Member Article

M&M Waste Solutions has sights on recycling boost with UNTHA shredder

M&M Waste Solutions looks set to boost its recycling recovery rates in 2019, thanks to the installation of a new shredder from York-headquartered UNTHA.

The 46-year-old business is a well-known name in the resource sector, with a history spanning coal distribution, skip hire and – most recently – end-to-end waste collection, management and treatment, at the firm’s MRF in Cassington.

Now handling 150,000 tonnes of materials each year M&M sought to further boost its approach to recycling as it looks to the future.

The newly-installed UNTHA RS100 can now process the variety of materials generated from M&M’s Materials Recycling Facility and Waste Transfer Station. Oversized material from the plant is size-reduced before being returned for greater commodity recovery, whilst the shredder can also process specific materials including uPVC window frames for FE, non-FE and clean uPVC recovery, as well as Zorba.

Whilst the machine is currently configured to handle 3500kg per hour, the robust four-shaft shredder with interchangeable screens can be reconfigured in as little as 30 minutes, to best-suit the input material, finished product specification and other throughput requirements.

Commenting on the technology investment, M&M’s managing director Rob Fluckiger said: “Carefully considered recycling methodologies are one thing, but as we strive for even higher recovery performance it is crucial that a business like ours looks carefully at its liberation strategies.

“Many of the complex materials that we’re handling – particularly from the construction and demolition industry – contain valuable composite parts that we need to ‘free’ to further boost our recycling rates. The RS100 therefore enables us to size-reduce, liberate and produce a saleable finished product for remanufacturing.”

The UNTHA shredder can produce a range of outputs depending on the material-specific liberation strategy deployed. However, M&M can now achieve a <25mm homogenous particle size, which – when handling certain materials – satisfies confidential waste shredding requirements in line with GDPR security shredding requirements.

“We’re striving for nothing less than complete resource recovery,” said Rob. “Even in the case of wood waste, we’ve developed an approach which means we can produce a suitable biomass feedstock. This has been a very wise investment for us, to complement our new MRF and Waste Transfer Station. We’re extremely excited to see our growth unfold in 2019.”

The RS100 has been purchased from UNTHA outright.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Katie Mallinson .