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RETURN-IT FIRST IN CANADA TO DEPLOY CNG HYBRID-ELECTRIC COMPACTION TRUCKS FOR RECYCLABLES
HAULING & COLLECTION
RETURN-IT FIRST IN CANADA TO DEPLOY CNG HYBRID-ELECTRIC COMPACTION TRUCK FOR RECYCLABLES TRANSPORT
BY KEITH BARKER, EDITOR
Return-It, the established product stewardship organization behind B.C.’s leading used beverage container return system, is taking the next step in reducing operational emissions by introducing into service Canada’s first-ofits-kind compressed natural gas (CNG) hybrid-electric compaction truck. The organization says transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gases in the province’s annual GHG emission inventory, rising by 15 percent between 2015 and 2018. With this new pilot, launched in September, Return-It says it is the beginning of its plan to decar-
ALLEN LANGDON
bonize its transportation fleet, which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from beverage container recycling by up to 25 percent.
“As the province’s leading product stewardship organization, we recognize we can do more to decarbonize our transportation network in order to make an even bigger impact on greenhouse gas emissions,” said Allen Langdon, President & CEO of Return-It. “As part of Return-It’s modernization program launched earlier this year, we are piloting this new technology as a first step toward transitioning our entire fleet.”
According to Return-It, one CNG hybrid-electric collection compaction truck will increase the amount of beverage containers transported in one trip by six times – from 150,000 containers to 900,000 containers per trip, reduce emissions by 69 metric tonnes of CO2 compared to a diesel truck, and reduce Return-It total emissions within the region surrounding Vancouver by 5 percent, and province-wide by 2 percent. Return-It’s new truck will service 16 recycling depots in the pilot phase, allowing for evaluation of the technology and data capture to inform the next steps in its transition.
AN INNOVATIVE HYBRID DRIVE TECHNOLOGY
Supplied by Hyliion, a leader in electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 commercial vehicles, Return-It’s new CNG hybrid-electric drivetrain is designed to optimize vehicle power and efficiency. It will release fewer emissions than existing diesel trucks, and in combination with an innovative system from Burlington, Ontario-based compaction technology specialist NexGen Municipal, will help reduce the number of vehicle trips required to take beverage containers from recycling depots to processing facilities.
Thomas Healy, founder and CEO of Hyliion, commented saying their electrified powertrain solutions are specifically designed for regional and long-haul trucks, offer hybrid electric assist for conventional CNG trucks and enable fleets to leverage the existing natural gas refuelling infrastructure.
“We are continuously looking for ways to leverage our technology to transform the transportation industry’s environmental impact,” commented Healy. “Our electrified powertrains offer a unique opportunity to drive sustainable solutions in heavy-duty commercial transportation. We are excited to be working with Return-It to make recycling even more environmentally friendly.”
Added Doug Vanderlinden, president of NexGen Municipal, “We are pleased to provide our Auger Compaction Trailer technology to the Return-It team, to significantly improve logistical and operational efficiencies, while dramatically reducing GHG generation.”
RISING TO THE OPPORTUNITY
The pilot phase of Return-It’s current project also includes work with B.C. energy provider FortisBC to identify opportunities to expand access to CNG throughout the province, such as the availability of CNG filling stations to supply Return-It’s fleet in the future.
“FortisBC has set an ambitious target to reduce our customers’ greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, and one of the ways we’re doing that is by investing in lower carbon vehicles and transportation infrastructure – the very infrastructure that Return-It will be utilizing to fuel its fleet,” said Sarah Smith, director, natural gas for
Allen Langdon, Return-It president and CEO, in the Hyliion compressed natural gas (CNG) hybrid-electric compaction truck, a first in Canada.
transportation, regional LNG and Renewable Gas at FortisBC. “We appreciate Return-It’s commitment to decarbonizing its fleet with innovative technology and look forward to working together to support their transition province-wide.”
According to Karen Tam Wu, cochair of the Catalyst Business Coalition and Regional Director British Columbia for the Pembina Institute, “It’s great to see Return-It pilot the use of innovative technology that could reduce carbon pollution from its heavy-duty trucks. Reducing emissions from heavy-duty trucks is an important part of the climate solution. We are also excited to welcome Encorp Pacific [Return-It] as the newest member of the Catalyst Business Coalition, which brings companies together to champion the clean economy.”
Bruce Ralston, B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, also commented, “Heavy-duty diesel trucks are responsible for nearly a quarter of all transportation emissions in B.C. Organizations like Return-It who are embracing new technologies in CNG hybrid-electric vehicles for their return-to-base fleets are helping the transition to lower and zero-emissions trucking, and helping us meet our CleanBC goals.” RPN With an innovative hybrid-powered compaction unit from NexGen Municipal, Return-It’s new truck can transport up to six times more beverage containers per load.
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The new model 4 E-Z log Baler is just what mid size scrap yards have been asking The new model 4 E-Z log Baler is just what mid size scrap yards have been asking for! Priced right for any yard — small, mid size, or large! for! Priced right for any yard — small, mid size, or large! Like the Model 3, the NEW Model 4 has no set up time and a very low cost to operate. Like the Model 3, the NEW Model 4 has no set up time and a very low cost to operate. The one man operations are all handled from the newly designed cab. With the 400ºThe one man operations are all handled from the newly designed cab. With the 400º rotation crane and a reach of 27’ adding the continuous rotation grapple, it makes rotation crane and a reach of 27’ adding the continuous rotation grapple, it makes loading the larger chamber a breeze. loading the larger chamber a breeze. Taking your loose scrap to a highly sought after shreddable log. Taking your loose scrap to a highly sought after shreddable log.
— Cycles in under 2 minutes! — Cycles in under 2 minutes! — Produces up to 70 tons per day. — Produces up to 70 tons per day. — Fully portable in the closed position. — Fully portable in the closed position. — New seat design for more operator comfort. — New seat design for more operator comfort.
LION ELECTRIC PARTNERSHIP WITH ABB REINFORCES COMMITMENT TO E-MOBILITY
Earlier this year, Saint-Jérôme, Quebec–based Lion Electric Co. sold the first Lion8 chassis in combination with a BEV (Boivin Evolution) all-electric automated side-loading body to Waste Connections for operation in Washington and Florida. According to Lion Electric, this represents the first zero-emission trucks with fully electric waste collection bodies and automated arms in North America.
Most recently, Lion Electric announced that ABB’s complete charging equipment product line will be sold under the company’s new Lion Energy infrastructure specialty division, making Lion Electric a service partner for ABB. The first Lion Electric Lion8 chassis with fully automated side loader body
Lion Energy is an end-to-end infra- sold to Waste Connections in 2020. structure solution designed to streamline the process of EV charging station purchasing process, giving customers installation by packaging charging the capacity to meet the charging needs infrastructure design and review, project of current fleets and the ability to scale management, utility coordination and in the future. customized consultation, easing the ABB’s portfolio of EV charging solucomplexity of the process. Lion Energy tions and services span the entire kW ensures infrastructure installation is ac- chain from compact, high-quality AC complished in tandem with the vehicle wallboxes to reliable DC fast charging
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stations, Terra 54 (fast chargers) and heavy vehicle chargers. Under the new agreement, ABB will supply the full range of charging solutions to support the Lion Electric fleet which ranges from small buses to 300kw battery waste collection vehicles and other trucks.
“Reinforcing our commitment to emobility, we are pleased to partner with Lion Electric as we share the same pioneering vision for an electrified future,” said Bob Stojanovic, ABB’s Head of EV Charging Infrastructure for North America. “Collaborating with innovative vehicle makers to ensure the vehicles and the charging work seamlessly is a crucial part of ABB’s mission to ensure electric transformation succeeds.”
REVERSE VENDING ADVANCES CONTINUE FROM TOMRA
TOMRA Collection Solutions latest advances for beverage container reverse vending, now in operation in Europe and the U.S., include the R1 multi-feed system that allows consumers to return approximately 100 empty recyclable beverage containers at once, and the TOMRA S1 Rugged (shown right). Designed to withstand challenging weather conditions, the S1 Rugged reverse vending system has been designed for returning drink containers for recycling in semi-outdoor, metropolitan locations. The S1 is designed to withstand demanding use as well as increased exposure to the elements, and features a touchscreen display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight.
Most recently, TOMRA has partnered on an innovative pilot that employs the reverse vending concept for CO2 cyclinders used with SodaStream sparkling water systems for consumers.
Under the pilot, special SodaStream-branded reverse vending machines are being installed in retail stores (shown below) across the EU (first in Sweden and France) and in the U.S.
When a SodaStream CO2 cylinder is empty, participating customers can place their empty cylinder in TOMRA’s reverse vending machines and receive a voucher for the value of the used cylinder, which acts as a credit toward the purchase of a new CO2 cylinder at COM P A CT the retailer store in which the reverse vending machine operates. Recovered CO2 cylinders remain in a closed P O WER loop, with all cylinders returned to SodaStream to be cleaned, refilled and sealed for reuse. • TWO-RAM ON A HORIZONTAL BUDGET • VERTICAL BALE DOOR AVAILABLE • IDEAL FOR MULTI-MATERIAL FACILITIES
AMERICAN BALER TAKES PERFORMANCE TO NEW HEIGHTS!
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Terrapure – Continued from page 25
Atkinson says, for this type of lead-bearing material, a standard of environmental protection, and health and safety practices that protect workers and community should be verified for any lead–acid batteries exported.
“In North America, the standard of operations are very good, regulatory controls are strict, and all operations must allocate substantial financial resources to continually improve on environmental protection and worker/community protection,” he continues. “While I am not an expert on worldwide operations, if one thinks about the off-shore process, there are a number of practices starting from shipping the batteries across the ocean, transferring them to mainland routes and processing them in non state-of-the-art faculties offshore that may be putting the environment and people at risk. Fundamentally, the most effective way of managing waste materials is to manage them at source so that impacts on community are always considered carefully, From left to right at Terrapure’s Tonolli Canada battery recycling facility in Mississauga: Jordan Spencer, Eyob Desta, Ariel Mandala and Heral Sindhwad.
and a continuous upgrading to better and better practices is encouraged.”
Greg Jones concludes by reflecting on Terrapure’s mantra: Changing waste for good. “This, for Terrapure, is both a mantra and a vision, in terms of being what we aspire to and what we in fact do today,” says Jones, adding that their battery recycling business is the best example of this mantra. “All waste streams are revenue streams. That’s really important these days because the definition of waste is changing for many, and many are realizing that the materials they are dealing with are not waste, but a resource. We’re seeing government policy slowly move more in this direction in Canada. Certainly, in Europe it’s more advanced.
“At Terrapure, we feel like we’re in a really good space and that the differentiation that we’ve been able to carve out between us and some of our competitors will really serve us well as society pushes more and more to a resource recoveryfocused approach to waste.” RPN
Best practices brief: the difference between axial and radial magnetic fields
According to established magnetic separation systems manufacturer and supplier, Bunting Magnetics, rotary magnetic separators for recycling and other applications are designed with a specific type of magnetic field, which needs to be considered when evaluating an application in order to decide which design will best achieve a recycler’s separation objective. For rotary magnetic separators, including drum magnets, there are two types of magnetic field: axial and radial.
Axial magnetic fields stretch across the width of a rotary magnetic separator. Susceptible material is attracted to the point of highest magnetic intensity, known as the pole.
An axial magnetic field is ideal in situations where the magnetic separator may have captured a high level of entrapped non-magnetic material and is best for applications where the separation objective is to maximize the purity of the recovered ferrous metal, such as with auto recycling. The downside is potential for reduced separation performance and overall recovery rates. Bunting magnetic separators using an axial field include permanent drum magnets, electro drum magnets and pulley magnets.
In a radial magnetic field, poles are running in the same direction that the conveyor or drum is rotating and follow the flow of material (shown right). Magnetically susceptible material will be attracted to the poles, which are the highest points of magnetic intensity, and held there until dragged out of the magnetic field.
A radial magnetic field is ideal when the goal is to maximize the amount of magnetic metal being separated from material, such as with a mineral application where ferrous tramp metal must be removed from the product stream so as not
to contaminate the product. The downside of a radial magnetic field is that it is possible for entrapment of non-magnetics to occur, which then reduces the purity level of the recovered metal that is ultimately separated out. Bunting Magnetic separation systems that utilize radial magnetic field design include drum magnets, pulley magnets, rare earth roll separators and induced magnetic roll separators.
LEADING ASPHALT TRADE SHOW AND CONFERENCE
“This was my first show and it was a great experience. Being able to see and talk with all of the vendors within our industry was a huge benefit for my current position and professional growth. I now feel as though I have a better understanding of our industry and what vendors are available as well as technologies. This adds excellent value to our organization.” — Jamie Bailey, Lehigh Hanson
March 9-11, 2021 | Atlanta, Georgia
ADVERTISER INDEX
Acculoader ...............................................................32–35 American Baler ...............................................................41 BM&M Screening Solutions ...........................................40 Brown Bear Corporation ................................................15 Bunting Magnetics .........................................................17 CP Group........................................................................19 Doosan .............................................................................5 E-Crane International USA .............................................28 ELV Select ......................................................................23 Gensco Equipment.........................................................29 Herbold...........................................................................37 Industrial Netting ............................................................30 Kensal Carbide...............................................................47 LeFort America...............................................................25
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