Kickstart: Gwynnda the Good Wheel begins work in Baltimore

Baltimore's harbor system is about to become home to "Gwynnda the Good Wheel of the West," an automated trash collection system that will join three other "trash wheels" in the area.

Mr. Trash Wheel was developed by Clearwater Mills LLC, a Pasadena, Md., startup that invented the technology, using the power of the flow of water plus solar panels to collect debris from waterways and recycle or dispose of it properly. In addition to the Baltimore wheels, there are similar projects in development for Newport Beach, Calif., Fort Worth, Texas, and in Panama.

Gwynnda the Good Wheel of the West will be the largest in use, able to collect 300 tons of trash each year. It will be placed on Gwynns Falls Creek, a tributary to the harbor.

The name was selected through an online vote.

Beyond the functional elements, each trash wheel is given its own style, via oversized eyes — violet ones in Gwynnda's case.

LG Chem's battery business, LG Energy Solutions, is eyeing big growth in the U.S. with plans to build at least two more plants and hire 6,000 people, according to a report from Reuters.

That $4.5 billion investment is on top of a joint venture with General Motors Co. for electric vehicle battery systems now being built in Lordstown, Ohio.

The South Korean supplier did not specify where it will build the new plants, but said it aims to finalize a location in the first half of 2021.

One of those sites would come from "advanced talks" with GM for a second JV facility.

"By adding this capacity earlier ... we can quickly respond to market demand and customers' orders," LG Energy Solution Senior Vice President Chang Seung-se told reporters.

It's time to shop for shoes. Or shoe companies, anyway.

Adidas AG says it is seeking a buyer for Reebok, the brand it bought in 2005.

"The long-term growth opportunities in our industry are highly attractive, particularly for iconic sports brands," Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted said in a news release. "After careful consideration, we have come to the conclusion that Reebok and Adidas will be able to significantly better realize their growth potential independently of each other. We will work diligently in the coming months to ensure a successful future for the Reebok brand and the team behind it."

Recently, Reebok has been working closely with BASF to develop new ways to create shoes that are not as tied to expensive molds. That change could free the shoemaker to make faster changes to models.

"The Reebok 'Liquid Factory' uses 3D drawing and a proprietary liquid material — created especially for Reebok by BASF — to draw shoe componentry cleanly and in 3D layers," BASF said about the program.

It's not clear yet what will happen to the Liquid Factory, or Reebok's previously announced plans to build an advanced shoe production plant in Rhode Island.