The operation includes a new asphalt shingle recycling facility and the expansion of another shingle plant.

GAF, a Standard Industries manufacturing company based in Parsippany, New Jersey, has announced plans for its initial commercial-scale asphalt shingle recycling operation to reclaim post-consumer shingle waste and support production of the first roofing shingles manufactured with recycled asphalt.

The operation includes a new asphalt shingle recycling center located in Corsicana, Texas, designed to take end-of-life roofing shingles, reclaim 90 percent of the waste material collected and create high-quality recycled asphalt briquettes that can be transported and used in the manufacture of new products. It also includes an expansion to GAF's Ennis, Texas shingle plant, which will allow it to utilize the briquettes to manufacture shingles containing recycled material that meet the same standards for quality and performance as GAF’s other Timberline products.

GAF expects both components to be fully operational by the end of 2023. GAF plans to scale this recycling capability with the ultimate goal of incorporating recycled asphalt content across all GAF shingle products and diverting at least 1 million tons of asphalt shingles annually from landfills by 2030, the company says. Once operations are up and running, the Corsicana facility will be able to divert 300,000 tons of shingle waste from landfills a year, supplying the Ennis plant, and other shingle facilities, with enough recycled asphalt briquettes to produce shingles containing recycled content for more than 660,000 homes each year.

“The breakthrough technology that we have developed not only allows us to create a circular economy for asphalt roofing singles but also creates a product that can be used by any company that requires asphalt as a component of its manufacturing process,” says Jim Schnepper, chief executive officer of GAF. “As leaders in the roofing industry, we have a responsibility to use our expertise and resources to make a positive impact. We are proud of this important milestone, which is good for the industry and the planet.”

About 75 percent of roofs in the U.S. are protected with asphalt shingles, and only about 10 percent of those roofs are reused or recycled, with the rest (13 million tons) ending up in landfills, according to GAF. The company says the shingles from just one roof produce enough recycled material to cover 12 new roofs through its process.

“This is an exciting moment for the city of Corsicana,” says Mayor Don Denbow, city of Corsicana, Texas. “We are proud to have been selected by GAF as the location for their first full-scale recycling facility and to be at the forefront of innovation and sustainability in the roofing industry. The work that will be done in Corsicana will have a positive impact for generations to come.”

“GAF is a tremendous partner bringing capital investment and good jobs to our community. We are honored to have Ennis selected for this milestone expansion project,” says Mayor Angeline Juenemann, city of Ennis, Texas. “The city of Ennis is a city that cares about our environment, being a part of the innovative work GAF is doing to address a major sustainability issue is a privilege we don’t take lightly.”

The next generation machine features low-cost operation and maintenance, as well as a "must have" E-drive option.

At IFAT in Munich, M&J Recycling, Horsens, Denmark, reports attendees expressed particular interest in the company’s latest addition—the modular M&J P250 preshredder, which is the next generation of the former flagship M&J 4000S.

“The visitors to our stand were very excited about our new, modular preshredder. Understandably, everyone in the industry has a strong focus on avoiding long and expensive downtime, so easy maintenance is a super important competitive parameter,” M&J Recycling CEO Uffe Hansen says. “And our E-drive option will be a ‘must have’ for many customers. We are extremely pleased with the reception of the M&J P250 and feel convinced that it will quickly gain a foothold in the market.”

M&J Recycling is a global green-tech company focused on manufacturing shredders for the waste management industry.

The preshredder's modular design costs less to operate and maintain than competitors. The individual parts can be dismantled quickly and easily, saving time and money on servicing the machine, as well as ongoing maintenance.

All the parts on the M&J P250 can be quickly removed and replaced, if necessary, and the modular design also has the advantage that operators only have to replace the parts that are actually worn. This ensures high uptime in production and large savings because fewer hours and spare parts are spent on maintenance and service. The modular design also makes the service work on the machine safer and work-friendly.

Another highlight at IFAT for M&J Recycling was presenting eFactor3 President Hartmut Bendfeldt the 2021 M&J Partner Award.

“EFactor3 has made great decisions and achieved outstanding results as our sales and service partner in the USA,” M&J Recycling Commercial Director Morten Kiil Rasmussen says.

European material handling equipment supplier will sell off Russian operations.

Finland-based material handling equipment maker Mantsinen Group says it is “in the process of divesting our Russian businesses and [is] negotiating the sale of our subsidiaries.”

The company, which bills itself as “the largest hydraulic material handling machines and cranes in the world,” says it has been active in Russia for almost 25 years. Mantsinen says it ceased export operations to Russia “immediately after Russia began a war of aggression into Ukraine.”

The firm says shortly thereafter it also “began to investigate different options for continuation of operations of the Russian subsidiaries” before reaching the decision to divest.

“The main objective is to ensure a good solution for the Mantsinen Group and to ensure continuity for our local teams and customers,” says Mia Mantsinen, the company’s CEO.

The firm says, “In the future, Russian companies will operate as independent companies and under a new name. Mantsinen Group will not continue its own operations in Russia after the sale of the companies. After the change, the group’s only subsidiary is Mantsinen Sverige Ab in Sweden.”

The company was recognized for Installing recycling technology at Its Silver Grove, Kentucky, gypsum wallboard plant.

Saint-Gobain, a building materials manufacturer with North American headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its recent efforts in gypsum recycling. Through its building products subsidiary CertainTeed LLC, the company received the 2022 Better Project Award for the company’s recycling program at its gypsum wallboard plant in Silver Grove, Kentucky.

Saint-Gobain says CertainTeed’s facility in Silver Grove is the largest gypsum wallboard plant in North America and one of the largest in the world. The recycling project announced in December will allow the facility to recycle and reuse 15,000 tons of paper per year that otherwise would have been sent to a landfill. The recycling technology works by grinding down waste gypsum and wastepaper into fine particles, which are then sorted and reintroduced to the production process at the plant.

The project was announced months after Saint-Gobain rolled out its new global Grow and Impact strategy, which includes reducing waste and increasing the circularity of raw materials at its manufacturing sites. CertainTeed invested $850,000 into the recycling equipment.

“Our recycling technology in Silver Grove allows us to reduce our waste, reduce our consumption of natural resources and also reduce our production costs, all while continuing to produce the best gypsum wallboard product on the market,” says Dennis Wilson, vice president of environmental, social, governance North America and managing director of Saint-Gobain Circular Economy Solutions. “...We will continue to look for ways to minimize our environmental footprint while striving to maximize our company’s positive impact for our customers and the communities where we operate.”

CertainTeed is looking to deploy similar technology at its additional gypsum wallboard manufacturing sites in North America.

The DOE's Better Projects awards recognize manufacturers who improve energy efficiency and competitiveness in the industrial sector. To be considered for an award, projects must deliver significant waste or energy savings and is discreet, innovative and replicable in similar industrial facilities.

The company says the panel can be made with recycled cardboard and plastic.

Xeriant, Inc., an aerospace company based in Florida, has announced the successful development of a multipurpose, high-strength fire- and water-resistant composite panel made from a formulation of Retacell and a cardboard fiber-reinforced polymeric resin, which can be sourced from recycled materials.

The panel is fabricated through a compression molding process and may be produced or cut in varying thicknesses and sizes, including standard 48"x96" sheets. Depending on the application, the panel can have different colors, textures or decorative finishes, Xeriant says. Potential interior and exterior construction applications include walls, ceilings, flooring, framing, siding, roofing and decking. Xeriant says it is planning to license the technology to major manufacturers of building products.

“We have been impressed with the Retacell panel’s performance and believe it can compete effectively with many of the building products on the market such as OSB, plywood, drywall and engineered wood flooring, to name a few," Xeriant CEO Keith Duffy says. "The superior flexibility, resistance properties, insulating ability and mechanical strength of this product may also reduce the cost and complexity of SIP systems. Our team in Slovakia is currently testing the panel’s tensile and thermal properties for certification."