P&D Materials Recovery (PDMR) Ltd engaged Impact Air Systems to assist with cleaning glass at its purpose-built recycling plant at Chatham Docks to achieve a consistent and cost-effective saleable product, with positive results.
PDMR is one of the UK’s leading waste management companies and has capacity for up to 22 tonnes an hour through its waste sorting facility, removing glass, aluminium, ferrous metals, paper, cardboard, plastic film and plastic bottles.
The plant at Chatham Docks, which began operating in August 2017 following 24 months of research & development and design, was designed to recover glass and metals and RDF/SRF from MRF residue material that otherwise would have been sent to landfill or incineration.
The plant commissioning period identified fibre and plastic contamination within the heavy glass fraction, which affected the commodity value and export availability. Impact Air Systems was asked to assist in the cleaning of glass products at the plant by PDMR. Trials were then undertaken at Impact Air Systems’ test facility in Leicester, which produced favourable results leading to an order being placed in March 2018 for the new Zigzag Air Classifier (ZAC) 800 model to be installed during summer 2018.
The ZAC800 divides mixed material streams into two homogenous streams, using a vacuum extraction process to blow lighter materials up out of a sorting chamber, leaving heavier materials to exit through the bottom.
By August 2018, the ZAC800 had delivered the prime objective of the PDMR capital investment by creating a valuable commodity from a negative waste stream.
The Impact ZAC800 installation at PDMR, Chatham has been an effective addition to its current material recovery process enabling a high hourly throughput and a high-grade quality glass and RDF output.
The ZAC800 is the very latest version of Impact’s range of zigzag separation technology, which is in operation in many applications in waste recycling facilities around the world.
You can find out more about Impact Air Systems website on the company’s website.
Get our weekly digest
resource.co article ai
How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.