Ohio Valley Aluminum Co. manufactures 6000-series aluminum billet made from recycled scrap for extrusion applications.
Matalco Inc., a division of Toronto-based Giampaolo Group Inc., has acquired the Ohio Valley Aluminum Co. LLC (OVACO), which is based in Shelbyville, Kentucky. KPMG Corporate Finance LLC served as the financial advisor to the OVACO.
According to a news release from KPMG, OVACO was founded in 1955 and manufactures high-quality 6000-series aluminum billet made from recycled scrap for extrusion applications.
“This is an exciting time for OVACO’s continued evolution,” says Steven Richardson, president of OVACO. “We have diligently upgraded systems and made improvements to keep up with our customers’ demands over the last decade. This new chapter in OVACO’s story will further improve our abilities as the synergies realized through this transaction will benefit OVACO, Matalco, and most importantly, our combined customer base.”
Recycling Today reached out to Matalco for comment on the transaction but did not hear back from the company.
Matalco is a large producer of 6000-series aluminum billet for aluminum extrusion and forging applications. The company now operates six billet plants in the United States, with a seventh plant under construction in Franklin, Kentucky, which KPMG says will bring Matalco’s total capacity to 1.6 billion pounds annually.
The plant will have the capacity to process 50,000 metric tons of postconsumer PET bottles per year.
Alpla, a global producer of sustainable packaging solutions and bottle-to-bottle recycler, says it plans to begin construction on a new recycling plant in Cunduacán, Tabasco, Mexico, as part of its joint venture with Mexico-City-based Coca-Cola FEMSA, a large bottler of Coca-Cola products.
The joint venture is investing $60 million in the new recycling plant, known as Planta Nueva Ecología de Tabasco (PLANETA). According to a news release from Alpla, the facility will have the capacity to process 50,000 metric tons of postconsumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles per year, which it says will result in 35,000 metric tons of recycled PET materials ready for reuse.
Alpla reports that construction and operation of PLANETA is expected to generate 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, helping to promote development and employment in southeast Mexico. The company says the facility also will integrate 18 collection centers throughout south and southeast Mexico to supply the facility.
“The big challenge today is the handling of the materials after the consumption phase,” says Alpla CEO Philipp Lehner. “We are currently investing worldwide in systems to give plastic packaging a value because then it is collected and recycled. With strong partners like Coca-Cola FEMSA at our side, we will be able to set up the necessary infrastructure and close the bottle cycle in as many regions as possible.”
Carlos Torres Ballesteros, Alpla’s managing director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, says this new plant for food-grade PET is the company’s third recycling plant in Mexico. He adds that Alpla plans to continue to invest more than 50 million euros (or about $56 million) every year between 2021 and 2025 to expand the company’s global recycling capacity.
Coca-Cola FEMSA reports that this latest investment also is in line with some of its sustainability commitments. The company, which is part of the global World Without Waste initiative launched by Coca-Cola Co., aims to make all of its packaging 100 percent recyclable by 2025 as well as integrate 50 percent recycled PET resin into bottles and collect 100 percent of that packaging by 2030.
Since 2005, Alpla reports that Alpla Mexico, Coca-Cola Mexico and Coca-Cola FEMSA have partnered to run Industria Mexicana de Reciclaje (IMER), a food-grade PET recycling plant. That facility has a production capacity of 15,000 metric tons of flakes from postconsumer PET scrap per year. The company says this plant has processed more than 140,000 metric tons of this material to date.
The company released AmFiber as a platform for recyclable paper-based packaging products.
Amcor, a global packaging producer based in Zurich, has launched AmFiber, a new platform of paper-based packaging products. The company says AmFiber paper-based packaging will provide a wider range of features and benefits to meet the needs of consumers.
This new platform is in line with Amcor’s 2025 pledge to develop all its packaging to be recyclable or reusable and to increase the use of recycled content by 2025.
According to a news release from Amcor, the first AmFiber product to launch will be a solution tailored to provide snacks and confectionery customers in Europe with a recyclable paper-based package. The company says it plans to extend these paper-based offerings to more applications, such as packaging for coffee, drink powders, seasoning and soups as well as into the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions.
“Amcor’s long-term experience in paper and carton packaging was the basis for launching the AmFiber platform,” says Ron Delia, CEO of Amcor. “Amcor has a proven history of delivering groundbreaking innovation to support our customers’ growth aspirations. This family of differentiated paper-based products builds on Amcor’s extensive track record across multiple materials and applications.”
Polymers producer says its Omnix polyamide resins have at least 33 percent recycled content.
Brussels-based polymers producer Solvay has introduced what it calls a high-performance polyamide (HPPA) compound family based on a minimum of 33 percent recycled content. Known as Omnix, the blends include a resin consisting of 70 percent post-industrial and post-consumer recycled content Solvay says is “highly secured and has a controlled process by the supplier.”
Omnix ReCycle HPPA technology is part of Solvay’s One Planet roadmap designed to be “continuously improving the environmental footprint and circularity of its product portfolio,” says the firm,
“As Solvay’s first-ever recycled-based HPPA with 50 percent glass fiber reinforcement, Omnix ReCycle is a real breakthrough in the market of polyamides for household appliances,” says Claire Guerrero, global marketing manager for packaging segment and sustainability at Solvay
Adds Guerrero of Omnix, “It combines the outstanding mechanical properties of virgin semi-aromatic HPPA with better flow, lower water pickup and best-in-class surface aspect. In addition, its unique performance and sustainability profile offers an attractive material solution for brand owners and manufacturers who seek to increase the recycled content in their products without compromising dimensional stability, high stiffness, impact resistance and processability.”
Solvay cites household appliances as an application in which Omnix can deliver “higher durability than provided by standard PA6 or PA66 polymers.” Adds the company, “This helps OEMs reduce breakage and damage returns while meeting the growing awareness of consumers for longevity and lower environmental impact in their product choices. With its excellent surface appearance, the new recycled-based HPPA can also eliminate the need for painting, which adds to its overall sustainable benefits and facilitates the end-of-life recyclability of applications in an increasingly circular plastics economy. Another target is wear and tear resistance for lightweight interior components in transportation and automotive.”
Solvay says Omnix ReCycle can be processed on standard injection molding equipment, including the use of water-heated molds. The recycled content of Omnix ReCycle saves resources and results in a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to virgin HPPA, adds the company.
Vikram Mansharamani and a representative from maslansky+partners will serve as two general session speakers at the event, which takes place March 21-24 in Las Vegas.
The Washington-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has announced that Dr. Vikram Mansharamani, a business advisor an strategist, and a representative from maslansky+partners will serve as general session speakers on the main stage at the ISRI2022 Convention and Exposition, which takes place March 21-24 in Las Vegas.
Mansharamani is a global trend-watcher who teaches people how to anticipate the future, manage risk and spot opportunities. According to a news release from ISRI, he lectures at Harvard University and advises Fortune 500 CEOs to help them navigate uncertainties in today’s business and regulatory environment. During his session, he will provide a deep dive into what the future may hold for the recycling industry.
Additionally, maslansky+partners will lead a general session to help the recycling industry define itself and communicate its activities and goals to local communities, lawmakers and the public. The company is led by Michael Maslansky, who advises Fortune 500 companies, industry associations and professional communicators on language strategies that shift perceptions and move markets.
ISRI is continuing to develop its programming for this year’s event. The association says it is updating its website with programming and registration details.
“Whether it’s a commodity spotlight or individual sessions relating to different topics, it’s going to be very high-quality programming and bring a lot of return on investment for attendees,” says Stephen Moss, chairman of ISRI2022.