Industry News

WOOD, BIOMASS

Lautenbach Recycling subsidiary offers biochar-blended compost

Skagit Soils Inc., a composting facility in Mount Vernon, Washington, that is part of the Lautenbach Recycling family of companies, has begun offering biochar-enhanced compost developed in collaboration with the Bellingham, Washington-based Kulshan Carbon Trust (KCT).

“This innovative soil amendment ... promises to revolutionize sustainable agriculture and gardening in the region,” the company says.

Biochar is an end product most often derived from the pyrolysis process when it is applied to organic materials including scrap wood, manure, leaves and other green waste, plus some industrial byproducts.

Skagit Soils, which describes itself as a “cornerstone” of the local agricultural community in providing high-quality soils and mulches, says its biochar-infused compost can improve soil health, enhance water retention and boost soil fertility.

“Our biochar-enhanced compost not only supports healthier plant growth but also contributes to long-term soil health and carbon sequestration,” Skagit Soils CEO Craig Culmback says.

KCT has agreed to provide regional growers with Skagit Soils biochar-enhanced compost for applications in field trials. The trials have been designed to understand and document the benefits of biochar in different agricultural settings. The KCT organization, which operates from and works with tribal groups, works with people in northwest Washington to design, develop and implement tailored natural climate solutions by connecting local knowledge, technical and practical assistance and financial markets.

By integrating biochar with compost, the biochar-enhanced compost initiative aims to create a desirable soil amendment that supports sustainable farming practices and enhances crop productivity, according to KCT and Skagit Soils.

KCT credits the Russell Family Foundation, Gig Harbor, Washington, for helping it engage with growers such as Viva Farms, Burlington, Washington, and Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative, based in Mount Vernon, as well as reaching out to other food producers.

Skagit Soils’ biochar-enhanced compost is now available to consumers and farmers alike for applications in home gardens or agricultural fields.

RESEARCH

Tarkett partners with Mycocycle

Solon, Ohio-based flooring and sports surface solutions provider Tarkett USA Inc. has partnered with Mycocycle, a Chicago-based biotech startup that leverages the root structure of mushrooms to break down construction waste.

Mycocycle says its research and development has found that fungal root structures called mycelia have been shown to consume and eliminate toxins from construction waste, producing a natural byproduct.

“This partnership is rooted in a shared investment in the exponential power of collaboration and innovation,” Tarkett North America CEO Eric Daliere says. “Together, we share a commitment to creating a circular economy that protects our natural resources, promotes climate health and sustains every living thing.”

Through this partnership, Tarkett and Mycocycle will leverage Tarkett’s ReStart take-back and recycling program to further test the effects of mycelium on all types of flooring and explore the resulting byproduct as a central ingredient in new flooring products.

“Because of its legacy and reputation for transparency, its respect for the importance of third-party verification and its willingness to invest in innovation, it was clear to me that Tarkett walks the talk,” Mycocycle founder Joanne Rodriguez says. “That was important to me.”

Last year, Tarkett diverted an estimated 1.5 million pounds of post-use flooring to recycling in North America, both in-house and with external recycling partners. Through its partnership with Mycocycle, the company says it is on track to at least double that number in 2024.

FACILITIES

Midwest Cos. announces new 10-acre C&D recycling facility

Midwest Cos., an Illinois-based sustainable waste management company, has officially opened its newly built construction and demolition (C&D) recycling facility in Hampshire, Illinois.

Midwest Cos. is a parent company operating a family of sustainable waste management brands. One of them is Midwest Material Management (MMM), a business that provides demolition, recycling and industrial waste disposal for the construction and railroad industries. The new facility expands MMM’s nonhazardous industrial waste recycling and disposal services and allows the organization to meet growing demand.

“Midwest Material Management has provided construction waste management solutions for more than 30 years, and our new ten-acre facility in Hampshire allows us to better serve our construction and railroad company partners,” Midwest Cos. founder and President Steve Berglund says. “With the Midwest family of brands, we’re uniquely positioned to provide innovative end-to-end disposal services that allow our customers to operate more sustainably and efficiently.”

Until spring 2022, MMM accepted and processed all nonhazardous C&D debris at its recycling facility in East Dundee, Illinois. The Hampshire facility moved and is currently located at 370 South Brier Hill Rd.—closer to I-90 for additional convenience. The new facility includes 26,000 square feet dedicated to sorting waste and separating recyclables from nonrecyclable material. Construction and railroad companies can deposit waste and obtain industrial dumpsters or opt for MMM’s pick-up and collection services.

MMM’s Hampshire location is LEED-certified and has a history of sustainable leadership across its family of brands. Berglund was named a 2023 Notable Leader in Sustainability by Crain’s Chicago Business, an honor recognizing the leadership of Midwest Cos. and its subsidiaries.

One of the company’s sub-brands is TiEnergy, a company that recycles and repurposes retired railroad ties. The ties are ground into Tieroc, a proprietary aggregate substitute that’s in high demand for landfill operations. The new MMM center in Hampshire will accept railroad ties and other wood waste, like other Midwest Cos. facilities, and give it new life as Tieroc. As a tribute to its sustainable operations, the Hampshire facility will be enclosed by a custom fence made of retired railroad ties.