Toyota Material Handling, Columbus, Indiana, says its new model includes improved ergonomics, controls, programming and diagnostics.

Toyota Material Handling (TMH), a leading North American manufacturer of forklifts and warehousing solutions based in Columbus, Indiana, has launched an updated version of the Toyota 3-Wheel Electric Forklift. The new mode raises the standard on innovation and versatility with more than 30 advances, including improved ergonomics, operator assist features and onboard programming and diagnostics.

“The current Toyota 3-Wheel forklift is already a fantastic [machine], and with new features and options, we believe it can solve our customers’ evolving problems and continue to be the forklift of choice for a wide variety of warehousing applications,” TMH Senior Vice President of Operations, Engineering and Strategic Planning Tony Miller, says. “The enhancements to the 3-Wheel Forklift will enable operators to be even more productive over the life of the vehicle with a lower cost of ownership.”

Smooth, responsive controls are part of the improved ergonomics that make operating the forklift easier. The 4.3-inch high-resolution display gives the operator access to controls and information in an easy-to-read format. The full-suspension seat is wider with no hip restraints and is weight adjustable for greater operator comfort. The EZ Fingertip Control option allows each function to be operated with a single finger or thumb, minimizing unnecessary movement. Operators will appreciate the optional rear-assist grip with a horn that makes reverse travel more comfortable.

The new forklift also features 100-percent onboard programming and diagnostics, allowing application-specific fine-tuning and faster service for reliable performance. Other operating improvements include wet disc brakes that seal out debris and keep brakes cool. The auto parking brake automatically applies anytime the forklift is turned off or the operator leaves the seat. It enhances operator control by being turned off with the quick push of a button.

Automatic Mast Control (AMC) responds automatically to enhance the stability of loads, and the mast cushioning feature reduces wear and tear on the mast. The base features include 3,000- to 4,000-pound capacity, an AC drive motor and industry-leading travel times.

Energy-efficient improvements offer 40 percent longer run time on a single charge. A slope-sensing auto power mode automatically switches power mode to maintain speed while traveling up a slope. An optional Toyota lithium-Ion battery minimizes maintenance costs and downtime for improved productivity.

The company says the program opens the door for postconsumer recycling efforts at the Buchanan, New York, gypsum plant.

Saint-Gobain North America, Malvern, Pennsylvania, through its building products subsidiary business unit CertainTeed Gypsum, in collaboration with three New York partner companies, has launched a circular economy initiative. The company has begun reclaiming scrap gypsum wallboard at its Buchanan, New York, facility and reusing the material as feedstock for new products.  

“As the only gypsum manufacturing plant in New York, our colleagues in Buchanan were able to create a true circular economy,” says Jay Bachmann, vice president and general manager for CertainTeed Interior Products Group. “From the creation of drywall products to the construction, to processing scraps and back into drywall production, the material is continuously used and never leaves the state. Our Buchanan plant has increased our capacity to reuse recycled material and we look forward to growing this successful pilot into a long-term program while working with builders and recyclers across the state.”   

The closed-loop project, hosted at the only gypsum wallboard manufacturing site in the state of New York, comes as Saint-Gobain rolls out its new global Grow and Impact strategy. This includes reducing waste and increasing the circularity of raw materials in its production processes, allowing Saint-Gobain to achieve a net zero carbon footprint by 2050.  

The initiative was launched in collaboration with Cooper Recycling and Structure Tone and facilitated by Lendlease. The gypsum material was separated and collected at the Structure Tone construction site, processed at the Cooper Recycling facility and then reclaimed at the Buchanan plant creating new drywall, thereby eliminating 20 tons of gypsum scrap going to landfill.  

“This holistic approach between stakeholders in the construction and recycling and manufacturing supply chains is an ideal model for the circular economy,” says William Cooper, director of business development for Cooper Recycling. “We are eager to expand these efforts and continue moving the needle on sustainable development in New York. With common goals of a more sustainable future, we believe that partnerships like these present incredible potential.” 

Kent County Department of Public Works is moving toward a more integrated countywide waste solution that could lead to future changes in tipping fees.

Michigan’s Kent County Board of Public Works has decided to maintain disposal fees at all Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) facilities for the coming year in an Oct. 6 meeting. The disposal fees, or tipping fees, apply to all haulers delivering material to the Recycling and Education Center in Grand Rapids, the Covanta-operated and county-owned Kent County Waste-to-Energy Facility in Grand Rapids, South Kent Landfill in Byron Center and North Kent Transfer Station in Rockford. Residential recycling drop-off remains free for all Kent County residents.

“The Kent County Department of Public Works has worked strategically to keep costs low, including cutting expenses and maximizing revenues,” says Dar Baas, Kent County DPW director, in a news release about the fees. “After a couple years of increasing our disposal fees to compensate for lower recycling commodity prices, capital improvements at the waste-to-energy facility and the general increase in costs to run our facilities, we are able to keep our rates where they are and still provide the services our community expects.”

Haulers pay by the ton to deliver material to a Kent County DPW facility. The rate at South Kent Landfill and North Kent Transfer Station will remain $46.10 per ton for general refuse in 2023. The waste-to-energy facility tipping fee will remain at $74 per ton, and the fee for haulers delivering recycling to the Recycling and Education Center will remain at $70 per ton for Kent County loads and $75 per ton for non-Kent County loads. All solid waste disposal rates are available on the Kent County DPW website at www.reimagintrash.org.

Kent County DPW also charges $1.68 per ton for landfill and waste-to-energy waste to fund the monitoring and treatment of closed landfills in Kent County. Recently, the surcharge helped to fund on-site per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) treatment equipment at the closed North Kent Landfill.

“The board of Public Works is committed to evaluating and making decisions on disposal fees that keep our facilities and services running today and into the future,” says Emily Breve, chair of the Kent County board of Public Works. “We believe keeping the tipping fees the same for next year provides consistency and stability for waste haulers and the customers they serve, who are constantly adjusting to increases in fuel costs and staffing.”

In the coming year, the Kent County DPW says it plans to seek approval for the first phase of a Sustainable Business Park, which includes a mixed-waste processor that will be able to divert up to 60 percent of municipal solid waste currently disposed of in a landfill. If approved, the mixed-waste processor, Kent County BioEnergy Facility LLC, could be up and running by 2026, the DPW says.

The South Kent Landfill is projected to reach capacity and close in 2029, prompting the need to find a solution to divert waste or construct a new landfill. Kent County DPW says it is working toward a more integrated countywide waste solution that could lead to future changes in tipping fees.

Madynski held a variety of positions at Detroit Edge Tool Co. for 45 years.

Jerome “Jerry” Madynski, a former vice president of sales at Detroit-based Detroit Edge Tool Co., died Oct. 1 at age 73 from complications resulting from a surgery he had in late September.

According to his obituary, Madynski graduated from De La Salle High School in Detroit in 1967. After his graduation, he served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in January 1970.

Madynski began to work for Detroit Edge Tool Co. in 1970 and held a variety of roles at the company throughout his career. According to Detroit Edge Tool, he began his career at the company in the shipping and receiving department and later served as the company’s plant manager, general manager, vice president of marketing and vice president of sales. He retired from the company in 2015.

After retiring, Madynski continued to serve as a member of Detroit Edge Tool’s board of directors.

“He was an extremely dedicated, loyal, knowledgeable and trustworthy friend and mentor to us all,” Detroit Edge Tool Co. says in a statement about Madynski. “Jerry was a great family man and a military veteran who loved his country. Jerry was a great team player with an incredible sense of humor. Jerry will be missed.”

Madynski is survived by his wife, Janice, as well as his children, Jeffrey (Nancy), Jeremy (Rachel) and Jaimie (Andrew) Fons. He is survived by his grandsons, Thomas, Cassius Jahn and August Madynski as well as Griffin, Charles and Theodore Fons. He also is survived by his siblings, John Madynski Jr., Gerard Madynski, Catherine (Mark) Iwanski, Mary (Russ) Weill and Chris (Lisa) Madynski.

The team is building a facility to increase the city’s recycling capacity.

Balcones Resources, Austin, Texas, has selected CP Group, San Diego, as the equipment provider for its material recovery facility (MRF) in San Antonio, set to open in 2024.   

Balcones says the equipment represents the latest in automation and technology in the industry, which makes the MRF the most advanced in the country, with five to 10 manual sorters. The MRF will have a processing capacity of 50 tons per hour and will serve residential and commercial recycling streams in San Antonio. It will be integrated with the ability to process high volumes of postcommercial, postindustrial paper and plastic scrap to benefit the region’s growing distribution infrastructure.  

“CP Group has been a tremendous partner throughout this process,” says Adam Vehik, CEO of Balcones. “Their team worked closely with us to design a best-in-class system that would provide superior recovery rates and economic value to San Antonio, and we knew that their reputation of reliability and consistent performance would serve to strengthen our proposal.”   

According to a news release from CP Group, the facility will contain technological and processing advancements, including auger screens that eliminate the presort station. The MRF will use a CP Primary Auger screen to scalp 6-inch-minus material and two patented old corrugated cardboard (OCC) Auger Screens to scalp 8-inch-minus material to produce a clean OCC end product. These three machines are located before any sorters, allowing for downstream sorting efficiency of fractionated material streams.   

The screens remove OCC and other large materials from the remainder of the automated recovery process. Material is sent to a four-deck glass breaker screen and LightsOut ADS to remove and clean glass. After the glass is removed, the material goes to two high-volume disc screens, a CP AntiWrap Screen for the midsize fraction, and a CPScreen for the small fraction material. These screens play an important role in liberating conjoined material and fines. Disc Screens split material by mechanical properties so the downstream automated sorting equipment can achieve the highest efficiencies, according to the equipment supplier.   

The system will use a high degree of sorting automation, including five MSS FiberMax optical sorters, which run at 1,000 feet per minute on 112-inch-wide belts. These machines will use different sorting recipes depending on the unit’s position in the MRF to positively sort fiber, OCC and contaminants. On the container line, three MSS PlasticMax optical sorters will sort polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP). A magnet will remove ferrous, and an eddy current will remove nonferrous material. Two MSS AI units will be used to quality control containers, specifically PET and aluminum.   

The system will incorporate CP’s new silo designs, which include leveling augers and silo augers. Using augers in silos provides maximum use of space and an accurate feed to the baling lines to eliminate half bales or bale reruns. The facility will have three balers, one single-ram for cardboard and two two-ram balers. Each commodity has the opportunity to reach two balers for redundancy.   

“We’ve incorporated the latest and greatest in MRF technology and automation into this design. The system will be operational with as few as five sorters,” says Branden Sidwell, CP Group design engineer. “This exceptionally low headcount comes thanks to material fractionating along with the automated recovery and quality control of nearly every commodity.”   

The Balcones MRF will support the development of a circular economy in San Antonio. It will be able to aggregate significant volumes of high-quality recycled materials, creating quality feedstock for more businesses to enter the circular economy. The site and building designs are focused on rapid turnaround time for city collections, haulers, outbound recipients of baled commodities and businesses.   

“The MRF will enable the city and the business community to make major progress toward their recycling goals,” says Joaquin Mariel, Balcones’ chief commercial officer. “Its advanced technology will enable the city to get the highest possible value out of the recycling stream. This means more of the recoverable plastic, metal, glass, cardboard [and more], that is in recycling bins today will be sent to an end market that will bring value to the city’s program. The same will be true for any hauler or neighboring community that will use the Balcones San Antonio MRF as their recycling partner.”