Ealing Council, said: “Any kind of fly tipping is illegal and we urge local businesses to dispose of their waste correctly or risk action which could result in an unlimited fine or up to five years imprisonment.”

VIBES Awards for Scotland’s ‘greenest businesses’ launches

The launch event for the Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland (VIBES) Awards, recognising Scotland’s ‘greenest businesses’, will take place on 7 May 2014 at the Albert Bartlett facility in Airdrie, it has been announced.

The event, hosted by 2013 VIBES winner Albert Bartlett, invites businesses in the Glasgow region to attend and will involve members of the VIBES team giving advice and a brief presentation about the application process for the 2014 awards.

“This free event at Albert Bartlett provides an opportunity for potential VIBES candidates in the area to gain more information on the awards”, said Gillian Bruce, VIBES Chair.

“Attendees will also hear about the benefits of winning a VIBES Award from past winners and receive impartial advice from VIBES partner organisations on how to submit a good entry.”

Awards are given in eight categories including Best Environmental Management, Circular Economy Award, and Best Micro Business.

Read more about the VIBE Awards.