The former Hans Andersson Recycling AB started in the early 1980s as a development project to recover waste from packaging companies and has been part of the Veolia Group since 2017. With 171,000 employees on five continents, Veolia is a leading global environmental company with a focus on resource use and sustainability. One important aspect of counteracting the scarcity of water, energy and raw materials is the circular economy.
Keeping resources in the material cycle
For plastic waste, Veolia offers several options that are not only economically attractive but also maximize the environmental benefits of the recyclable material. For example, industrial plastic waste is processed in Closed Loop Recycling so that it can be fed directly back into production to make the same product.
Veolia Recycling Plastics Sweden AB specializes in a different type of recycling. In Röstånga, Sweden, post-consumer HDPE (high-density polyethylene), for example waste bins or thick-walled pipes, but also production waste from hard plastics is shredded, washed and then sold as regrind to customers who use it to make completely new products. The first step of this demanding recycling task is taken on by a WEIMA PowerLine 2500 single-shaft shredder.
Material throughputs of up to 20 tons per hour
The requirements were high: The shredder must be particularly robust and weatherproof for outdoor installation. In addition, the customer was looking for a high level of accessibility for maintenance, as well as a high degree of flexibility in use with regard to a wide range of hard plastics. With the PowerLine 2500, WEIMA prevailed over all other competitors. The Swedes were particularly convinced by the extremely robust construction, the superior machinery and the service of the shredding specialist from Ilsfeld.
Swedes among themselves
In order to reduce the robust plastic parts to a homogeneous size of 60 mm, the shredder is equipped with a specially manufactured rotor with a working width of 2,500 mm and a diameter of 800 mm. With the hydraulic drive from the Swedish market leader Hägglunds, a throughput of up to seven tons per hour can be achieved when shredding HDPE pipes, and even up to 20 tons of plastic crates per hour can be shredded. For the notoriously cold Swedish winter days, a winter package for the hydraulic system was also supplied.
The unique doghouse hopper attachment is closed on the sides as well as at the top – the material feeding point is covered by a slatted curtain. This allows the machine to be easily filled with the front-end loader. It also offers protection against material parts jumping out during the shredding process.
Cutting. Washing. Recycling.
After shredding, the plastic flakes are discharged by conveyor belt and collected in a bunker. They are then transported by a front-end loader to the nearby building. There the shredded plastic is cleaned in a washing plant, drained and packed in big bags. Finally, the washed plastic flakes are sold and serve in the form of granulate as raw material for the production of new plastic products.