The soybean oil compound replaces a portion of the petroleum used in tire production and is sourced from left over food applications.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., headquartered in Akron, Ohio, debuted its latest tire innovation at Waste Expo in Las Vegas. Goodyear launched a new formulation of its Endurance WHA waste haul tire made with a renewable soybean oil compound. Soybean oil replaces a portion of the petroleum-based materials traditionally used in tire production.
Jessica Julian, product marketing manager for Goodyear, says the inclusion of the soybean oil compound aligns with Goodyear’s focus on providing sustainable options for Goodyear’s clients as well as increasing Goodyear’s overall sustainability as a company.
The soybean oil in the tire is a bio-based material currently sourced from surplus left over from food applications and is another step in Goodyear’s global journey to fully replace petroleum-derived oils by 2040.
“Producing the new Endurance WHA tire lineup with a sustainable soybean oil compound will help waste haul fleets pursue their sustainability goals while delivering the long hours to removal that the Endurance WHA tire is known for,” Julian said. “In each new Endurance WHA tire, soybean oil will replace almost 16 liquid ounces of free-flowing petroleum oil – almost as much as a 16-ounce red plastic party cup. When you multiply that by a moderately-sized regional waste haul fleet of around 500 trucks, it could decrease petroleum-based products by the equivalent of almost 15 barrels of oil.”
Julian said the technology for the tire was first applied in the company’s consumer tires, and the success of that application allowed Goodyear to expand the use to its larger commercial tires.
Endurance WHA tire models made with soybean oil are now available for order and will head into production in Q3 of 2022.
The Endurance WHA tire is designed to keep waste haul fleets on the road longer with a dual-layer tread compound that helps optimize treadwear. Add to that, rolling resistance and a deep 24/32" skid depth for long tread life in waste haul applications. Additionally, the Endurance WHA comes with optional built-in DuraSeal Technology that instantly seals tread punctures to help fleets reduce downtime, costly repairs and premature removal of a tire.
Goodyear also offers a cloud-based system, TPMS, that provides fleet insights to its customers. Users can receive updates and warnings on tire pressure and performance to keep track of fleets and stay up to date on maintenance.
The facilities near Atlanta and Cleveland are designed to process and aggregate difficult-to-recycle mixed plastics, paper and metals.
Amp Robotics Corp., a Denver-based company that develops artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and infrastructure for the recycling and waste industries, has announced the launch of two new high-diversion production facilities based on its infrastructure model for advanced secondary sortation.
The facilities are located in Lithonia, Georgia, outside of Atlanta, and in Solon, Ohio, outside of Cleveland, Amp founder and CEO Matanya Horowitz tells Recycling Today. The sites are designed to economically process and aggregate low volumes of difficult-to-recycle mixed plastics, paper and metals sourced from residue supplied by material recovery facilities (MRFs) and other sources.
He adds that the secondary sorting facilities, which are equipped with Amp's robotics and vision systems, allow MRF operators to monetize changing material streams without changing their plants. Amp plans to work with older MRFs that are not designed to capture certain materials, such as polypropylene. "We are still feeling out the landscape," Horowitz says when asked how many tons per month the sites in the Atlanta and Cleveland areas expect to process.
Amp plans to locate additional secondary sorting facilities on the East and West coasts in the second half of the year, targeting major metro areas that have a large number of MRFs, he says.
All of the sites' technology is built around Amp's artificial intelligence that will enable the robots to capture various materials in response to end-market demands. Horowitz says the facilities can create custom material blends for chemical recyclers as well as bales of plastics that are specialized by color or form factor.
“With the success of the pilot facility we launched last year in Denver, we’ve been working hard to bring online additional facilities powered by our application of AI for material identification and advanced automation,” Matanya Horowitz says in a news release about the sites. “This secondary sortation model is helping to address the millions of tons of recyclables and billions of dollars worth of material feedstock lost to landfill despite the demand for high-quality recycled content from consumer packaged goods companies and brand owners.”
Through its secondary sortation model, Amp recovers mixed paper, metals and a portfolio of Nos. 1-7 plastics with a special focus on plastic blends uniquely enabled by AI. The company says its AI platform, Amp Neuron, recognizes 50 billion objects annually, adding that it continues to innovate its AI capabilities to identify and recover film and flexible packaging that can create operational challenges for MRFs, are complicated to recover and expensive to reprocess.
Amp says it’s seeking relationships with waste management companies to accept or buy residual or secondary materials as well as strategic partnerships with plastics reclaimers, chemical recyclers and other plastics manufacturers for off-take of recovered plastics.
Horowitz says the sites will charge a tipping fee, though Amp could be willing to pay for the material depending on its composition.
The launch of the secondary sorting facilities also comes amid Amp’s ongoing expansion of its AI-enables robotics system business, with approximately 230 deployments of its Amp Cortex robotic sorting systems in nearly 80 facilities across three continents, and has doubled its year-over-year revenue for three straight years.
“Data is at the heart of what we do,” says Amanda Marrs, senior director of product at Amp. “Our AI platform, Amp Neuron, continues to achieve breakthroughs in data accuracy and classification of different polymers, form factors and other packaging types. Our neural network is built on a data engine that has recognized more than 50 billion containers and packaging types in real-world conditions."
Marrs adds, “These advancements in material recognition continuously improve performance for our customers and open the door to other categories of packaging that have been historically challenging to identify, such as plastic films and flexible packaging—an area we’re heavily focused on in new product development.”
The technology uses four sensors that alert a driver when objects, pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists are in the truck’s blind spot.
Mack Trucks, Greensboro, North Carolina, has announced Attleboro, Massachusetts-based Sensata Technologies’ PreView multisensor collision warning system is now available on the Mack LR, Mack LR Electric and Mack TerraPro models.
According to a news release, Sensata uses four radar sensors, one on the front, rear and both sides of the vehicle. The radar detects objects, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, called vulnerable road users (VRU) in a driver’s blind spot.
“Mack Trucks is committed to safety, and the PreView safety system will help mitigate the risk of accidents for drivers and improve the safety of those on the roadway with heavy-duty vehicles,” says Josh Seiferth, Mack Trucks cabover product manager. “Ninety-five percent of refuse collection occurs in an urban or suburban setting, such as neighborhoods, schools, apartment complexes and more. Mack is proud to be one of the first refuse vehicle OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to utilize a system to help detect VRUs.”
When a VRU is detected, an audible alert is sounded, and the A-pillar lights flash, alerting drivers there is an object or VRU in a blind spot. The PreView radar system is available as an option and is factory-installed on new builds. Customers may also retrofit their trucks with the system by contacting their local Mack dealer.
Mack says PreView is always on. The system requires no maintenance unless something damages it or a software upgrade is available.
The Mack LR is a diesel-powered low-entry refuse vehicle featuring large windshields, side windows and a rear wraparound window for improved safety. The Mack LR Electric, Mack’s first fully electric Class 8 vehicle, also features the same visibility enhancements.
The Mack TerraPro model features the forward-most window glass in the industry to help keep others on the road and job site safe. Along with refuse, the TerraPro model also is available as a concrete pumper and conveyor belt configuration.
For more information about PreView, the Mack LR, Mack LR Electric and the TerraPro model click here.
'Tremendous network of distributor partners' is responsible for New Way Trucks' growth, says Don Ross, New Way Trucks vice president of sales and marketing.
New Way Trucks, Scranton, Iowa, one of the largest privately held manufacturers of refuse equipment in North America, recognized its top distributors of 2021 Tuesday afternoon in the company’s booth at WasteExpo in Las Vegas. The company recognizes that its well-respected distributor network is an important key to its success.
“Our significant growth in recent years would not have been possible without the continued support and efforts of our New Way distributors,” says Don Ross, vice president of sales and marketing for New Way Trucks. “We have a tremendous network of distributor partners. I want to recognize the entire group for their commitment to New Way and a job well done in 2021. We share a common goal with our distributor-partners: to build, distribute and support the highest-quality, most reliable equipment in the solid waste industry.”
These 10 New Way distributors received awards and were recognized for leading the pack in 2021:
“We are happy to recognize these hardworking distributors for their dedication to New Way and quality customer service,” says Mike McLaughlin, CEO of New Way Trucks. “Our industry-leading distributor network is the bedrock of our organization, and we’re thankful for the significant role our committed distributors have played in assuring our business continues to drive forward amidst unprecedented circumstances.”
Joe Lombardi has governmental, finance and landfill permitting experience.
The board of trustees of the Columbus, Ohio-based Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) has unanimously voted to hire Joe Lombardi as its new executive director. The role had been vacant following the retirement of Ty Marsh in March of this year. Lombardi’s first day with the agency will be June 6.
Lombardi currently serves as director of the department of finance and management with the city of Columbus. He has more than 30 years of governmental experience with an emphasis in finance, administration, policy development and procurement, according to SWACO.
From 2016 to 2021, Lombardi served on the SWACO board of trustees. During his tenure, the agency says he “helped shape and support the securing of a new permit-to-install” for the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill solar energy project.
SWACO also gives Lombardi credit for helping to establish a Carbon Emissions Management Plan for SWACO that it says is “aligned with the international Paris Accord.” As a board member, Lombardi also supported new programs aimed at helping Franklin County achieve record high recycling and landfill diversion rates annually, the agency says.
Lombardi’s appointment follows a search led by an ad hoc committee of the SWACO board, assisted by Ohio-based Strategic HR and Direct Effect Solutions, in which more than 90 candidates expressed interest in the position, according to SWACO.
“Joe’s extensive background in public finance, executive leadership, familiarity with SWACO and close connections to the Central Ohio community will serve the agency well as we work with local communities, schools and businesses to advance our strategic direction in order to achieve a 75 percent diversion goal in Central Ohio,” says SWACO board chair Susan Tilgner.
“Central Ohio residents, families and businesses are passionate about the way we manage our waste and care for the environment, so I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and share new ideas and opportunities to further leverage the waste stream for our region’s benefit,” Lombardi says. “I appreciate the confidence the board has placed in me to lead the agency, and I’m committed to being a champion for the good work and strategic direction already underway by the team at SWACO.”