Knowaste,a recycling company specialising in absorbent hygiene products (AHPs), has submitted plans to develop ‘the UK’s largest’ AHP plant in Hayes, West London.
The North American firm has been developing technology to recycling AHPs (nappies, incontinence pads and feminine hygiene products) since the 1990s.
It is planning to have the new £14-million facility, Hayes 180, operational in early 2017.
‘Bespoke recycling technology’ process
Using what it calls ‘bespoke recycling technology’, the Knowaste system transforms AHPs into plastics and fibres.
AHP waste is taken to the plant for processing by national and local commercial waste operators. Once inside the plant, the waste is conveyed to an autoclave where the AHPs are shredded. They are then separated, sterilised using advanced thermal treatment technology and sorted to remove any contaminants.
The plastics then continue through a granulation and multi-washing stage, before being pelletised and reprocessed offsite for reuse. Fibres produced by the process are treated for use as a pet litter, which can be bagged on site and distributed to the retail sector.
According to Knowaste, the Hayes 180 facility will be the largest of its kind in the UK, processing at least 36,000 tonnes of AHP waste per year.
Knowaste’s first AHP recycling facility was opened in West Bromwich in 2011, but closed in May 2013 as the company said that it had ‘outgrown’ the facility, which also processed 36,000 tonnes of AHP annually.
The closure, immediate following the announcement, left many local authorities in ‘disarray’ as those providing dedicated nappy recycling schemes used the facility.
Knowaste plans ‘major investment’ throughout UK
Commenting on this process, Paul Richardson, UK Business Development Director as Knowaste said: “Our AHP recycling process is considered to be the most sustainable solution to managing this specific waste, saving up to 70 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions when compared to the usual disposal methods of landfill and incineration.
“We are able to recycle over 97 per cent of the AHP product with our unique and exciting technology.
“Hayes 180 is the start of an exciting phase for Knowaste, and the area of West London offers a great foundation for the development of our technology. This is part of a larger programme of major site investment that Knowaste will be rolling out across the UK.”
Learn more about Knowaste and about how AHPs are disposed of worldwide.
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