Recycling boost

Oxfordshire-based M&M Waste Solutions looks set to boost its recycling recovery rates in 2019, thanks to the installation of a new Untha shredder.

The 46-year-old business has a history spanning coal distribution, skip hire and – most recently – end-to-end waste collection, management and treatment.

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

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, while the shredder can also process specific materials including PVCU window frames for FE, non-FE and clean PVCU recovery, as well as Zorba (shredded mixed non-ferrous metals).

While the machine is currently configured to handle 3,500kg 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.

“We’re striving for nothing less than complete resource recovery. Even in the case of wood waste, we’ve developed an approach which means we can produce a suitable biomass feedstock.”