The 117-year-old steel maker that’s key to solving climate tech’s recycling issue

Published

2 years ago

August 11, 2023

admin

One of the first questions Tamara Lundgren often heard when she introduced herself as the CEO of Schnitzer Steel is, “What kind of steel do you make?'”

Founded in 1906 by Russian immigrant Sam Schnitzer, the company started as a one-person scrap metal recycler. Over 117 years later, a series of acquisitions and organic growth has made it one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of recycled metal products in North America, and a global leader in the collection, processing and sale of steel.

And while yes, Lundgren told CNBC, the company does make steel – some of the lowest-carbon emissions steel made in the world, she noted – it’s now the smallest part of its business.

“The name Schnitzer Steel just no longer really reflects our work,” said Lundgren, who joined the company in 2005 and was elevated to CEO in 2008. “We finally got to the point where if you’re introducing yourself by explaining what you do a little bit of, but not the most, it’s probably time to rebrand.”

Under Lundgren’s leadership, the company is now right in the middle of the growing circular economy, operating metals recycling facilities, auto dismantling and retail stores that sell used auto parts, and a third-party recycling service for manufacturers, industrials and retailers.

“In today’s environment, the importance of recycling and the importance of recycling metals has reached a level that didn’t exist 10 years ago,” Lundgren said. “With the transition to low-carbon technologies like electric vehicles, solar, wind, and the like, all of those technologies require more metal than the technologies that they’re replacing.”

An example of the recycling challenges in the climate transition is the wind turbine, which is recyclable, from the steel tower to the composite blades, typically 170 feet long, but most ends up being thrown away, a waste total that will reach a cumulative mass of 2.2 million metric tons by 2050, according to a 2021 study.

As this energy shift was happening in the broader economy, so too were conversations within the company and at the board level about a potential rebrand, Lundgren said.

That came to a head in January, while Lundgren was at Davos. Schnitzer Steel was named the “Most sustainable company in the world” by the sustainable economy magazine Corporate Knights, but Lundgren said most of the headlines she saw were focused on it being a steel company.

“I’m glad we were getting that attention, but fundamentally what drove it was all of our recycling activity,” Lundgren said. That quickly sparked a call to her communications team to bounce the idea of exploring a rebrand, which then led to larger discussions with experts to brainstorm and then formal discussions with the board and an internal team for feedback.

A few ideas were kicked around, including some bespoke names. But Lundgren said the name Radius Recycling resonated with everyone they mentioned it to, which called back to what kicked off the whole process. “The catalyst was having a name where people understood what you did from the name,” she said.

The process was closely guarded due to being a public company, so Lundgren said that there were employees and stakeholders who would only learn of the name change when it was publicly announced on July 26. But she was confident that it would resonate across the board.

In fact, she said she expected it to particularly resonate among the ESG investor community. While the company has backing from that sector of investors already, Lundgren said the new name will “open up doors more easily to people who might otherwise put us in a category that wasn’t in their scope of interest.”

Could it also bring negative feedback due to those ESG ties? Lundgren said she doesn’t believe it will, as the company has been “about sustainability before sustainability was a word. We are about recycling, and there’s no fluff there.”

The rollout of the change to Radius Recycling will take some time, Lundgren noted. While the company doesn’t necessarily have a product on a shelf or packaging it needs to redesign, it does have plenty of heavy machinery that will be repainted or rebranded when that equipment rolls over, she said. Most of the effort will come on the digital side of things, so that will not require the company to accelerate any capital spend towards it. Its Nasdaq ticker symbol will switch in September.

Reflecting on the process, Lundgren said that one thing she would highlight for other companies in the middle of a massive economic and market transition is just how much of it focused on listening: listening to what people’s first reactions to the company were, what questions they asked, and where stakeholders felt the company’s future was headed.

“It was connecting all of those dots and communicating,” she said. “And to make this successful, that communication has to continue.”

Some of that communication will be speaking to fellow CEOs about the services the company can offer in helping to lower carbon footprints and environmental impact, which Lundgren hopes becomes easier by just hearing the name of the company she leads.

“I think it’s great to be able to take an old economy company and an old economy industry and really position it to the point where we are an essential business and we are critical to the success of the circular economy and we are critical to this transition to a low-carbon world,” she said.

Environment

Mercedes takes out the trash as German city deploys 18 electric garbage trucks

Published

7 hours ago

November 19, 2025

admin

Mercedes takes out the trash as German city deploys 18 electric garbage trucks

Karlsruhe waste disposal agency deploys 18 Mercedes-Benz eEconic electric trucks

The German city of Karlsruhe is setting an example for sustainability in waste management by deploying a fleet of 18 Mercedes-Benz eEconic electric garbage trucks that are helping make the streets cleaner, quieter, and a lot less stinky.

Since the end of September, the city of Karlsruhe has been relying on Mercedes’ fully electric waste collection vehicles throughout, with none of the area-specific restrictions or limited rollout strategies for one or two trucks at a time that typically accompany stories like these. Instead, the city is using the Mercedes eEconics for the same stuff they’d use the diesel versions for: residual waste disposal, paper collection, and bulky waste collection.

Normal garbage duty, in other words. And, in such daily use, they do a great job. The trucks cover an average route distance of around 80 km (about 50 miles) on 112 kWh battery packs (usable capacity is ~97 kWh) which can be reliably completed in single-shift operation without intermediate charging — thanks, in part, to Mercedes’ efficient electric motors and regenerative braking that shines in the trucks’ typical stop-and-go duty cycles.

More than a single shift, in fact. The fleet managers report that after “a good 80 kilometers with around 60 stops on its daily route,” energy consumption was only around 35% of the battery capacity, meaning the charge level dropped from 100% to 65% and 64% respectively.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

At the same time, CO₂ emissions are significantly reduced: depending on the area of application, each eEconic can save between 150 and 170 tons of CO₂ per year. This results in a total potential annual saving of around 1,200 tons of CO₂ emissions.

The purchase of the electric vehicles was funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) as part of the guideline on the promotion of light and heavy commercial vehicles with alternative, climate-friendly drives and the associated refueling and charging infrastructure (KsNI). The funding guideline was coordinated by NOW GmbH, and applications were approved by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility.

Electrek’s Take

Look, you know me. There is absolutely ZERO chance that I’ll be able to remain objective about anything that’s putting down more than four thousand lb-ft of torque. Make that thing quieter, cleaner, and generally better for me and my community, and there’s even less of a chance of me saying anything critical about it.

Here’s hoping more cities go electric rather sooner than later.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Daimler Truck.

If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Environment

Electreon snaps up InductEV’s wireless charging tech in new MoU

Published

7 hours ago

November 19, 2025

admin

Electreon snaps up InductEV’s wireless charging tech in new MoU

Electreon just took a big step toward expanding wireless EV charging. The Israel-based company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to acquire the assets of InductEV, a Pennsylvania-based firm known for its ultra-fast, high-power static wireless charging systems used by heavy-duty electric transit and freight fleets.

If the deal closes after due diligence and regulatory approvals, the combined company would bring together Electreon’s dynamic wireless charging tech – the kind that can charge vehicles while they drive – with InductEV’s high-power stationary systems. That would create one of the most complete wireless charging portfolios on the market, covering everything from passenger EVs to vans, buses, heavy-duty trucks, and even autonomous vehicles.

Electreon and InductEV together hold around 400 granted and pending patents, and have a lot of field experience across their respective projects. Electreon says that pairing its manufacturing capabilities and global footprint with InductEV’s ultra-fast tech will help streamline and speed up fleet electrification.

Both companies already work with major vehicle OEMs, which Electreon asserts will make integrating wireless charging into future vehicle platforms easier.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Electreon CEO Oren Ezer said the deal would combine the two companies into “a truly global powerhouse for wireless EV charging.” He added that “the decision by InductEV’s shareholders to invest in Electreon is a tremendous vote of confidence in our shared vision.”

InductEV CEO John F. Rizzo said, “Together, we’re combining world-class innovation with real-world experience to deliver even greater value to our North American and European customers and accelerate the shift to wireless power for sustainable commercial transportation.”

If you’re looking to replace your old HVAC equipment, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable HVAC installer near you that offers competitive pricing on heat pumps, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to get a heat pump. They have pre-vetted heat pump installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions. Plus, it’s free to use!

Your personalized heat pump quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – *ad

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Environment

BYD may bring an even smaller, cheaper EV to Europe

Published

7 hours ago

November 19, 2025

admin

BYD may bring an even smaller, cheaper EV to Europe

The Dolphin Surf is already one of Europe’s cheapest EVs, yet BYD may have an even more affordable electric car up its sleeve.

Is BYD launching the Racco mini EV in Europe?

BYD revealed the Racco at last month’s Japan Auto Show, its first EV designed exclusively for overseas markets.

The mini EV, or “kei car,” is launching in Japan, where over 1.55 million of them were sold last year, accounting for about a third of new vehicles sold.

Although Japan has been a brutal market for foreign brands to crack, BYD believes it may have an edge. The Racco measures 3,395 mm in length, 1,475 mm in width, and 1,800 mm in height, or about 600 mm longer than the Dolphin Surf.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

That’s about the size of the Nissan Sakura EV, Japan’s best-selling electric car. Like the Sakura and most kei cars, the Racco has a boxy, upright stance. It has four doors, with the back two sliding open.

BYD-Racco-EV-Europe — BYD Racco EV (Source: BYD)

BYD is using its Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs to keep costs down. Although prices have yet to be revealed, the Racco is expected to start at around 2.5 million yen ($18,000) in Japan, putting it on par with the Nissan Sakura.

BYD-Racco-EV-debut — The BYD Racco EV debuts at the Japan Mobility Show (Source: BYD)

If it launched in Europe, the Racco could go on sale for under £15,000 ($20,000), putting it on par with the Dacia Spring (£14,995) and Leapmotor T03 (£15,995). The BYD Dolphin Surf currently starts at £18,650 ($24,300).

Although it will arrive in Japan first, BYD may launch its smallest, cheapest EV in Europe after all. BYD’s vice president Stella Li suggested to Autocar that the Racco could play a key role globally as an affordable, entry-level EV.

“In Japan, we are already launching a kei car; we will be very interested to follow the EU regulation,” Li said, adding, “If there’s some space, we can bring that car here.”

The regulation Li is referring to is the new “E-car” segment that the European Commission president, Ursula Von der Leyen, called for in September.

Von der Leyen said that Europe “should have its own E-car,” where “E” stands for efficient, economical, and European, and added “we cannot let China and others conquer this market.”

The Racco could sit underneath the Dolphin Surf in BYD’s growing European lineup. However, the company is focusing on expanding hybrid options. Li said launching Racco was “not a topic” the company is immediately focused on.

The Seal U, Europe’s best-selling plug-in hybrid through September, will be the first vehicle built at BYD’s new factory in Turkey, as it seeks to gain an edge through local production.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.