Company’s chief operating officer Tom Emmerich offers his insight in recent radio interview.

Tom Emmerich, the chief operating officer of Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Schupan and president of its Schupan Recycling business unit, says policymakers in his home state have room to make changes that can increase the Wolverine State’s recycling volume and rate.

In the interview with Russ White of East Lansing, Michigan-based National Public Radio affiliate WKAR, Schupan was asked several questions about the health of recycling in Michigan.

Emmerich tells the radio station Schupan has its roots in industrial scrap metal recycling and now has five business units, with Schupan Recycling focusing on beverage container recycling in a state that has a deposit-return system, or bottle bill. Emmerich describes that business unit by saying, “We handle a large percentage of all the containers in the state of Michigan.”

When asked about municipal or curbside recycling in Michigan, Emmerich comments, “Do we lag other states? We absolutely do. We have like an 18 percent municipal and recycling rate. That’s up a couple percentage points, but it still lags behind the Minnesotas and Wisconsins and a couple other Midwestern states.”

In terms of beverage container recycling, he adds, “We have relied on the deposit law as our marquee recycling program in Michigan, and it’s been incredibly successful. There’s no reason to look at changing that.”

Recycling in Michigan overall, however, could benefit from a funding boost or policy changes, says Emmerich. “It really comes down to funding,” he said of boosting the 18 percent recycling rate. “How much money is the state willing to put back? And mandates. Michigan has really no mandates on banning certain things from landfills. Other states do. The states that do have much higher recycling rates.”

On the policy front, Emmerich comments, “I testified for two different bills, House Bill 4443 and House Bill 4444. Those bills were pretty much introduced by the beverage community where they are looking for a half-cent per container income tax credit that would help them invest back into the deposit system. Distributors are responsible for the program. A lot of people don’t understand that. Since day one, they initiate the deposit. They’re required to pick the containers up at retail and properly recycle them.”

Noting that Schupan Recycling is “hired” to “help them with that process,” Emmerich adds, “As costs have gone up over the years and money was taken away from distributors back in the early to mid-90s. They haven’t asked for a penny from the state to help them with infrastructure costs. Our costs are up well over 25 percent in the last five or six years.”

In the case of Schupan, Emmerich says the company needs to make “a significant investment in our Wixom [Michigan] operation that we built 16 years ago. If we don’t, then the cost of maintenance is just going to go up and our ability to service retailers and the consumer is going to go down, and nobody’s going to be happy with that.”

A transcript of the interview between White and Emmerich can be found on this web page.

Paula Henderson and Jack Selby have been nominated to the company’s post combination board.

Rubicon Technologies LLC, a Lexington, Kentucky - based digital marketplace for waste and recycling and provider of software-based solutions for businesses and governments, has made changes to its board of directors. The company has nominated Paula Henderson and Jack Selby to its board of directors upon the closing of the company’s previously announced business combination with Founder SPAC.  

Henderson is the executive vice president and chief sales officer for the Americas, at SAS. Selby is the managing director at Thiel Capital and former senior vice president and corporate officer at PayPal.  

“I am thrilled that Paula Henderson has been nominated for election to the post combination Rubicon Board,” says Nate Morris, chairperson and CEO of Rubicon. “Paula has a well-earned reputation as a tireless leader, strategist and executive. She has been a driving force at SAS, helping grow the company year after year.”  

As executive vice president and chief sales officer for the Americas at SAS, Henderson leads teams across government, financial services, health care, life sciences, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, energy and telecommunications. SAS helps clients apply the power of data and analytics to improve their operations, better serve their customers and tackle humanitarian issues around natural disasters, opioid abuse, suicide prevention and more.  

“Rubicon and SAS share a commitment to creating a cleaner, healthier, and safer world through technology and innovation,” said Ms. Henderson. “I look forward to working with Nate and my fellow board members to explore new opportunities to reduce waste in ways that not only benefit the planet but have bottom-line business value.”  

Outside of SAS, Henderson serves on the executive roundtable board for the North Carolina State Chamber and as the chair of the roadside alliance, a nonprofit that raises money for highway beautification. She is also on the boards of the North Carolina State University College of Science, the Institute for Emerging Issues, Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina and First Flight Venture Center Inc. Henderson received her MBA from Meredith College and her BS from North Carolina State University.  

Selby co-founded Clarium Capital Management after selling PayPal to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Selby was one of PayPal’s earliest employees and later served as senior vice president, overseeing the company’s international and corporate operations. Selby is an active technology investor and adviser and an early investor in Affirm, Bird, Myeloid Therapeutics and SpaceX. He also facilitated several investments in Palantir over the company’s life span. Selby was also a member of the advisory boards of Blend and Offerpad.  

“We are thrilled to announce that Jack Selby is nominated for election to the post combination Rubicon Board,” Morris says “Jack brings with him more than 20 years of experience, having helped establish and grow some of the most transformational companies in the world today. He will provide invaluable guidance around corporate governance, finance, and technology strategy, as well as extensive knowledge of how digital transformation is reimagining industries around the world.”  

In addition to his responsibilities at Thiel Capital, Selby is currently a member of the board of directors of the Arizona Commerce Authority, a co-host/founder of the Arizona Technology Innovation Summit with Gov. Doug Ducey and chairperson of invisionAZ. He is also a co-founder and member of the board of directors for the Wyoming Global Technology Partnership with Gov. Mark Gordon. He is also active in film production, having served as a producer and executive producer on a dozen feature films since 2011.  

“Jack is a fantastic nomination to Rubicon’s Board of Directors,” says Osman Ahmed, CEO of founder SPAC. “His deep experience in both finance and technology will bring tremendous value to Rubicon in its life as a public company and help guide our long-term strategy as the leading digital marketplace in waste and recycling. We are thrilled that Jack is nominated to join us and look forward to benefiting from his knowledge and expertise.”  

Selby received a BA in Economics from Hamilton College, where he is also a member of the Board of Trustees. He was selected to serve on the board due to his decades of experience in managing and investing in companies in the technology industry. 

City of Mobile, Alabama, orders a Mack LR Electric waste collection truck.

The city of Mobile, Alabama, has ordered a Mack LR Electric Class 8 refuse vehicle to help it achieve its goals of being a more resilient and energy-efficient city, according to Greensboro, North Carolina-based Mack Trucks.

The sale follows several other LR Electric collection truck sales announced two months ago at the Waste Expo event in Las Vegas.

“Mack would like to thank and congratulate the city of Mobile for its advancement toward electrification,” says Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of sales and commercial operations. “For over a century, Mack Trucks has led the refuse segment through many changes, and it’s only natural that Mack once again leads the way with the latest technology. We look forward to furthering our commitment and the city of Mobile’s commitment to sustainability efforts.”

“As the first electric vehicle (EV) in our public services fleet, we wanted something that could keep up with our existing trucks and our team members could quickly learn to operate,” says Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. “The LR Electric provides the kind of comfort and usability we wanted for our staff, as well as the reliability we’ve come to expect from a Mack truck.”

The City of Mobile chose the Mack LR Electric as its first EV purchase in part because of Mack’s commitment to a delivery schedule that met the city’s needs, according to Mack. The truck maker says it also offered the specific type of electric refuse vehicle Mobile needed.

The Mack LR Electric model will operate within Mobile’s fleet of 26 refuse trucks. Mobile, population 187,000, received funds from the Volkswagen diesel emissions lawsuit settlement that enabled the purchase of the LR Electric vehicle. The City plans to continue to seek grants to help with the purchase of charging stations and the development of a comprehensive EV plan, says the city’s chief resilience officer Casi Callaway.

Four NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt Oxide) lithium-ion batteries power the Mack LR Electric model, with twin electric motors producing 448 continuous horsepower. A two-stage regenerative braking system is designed to recapture energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes each day with an increasing load.

The city of Mobile’s Mack LR Electric will be equipped with an automated side-loader and will operate in residential areas, according to Mack. Mobile also is investing in a what Mack calls a “portable superfast DC charger.” The city’s Mack EV will be supported by Mobile-based Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment Co.

The first service centers are expected to be operational in late 2023.

Gravitas Infinitum LLC., a sustainable impact holding company in Naples, Florida, has entered into an agreement with National Standard, a U.S.-based infrastructure financial and advisory firm in Niles, Michigan, for the deployment of Carbotura Zero-Fill Service Centers in the United States and select international markets.   

According to a news release, the first service centers, expected to be operational in late 2023, will use zero-waste, zero-emissions technology turning waste into advanced materials and helping to reduce dependence on landfills.     

Gravitas calls it a "virtual landfill service" that solves the mounting global waste problem by turning the standard municipal and specialized solid waste collections into recoverable materials which are reusable and sellable products. This structure will allow Gravitas Infinitum to scale multiple Carbotura Zero-Fill centers globally.   

In implementing its Zero-Fill technology, Gravitas Infinitum's Carbotura division and its technology partners use a process called Microwave Accelerated Pyrolysis, which turns solid waste into sellable raw materials with a variety of uses.   

These products include water, renewable fuels, activated carbon, graphite, graphene and other high-value critical materials. Except for oxygen, the process generates no excess waste or emissions as the process is otherwise self-contained. The carbon is recovered in the Zero-Fill process and stored in the end products.   

Of the 2 billion tons of waste produced annually, only about 20 percent is recycled, according to Gravitas. Of that, most are exported to developing countries that don't have sufficient infrastructure to deal with waste in an environmentally safe or just way. The company says Carbotura can transform between 500-10,000 tons per day of municipal solid and specialized waste into high-value renewable materials resulting in 100 percent diversion from landfills, all while generating zero emissions or waste.  

"The global waste problem is much greater than we think and the generational liability we are pushing forward is tragic,” says Allen Witters, CEO of Gravitas Infinitum. “We can now eliminate landfills and divert waste directly back into the manufacturing economy. Municipalities and waste handlers have an opportunity to redirect 100 percent waste into recoverable materials helping close the gaps in the circular supply chain.”  

Additionally, municipal waste only represents about 10 percent of all waste generated. In the future, Gravitas says it plans to branch out to develop these centers for processing industrial waste and landfill mining. 

The organization says the legislation would impose a new surtax of 8 percent on all forms of income, including family businesses.

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), Arlington, Virginia, joined other organizations in a letter to congressional leaders urging them to oppose the expansion of the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) in reconciliation legislation.  

NIIT is a 3.8 percent tax on investment income that usually only applies to high-income taxpayers. It also may apply to estates, families, individuals and trusts that meet certain tax income thresholds. Generally, this includes interest, dividends, capital gains, rental and royalty income and nonqualified annuities, according to the Internal Revenue Service.  

The expansion would include the 3.8 tax to income earned by pass-through businesses, generally small businesses, over $400,000 annually.  

The letter was signed by groups like the Plastics Industry Association, American Bankers Association and the Tire Industry Association. The group says the expansion would expand the 3.8 percent Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) to individuals and families members who participate in their business. It would also limit the ability of small, individually and family owned businesses to fully deduct their losses during an economic downturn by expanding and extending the excess business loss limitation for noncorporate taxpayers.  

The group says while expanding the NIIT is sometimes characterized as closing a tax loophole and that it would increase Medicare funding, neither of these claims is true. When the NIIT was created as part of the Affordable Care Act, it was meant to apply to investment income only. The business income of small, individually and family owned firms where the owners ran the business was exempted and does not constitute a loophole.   

Furthermore, attributing the revenues raised by its expansion to Medicare would likely violate the Byrd Rule, the Senate budget rule for determining what can be included in a reconciliation bill and what cannot, according to the letter.  

“Raising taxes on small and family owned businesses with the economy on the brink of a recession, a situation which is compounded by the other post pandemic challenges they are facing, harms not only these businesses but the families and communities who rely on them,” says NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “We urge Congress to reject these tax increases and support policies that encourage investment and job creation.”