Sustainable Solutions April 2009

WASTE
However, there are some key steps that
will ensure success.
‘
It is perceived as a more
The ﬁ rst stage in treating C&I waste is
pre-sorting to remove any objects that cannot
be safely handled in a materials recycling
complex materials stream
facility (MRF). These might include large
’
or long pieces of ﬁ lm that could form a
blockage, or longer lengths of metal and perform a number of functions. This means, streams of recyclates, including paper. A
wood that could damage the equipment. for example, that the target material can be trommel is used as the primary screen to
Oversize and bulky objects that could altered for different batches. allow the system to receive 30tph of input
interfere with accuracy by blocking screens materials over a single line.
and scanners should also be removed at the
Pioneers in C&I
The giant drum is able to process very
ﬁ rst stage of processing. These items, such waste processing large volumes of C&I waste and separate it
as wooden sheeting and pallets, can then be One of the ﬁ rst companies in the UK to into different fractions. Each fraction is then
passed through a coarse shredder to allow invest in C&I waste processing is F&R processed to extract valuable recyclables
automated sorting to recover ﬁ lm, card, wood Cawley, a family-owned and operated waste such as ferrous and non-ferrous metals, paper,
and large dense plastics. management company which has depots in card, mixed plastics, timber and hardcore.
The next stage should be to remove ﬁ nes Luton (Head Ofﬁ ce), Milton Keynes and Hand picking is used to remove larger
and this can be achieved mechanically. For pieces from the conveyors, but automation
C&I applications, ﬁ nes are nominally takes the central role across the system.
objects below about 80mm in Overband magnets are used to extract
diameter. This is a larger the ferrous fraction and a ballistic
minimum size than that air separator sorts out lighter
used in household waste materials, such as packaging
applications and helps ﬁ lm and paper, from the
to ensure that organic heavier items.
materials are removed The lighter materials
from the C&I waste are then passed through
while paper and two TiTech optical
other recyclables are sorting systems to
retained. separate out the mixed
The remaining plastics and the paper for
middle-sized fraction further reprocessing.
(approximately 80mm- Andrew Pegg,
300mm) contains the recycling manager at
majority of the valuable Cawleys, says: "The
materials in the C&I waste new automated plant has
stream, including paper really opened our eyes to the
and plastics. Depending on the possibilities of how much more
original input materials, the MRF value we can get out of the C&I waste
can at this stage be conﬁ gured to target stream. We will certainly be looking at how
the required materials. we can use TiTech sorting systems on other
This is where automated sorting systems Wellingborough. Its latest multi-million materials streams, such as heavy plastics."
come into their own. pound sorting facility for commercial and The pressures on businesses are many
Automated sorting systems use a industrial (C&I) waste is the ﬁ rst of its kind and varied in the current economic climate.
number of different sensing techniques in the UK to feature automated separation of Having to pay for waste disposal is one more
(colour, infrared, x-ray), either alone or in paper from this waste stream. ﬁ nancial burden, especially when the service
combination, to analyse input streams. Cawleys wanted a facility that could is patchy.
Essentially, a rapidly scanning sensor accommodate the variability in the C&I However, the ease with which valuable
installed over a conveyor belt identiﬁ es waste stream - which might include oversized materials can be extracted from the C&I
materials, shapes, textures and colours as items, packaging material and pallets, skip waste stream and the fact that technology
well as the object position. waste and general ofﬁ ce waste - and which manufacturers like TiTech are already
The relevant material is then 'blown' onto could separate paper to the required quantity trialling ways of making the process even
a second transport system while the residual and quality for high value reprocessing. more effective are certainly indications that
material is brought to a third belt for further Joint venture company, OKLM Recycling the future has a silver lining.
sorting or disposal. Technology, was appointed to design, build The day is not too far off when commerce
Automation offers the ﬂ exibility that and install the new sorting facility. They and waste management will work together
C&I waste treatment needs because at each delivered a plant that uses automation to optimise this valuable materials stream to
stage the system can be re-programmed to wherever possible to deliver consistent mutual beneﬁ t.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS April 2009 39
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