Two Michigan counties are incorporating recycled tires in asphalt used in paving projects, but that's not the only way tires are being repurposed in Michigan.
Rubber is meeting road not in the usual sense of tires rolling on pavement but in rubber from scrap tires becoming part of road surfaces in some areas of Michigan. Recent paving projects backed by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) in Bay and Clare counties are expanding Michigan’s use of rubber tire scrap in road resurfacing, keeping the materials out of landfills and shaping the highways of the future.
Elsewhere, plastic scrap has been integrated into asphalt as companies become more creative in finding end uses for plastic, rubber and other materials that have proven challenging to reuse in the past.
The projects in Bay and Clare counties also highlight a Michigan recycling milestone. As of 2022, the state’s major scrap tire processing businesses—about 10 in all—no longer send any regular scrap materials to landfills. Apart from small quantities too dirty or contaminated to be recycled, all the material is recovered and repurposed for use not only in road work but also as mulch and in rain gardens and septic fields; as weights for construction barrels and silage covers; in molded and extruded plastic products; as porous pavement for trails and pathways; and as tire-derived fuel.
“The scrap tire market in Michigan is in a transformation from managing scrap tires as a waste to creating economic value,” says Kirsten Clemens, scrap tire coordinator in EGLE’s Materials Management Division.
The repaving in Bay and Clare counties used material from about 59,500 tires on more than 5.5 miles of roadway. EGLE awarded Michigan Technological University a $396,000 grant for project design and testing. Each county’s road commission performed the paving work, resurfacing 4.5 miles of Seven Mile Road from E. Midland Road to E. Beaver Road in Bay County and 1.15 miles of W. Haskell Lake Road from Cook Avenue to Lake Station Avenue in Clare County. At both locations, the repaving was divided into sections to enable side-by-side comparison of the rubberized and conventional paving materials.
These two are far from the first such projects in Michigan. Last year alone, four Michigan counties completed rubberized local road projects using scrap from more than 30,000 tires. As far back as 2005 and 2006, Saginaw County rolled out a pair of 2-mile sections of rubberized asphalt. The Michigan Department of Transportation allows a portion of asphalt mixes to be recycled materials, but it is not required.
“We have about 20 years of projects, and we’ve got some really solid technology now,” Clemens says. “What we’re trying to do is expand the use by getting the material into the communities that need infrastructure solutions.”
The growing consensus is that rubber-modified paving is a winner for local roads. In 2019, EGLE helped fund a Michigan Tech project in Dickinson County to see how an asphalt-rubber mix would hold up to extreme Upper Peninsula weather. A study two years later found the pavement resists rutting during hot weather and cracking in the cold. Researchers will continue monitoring the project—which won a 2019 County Road Association of Michigan award—for 10 or more years.
Installation of rubber modified chip seal on Seven Mile Road in Bay County.
The company says the CDE Recycling facility helps Maryland lead the way for materials reuse.
Repurpose Aggregates, an aggregate materials manufacturer based in Joppa, Maryland, has recently commissioned a new 250tph construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste recycling plant, designed and engineered by CDE, Cookstown, Northern Ireland.
The company is hosting an open house hosted by CDE on Sept. 22, 2022. The event will offer a look at the operation of the plant, providing opportunities to hear from CDE engineers about the economic and environmental benefits of its wet processing solutions.
Repurpose Aggregates says it was first introduced to CDE at CONEXPO in 2020, and was impressed by their technology and how it integrated with their company vision. Following virtual meetings through 2020, the company completed the investment to expand the company’s recycling and reuse operations becoming the first of its kind in Maryland.
The company says the plant will enable a more sustainable future for the local community and the business. The plant is optimized to accept CD&E waste from various sources, including mining backfilled materials from the site, and produce a range of recycled sand and aggregate products that can be reintroduced to the local construction industry as sustainable alternatives to virgin quarried materials.
The 250tph recycling facility will include the R4500 primary scalping screen, M4500 mobile washing plant, AggMax 253R modular log washer, Shear Clean Attrition Cells, DS60-6 scrubbing and washing equipment, Counter Flow Classification Unit density and size classification system and EvoWash sand wash plant.
Repurpose Aggregates also invested in CDE conveyors, an A1500 AquaCycle thickener and a Filter Press sludge dewatering system, which allows the recycling of more than 95 percent of process water.
The company says the patented R-Series technology allows for a constant, even flow of material to be delivered to the integrated screen before being sent for additional screening, washing and sizing. The modular M4500 sand wash plant integrates feeding, screening, sand and aggregate washing and stockpiling on a single chassis.
The AggMaxTM log washer incorporates attrition of agglomerates to release sands through scrubbing and organics removal, as well as recovering fines and removing filtrates, while the patented ShearClean Attrition Cells technology further enhances the process as it consistently provides efficient contaminant removal for high-quality sand products.
The Counter Flow Classification Unit provides a system for the removal of lightweight contamination from fine material fractions. CDE’s dual pass EvoWashTM employs modular hydrocyclone technology, giving control of silt cut points.
The plant will produce are washed C33 Concrete sand and fine sands as well as ready mix aggregates like #8 Stone, #57 Stone and #3 Stone. Being modular by design, the plant can be adjusted so the final product output can be fine-tuned to meet the market’s needs and the customers' specifications.
The CD&E solution will also enable Repurpose Aggregates to partner with public and private entities to process material from local construction and infrastructure projects. Over time, these recycling efforts will help establish a full cycle materials economy, moving the industry and region toward a more sustainable future.
Since commissioning in April 2022, the plant has been delivering several high-quality recycled materials for the local construction industry, including 1" recycled asphalt, 1" and 3¼" gravel, 1" and 3¼” recycled concrete and recycled drain concrete.
CDE and Repurpose Aggregates are extending an invitation to the industry to attend an upcoming Open House event at the Maryland facility.
To register for the event on Sept. 22, click here. Registration is mandatory.
Tim Flanagan has been a member of SWANA since 2005.
The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, has selected Timothy S. Flanagan as the new president of the SWANA board of directors. As of July, Flanagan has been at the helm of SWANA’s 21-member board after Brenda A. Haney transitioned into the role of past president.
“Tim Flanagan brings a strong variety of both public and private sector solid waste experience to the board, and he will be an excellent president,” says David Biderman, SWANA executive director and CEO. “He is very passionate about solid waste, recycling, and SWANA and I look forward to working closely with him.”
President Flanagan has been a member of SWANA and the SWANA Gold Rush Chapter since 2005. He is a SWANA-certified manager of Landfill Operations and served as director of SWANA’s Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Technical Division, which he also represented on the International Board. In 2016, he was elected to SWANA’s executive board and the SMM Technical Division recognized him with its Distinguished Individual Achievement Award. Before joining SCS in February 2022, Flanagan served as general manager of Monterey Regional Waste Management District from 2015 through 2021, after 10 years as assistant general manager. He is currently serving as project director for SCS Engineers.
"It is truly an honor to be voted the president of SWANA,” Flanagan says. "I stand on the shoulders of many current and former SCS managers and directors, including past President Michelle Leonard, who helped lead SWANA to be the preeminent solid waste and recycling association in the world.”
This transition was delayed in FY 2022 in response to the pandemic. Additionally, Art Mercer has taken on the role of vice president, Tammy L. Hayes has become treasurer and Elizabeth Roe was elected to the board as secretary.
SWANA’s board of directors is responsible for setting strategic direction and overseeing the association’s operations and policy positions. The board receives input from an advisory board made up of delegates from all SWANA chapters, technical divisions, private sector groups and from Young Professional members.
Heartland hopes to help Amlon grow through a combination of organic growth and add-on acquisitions.
Heartwood Partners LLC, headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, has announced a growth investment in The Amlon Group that was finalized in December 2021 in partnership with the founders and management who will continue to lead the company.
"Heartwood's growth investment in The Amlon Group significantly enhances our future prospects,” Amlon Group CEO Lee Lasher says. “We are benefiting from Heartwood's Value Creation Specialist team and strong track record in growing niche-leading businesses as we seek to further build upon our leadership position and 30-plus years of experience in processing and recycling of hazardous materials."
The Amlon Group’s environmental solutions protect finite resources by remediating waste and recycling valuable commodities. With increasing landfill-related liability and constraints, as well as growing federal and state regulations, companies today must look for sustainable alternatives when managing their waste, the company says. The Amlon Group is comprised of two closely integrated operating segments that play to this macro trend: Amlon Resources Group LLC ("ARG") and Alpha Omega Recycling Inc. (AORI). ARG acts primarily as a waste management services and logistics company in metal recycling and reclamation, whereas AORI is ARG's in-house waste processor.
Acquired by ARG in 2017 to vertically integrate processing capabilities, AORI is a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Part B permitted facility, recycling metal-bearing industrial manufacturing byproducts through thermal and other technical processing and recycling capabilities.
"We are thrilled to complete this partnership with the experienced environmental services investors at Heartwood Partners and remain excited about the future,” Amlon Group President Mark Wayne says. “More great opportunities are on the horizon for The Amlon Group." Heartwood Partners is focused on investing in partnership with family and management-owners. Its approach includes using robust capital structures for companies while providing strategic, operational and human capital development while providing marketing and e-commerce expertise to support long-term growth. This supports organic and acquisition-driven growth into new products and services.
“The Amlon Group has developed an exceptionally strong foundation over its 30-plus year history through deep environmental industry expertise, high-quality service and strong waste processing capabilities. We proactively sought out The Amlon Group. They are a perfect fit with our focus and experience investing in the environmental services and recycling sectors, as well as our approach toward growth through investment in people, processes and add-on acquisitions,” Heartwood Partners Managing Director Demetrios Dounis says. “We intend to drive future growth by leveraging the company's market leadership and scalable infrastructure. We also plan to expand into new markets organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions." Heartwood Partners Private Equity Income Fund III LP is a $600 million committed fund. Alarian Associates Inc. served as the financial advisor to Heartwood Partners.
In the second quarter, the company shipped 3.1 million tons of steel and recorded $6.2 billion in net sales. This follows lower profitability in Q1.
Steel Dynamics Inc., an electric arc furnace steelmaker headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has reported financial results for the second quarter, completed June 30. SDI says it had net sales of $6.2 billion and record net income of $1.2 billion, or $6.44 per diluted share, in the quarter. Excluding the impact from nearly $77 million, or 29 cents per diluted share, in costs associated with the continued startup of its Sinton, Texas, flat-roll steel mill growth investment, SDI says its second-quarter 2022 adjusted net income was $1.3 billion, or $6.73 per diluted share.
The company’s sequential earnings totaled $5.71 per diluted share, while adjusted earnings were $6.02 per diluted share excluding costs of 31 cents per diluted share (net of capitalized interest) associated with construction and startup of the Sinton mill. While year-over-year quarterly earnings were $3.32 per diluted share and adjusted earnings were $3.40 per diluted share, excluding costs of 8 cents per diluted share (net of capitalized interest) for the Sinton mill.
“The team delivered another strong performance, achieving record quarterly operating and financial performance, including record sales, operating income, cash flow from operations and adjusted EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization],” Mark D. Millett, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of SDI says. “Our second quarter 2022 operating income was $1.6 billion, with adjusted EBITDA of $1.7 billion. This tremendous accomplishment displays the power of our highly diversified, value-added, circular manufacturing model—as the strength in our steel fabrication operations more than offset lower earnings in our flat-roll steel business, as realized flat-roll steel selling values declined during the quarter. Despite softening hot-roll coil steel pricing, we achieved record quarterly steel shipments of 3.1 million tons based on solid steel demand, led by the automotive, construction and industrial sectors, with energy continuing to improve.”
SDI says its second-quarter 2022 operating income for its steel operations remained historically strong at $1.1 billion. The incremental decline in earnings resulted from metal spread compression within the company’s flat-roll steel operations. Demand for its long product steel also remains strong, supporting increased average realized pricing and shipments. The average external product selling price for SDI’s steel operations decreased $22 sequentially to $1,539 per ton, while the average ferrous scrap cost per ton melted at SDI’s steel mills increased $64 sequentially to $538 per ton.
Second-quarter operating income from the company’s metals recycling operations, which are largely comprised of its OmniSource subsidiary, increased to $58 million. That figure was $48 million in the first quarter of this year. SDI attributes the growth to strong demand supporting increased pricing and related metal spread. Solid demand for ferrous scrap resulted in a 7 percent increase in second-quarter 2022 shipments relative to the first quarter of the year.
The company’s steel fabrication operations reported record operating income of $599 million in the second quarter, substantially higher than its sequential first quarter results. SDI says this is because of significantly higher selling values and strong shipments that more than offset marginally higher steel input costs. The company describes the nonresidential construction sector as strong, resulting in a near-record order backlog and higher forward pricing for SDI’s steel fabrication platform. The company says it anticipates this momentum to continue into 2023 based on these dynamics.
For the six months ended June 30, net income was $2.3 billion, or $12.14 per diluted share, with net sales of $11.8 billion. In the first half of last year, SDI’s income was $1.1 billion, or $5.35 per diluted share, with net sales of $8 billion.
First-half 2022 net sales increased 47 percent, and operating income doubled to $3.1 billion when compared with the same period in 2021. Higher earnings were driven by metal spread expansion within the company’s steel fabrication business and steel operations, as increased product pricing outpaced higher raw material costs, SDI says. The steel fabrication platform achieved record first-half 2022 operating income of $1.1 billion, materially higher than the $38 million recorded in the first half of 2021. First-half 2022 operating income for its steel operations was $2.3 billion, an increase of $615 million compared with prior-year results. The average first half 2022 external selling price for its steel operations increased $380 to $1,549 per ton year over year, while the average ferrous scrap cost per ton melted at the company’s steel mills increased $101 to $507 per ton.
“Customer order entry activity continues to be healthy across all of our businesses, conflicting with the more pessimistic emotion in the marketplace,” Millett says. “Despite softening flat-roll steel pricing, our steel order activity remains solid from the automotive, construction and industrial sectors, with energy continuing to improve. Our steel fabrication operations order backlog remains at near-record volumes and forward-pricing levels. This combined with continued healthy order activity and broad customer optimism supports strong overall demand dynamics for the construction industry.
Millett says Sinton’s startup has been “challenged with unexpected power and equipment issues that have impacted their operating time in July,” though he adds that the plan has achieved run rates of 80 percent through the hot side.
Earlier this year, SDI announced it was partnering with Aymium, an Oakdale, Minnesota-based producer of renewable biocarbon products based. SDI owns 55 percent of the joint venture, with Aymium owning the remaining 45 percent. The entity will operate under the name SDI Biocarbon Solutions LLC. Initial plans for the joint venture include construction and operation of a biocarbon production facility to supply SDI's electric arc furnace steel mills with a renewable alternative to fossil fuel carbon using Aymium's patented technology.
“We are excited about our recent partnership with Aymium,” Millett says. “We believe this strategic joint venture will cost-effectively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which are already materially lower than our global steel competitors. We also believe Aymium’s process can provide a renewable carbon alternative to fossil fuel for Iron Dynamics, our proprietary ironmaking operations. We have successfully trialed Aymium’s biocarbon product in our steel operations, and conservatively estimate this first facility will reduce our Scope 1 steelmaking greenhouse gas emission intensity between 20 and 25 percent, with potential upside through the use of the facility’s biogas.”
Millett also mentions the company’s recently announced plans to add a 650,000-metric-ton recycled aluminum flat-roll mill and two supporting satellite recycled aluminum slab centers. The company will invest an estimated $2.2 billion in the three facilities, with commercial production planned to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
“Our recently announced planned investment in a new state-of-the-art low-carbon aluminum flat-rolled mill continues our strategic growth, is aligned with our core steelmaking and recycling platforms, benefits many of our existing customers and provides for future value creation. Our customers and our people are incredibly excited for this growth opportunity.”