Use of new materials in manufacturing means recyclers must adapt
As new material grades come online and production expands across the region, the recycling industry in the Upstate must adapt to maintain an efficiency level suitable to the environment.
John Suchon, commercial manager at OmniSource, said the metal recycling company wants to ensure the practice is done properly throughout South Carolina.
In addition to Spartanburg County, OmniSource has locations across South Carolina including Rock Hill, Anderson, Columbia and Greenville, he said.
Company-wide, OmniSource is capable of processing 7 million tons of ferrous scrap per year and more than 1 billion pounds of nonferrous metals, Suchon said. The company’s $7 million shredding machine located in Spartanburg County can break down 2,000 tons of material each day and reduce an automobile to shreds in 20 to 25 seconds.
Although the industries involving exotic metals have yet to establish a strong presence in the Upstate, Suchon said they are “starting to gear up.”
“We are used to the ‘old-school’ automobile materials or obsolete scrap, but we need to stay in front of the trends to efficiently recycle the new materials,” he said. As these companies come into the area, OmniSource will work with them on the standards of efficient recycling, he said.
Suchon noted that the aerospace industry has a strong representation in the Upstate and continues to draw more companies to the Spartanburg and Greenville area. Specialty aerospace items such as titanium, high-strength alloys, Inconel, Monel, and stainless material are becoming more prevalent. In addition, “we are processing more circuit boards then ever and anticipate more carbon fiber and plastic resin material to be recycled in the near future,” he said.
While older materials were easier to pull apart, Suchon said newer materials are co-joined and more difficult to separate. Co-
mingled materials can create an issue for cost and how the products are processed, he said.
As new technologies and recycling methods become intertwined with the older practices, OmniSource places an emphasis on maintaining environmentally sound operations.
Suchon said larger companies have a responsibility to ensure their materials are disposed of in an environmentally respectful way. The companies don’t want to be accountable for their discarded materials being handled improperly, he said. “Our stance is to be a good corporate citizen of South Carolina.”
As OmniSource establishes its recycling presence in the Upstate, the company continues to work with existing businesses and those new to the region on the changing face of the industry.
Suchon said most companies want to be “green,” but the cost can be an issue. Recycling is a long-term investment, he said. Many businesses have environmental staffs on board but as production materials change and processes are adjusted, “they will need to be informed.”
Suchon said it is imperative that local industries engage a good recycling program. By interacting with the region’s companies, “we have found things to help each other,” he said. There is a good interchange of information in the Upstate business community, he said.
OmniSource’s presence in the area can assist the existing industry in becoming more cost-effective with recycling while spurring innovation, Suchon said.
As the new materials come into play and as OmniSource establishes a standard for their recycling, the relationship can enable the development of technology and offer insight on how their materials can be produced for 100 percent recycling down the road, Suchon said.
