Essex plastics recycling firm to expand

Rainham-based Express Recycling & Plastics Ltd (ERPL) will be able to take a greater range of plastics with its second line, which it hopes to have in operation by the New Year.

This will give it the capability to take plastics including PVC, polystyrene and ABS, sorting and granulating the materials, as well as the PP and PE plastics the company already recycles.

The second line will also more than double the 12,000 tonnes of material currently being processed at the Rainham plant.

Darren North, site manager of the Rainham plant, told letsrecycle.com at an open day held on Friday that Express Plastics also has plans to open a second plant in Yorkshire by summer 2008 and a third near Liverpool by early 2009.

Second Line

The Express Recycling plant uses “float-sink” technology to separate mixed plastics, sorting plastics within a salt bath, with more dense polystyrene and ABS plastics sinking and lighter plastics like PP and PE floating. Separated PP and PE is granulated before going into a second float-sink separation.

At the moment, the material that sinks within the process is being stored at the Rainham plant for processing when the second line is operational.

The technology will also enable Express to process WEEE plastics, as it will separate not only the plastics but the non-ferrous iron contaminants as well. The Rainham plant already has equipment including overband magnets and a trommel to remove contaminants before material undergoes the float-sink process.

Mr North said that while other companies also use this float-sink technology, few use it to process the same range of material as will be used by Express Plastics.

He explained: “It's usually a single stream and instead of two, we will have three streams. No other company in the UK that I'm aware of is doing this – no-one's been brave enough to do it before.”

Collections

Express receives its material from local authorities and waste management companies, collected at civic amenity sites. It has agreements in place with Veolia in Essex, Shanks and the East London Waste Authority, as well as with Hertfordshire, Enfield, Harrow and Hounslow councils.

The company is now beginning to pay for material, and is expecting to increase the supply of rigid plastics through payments for plastics including car bumpers, storage boxes, toys, wheelie bins and packaging crates, as well as plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Once processed, around 70% of the material stays in the UK and the remainder is exported to Europe including Italy, Spain, Belgium and Holland.

Mr North said that the amount of rigid plastics recycled has increased since ERPL was founded around 18 months ago.

He explained: “Two years ago, the plastics we are recycling were going to landfill. In April 2006, we were lucky if we got 10 tonnes a month, now we are getting 600. The key is hard work and education.”

Express feels more plastics can be captured and it wants to boost its monthly processing rates in Rainham to 1,500 tonnes so the plant can operate for seven days a week instead of five.

The open day last week saw Express Recycling highlighting a payment system to councils and waste management companies that will see around £10 per tonne paid for loose plastics and £25 per tonne for baled material.

The company is also considering paying more for higher quality material, as contamination levels are currently around 18%.