UK Rubber

UNTHA XR3000C

Based in Motherwell, Scotland, UK Rubber (UKR) has more than 40 years’ waste management experience.

Now a biotechnology solutions provider — and a market leader in the handling of end-of-life tyres — the rapidly-growing business is passionate about the responsible recycling of these notoriously tricky rubber products. Having established the country’s first industrial-scale tyre recycling plant, the result is not only landfill diversion, but the reuse and recovery of as much valuable material as possible.

Tyres have long been considered an economically unshreddable product, due to their heavy-duty nature and the high level of wear and tear that traditional highspeed tyre shredders are usually subjected to. But, with an estimated 50,000 tonnes of tyre waste produced in the UK every year — and counting — UKR continued to seek an effective method of processing this large volume of bulky material. The search for a robust and industry-proven tyre shredding and separation solution therefore began.

H. Brown & Son Recycling

UNTHA ZR2400

Long-standing UNTHA customer H. Brown & Son Recycling has invested in a new UNTHA shredder, switching from an XR to a ZR.

The Stoke-on-Trent based waste management firm has used UNTHA shredding technology within its alternative fuel production plant for over a decade. But following the launch of the new ZR pre-shredder, last Autumn, Browns will switch out its trusty XR, after 11 years of operational service. The new machine will process the same variety of input materials – a multifaceted mix of commercial, industrial and other bulky wastes – transforming them into a 200mm fuel for UK Waste to Energy conversion. 

SugaRich

UNTHA XR3000C

When the UK’s leading surplus food reprocessor had an urgent product destruction requirement, the rigorously compliant ‘factory to farm’ specialist turned to UNTHA…

Renowned reprocessor SugaRich is no stranger to UNTHA UK. The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 firm – which recovers surplus food and transforms it into nutritionally balanced, high performance animal feed ingredients – has long been a user of UNTHA’s shredding technology. So, when the team was faced with an urgent and unexpected project to upcycle nearly 3,500 tonnes of material from a food manufacturing customer, they knew where to turn.

Vitafoam

UNTHA XR2000

Vitafoam has invested in a new UNTHA XR shredder, to modernise its foam-processing capabilities at its plant in Middleton, Greater Manchester.

Forming part of The Vita Group, Vitafoam processes ‘waste’ foam-based materials – such as trims and offcuts – for remanufacturing. The firm has procured the new XR2000 shredder to replace the XR model it first purchased from UNTHA UK over 20 years ago.

“Our decision to buy an XR back in the early 2000s was because it was the best machine available at the time to meet our process requirements and increase production throughput. “Foam is notoriously difficult to shred – the way it condenses typically takes a lot of energy to process – so we needed a machine that would be up to the job. “When looking to replace the shredder, we returned to UNTHA two decades later, because we remain confident they are a market leader in this complex field and that the modernised XR will benefit our operations. It also makes more commercial sense.”
Martin Banks, project manager, Vitafoam

ETM

UNTHA XR3000

Bristol-based recycling specialist ETM has integrated a new UNTHA XR3000 mobil-e shredder into its state-of-the-art waste transfer station, as the ambitious family-run firm pushes for zero waste to landfill in the South West.

“This is a tidy piece of kit which has slotted neatly into our plant. It runs all day, efficiently and quietly – in fact, it’s so quiet, we don’t even know it’s on!”
Amy McCormack, commercial director, ETM

The XR investment marks the latest enhancement to ETM’s £5m facility, which was commissioned two years ago to become the biggest of its kind in the region. It has the capacity to handle 150,000 tonnes of waste per year, collected from ETM’s own skip fleet, as well as contracts for the west of England. But now, the installation of UNTHA’s single shaft waste shredder, means ETM can transform 400mm RDF burner fuel into a refined 30mm SRF for WtE and gasification plants requiring a more precise specification.

The flexible XR technology – with energy-efficient Eco Drive – has also empowered ETM to launch its own mattress recycling service. This complex process is now managed wholly in-house without any reliance on a third-party specialist to help tackle this bulky waste. Currently handling 1,000 mattresses per week but with scope for far more, ETM is liberating the metal for resale and the flock is used for alternative fuel within the Bristol area.

3R Technology

UNTHA RS40

Disruptive plastic recycler 3R Technology is gearing up for further growth in 2022, as the ambitious scrap handler invests in new technology to bolster its UK operations.

“We use UNTHA at our Dutch plant too! So, when it came to selecting the processing machinery for our UK facility – equipment that is easy to use, simple to maintain, and has an impressive capacity – we knew where to go.”
Yu Lin Wang, CEO, 3R Technology

With more than 20 years’ experience – particularly in the Belgian market – attention recently turned to the UK and the WEEE plastic processing challenge. Approximately 2,000 tonnes of shredded small domestic appliance (SDA) plastics are now being handled by the team every month, at their 5000m2 warehouse in Preston. Two UNTHA shredders lie at the heart of the cutting-edge plant.

A single shaft UNTHA LRK plastic shredder processes PS fridge plastics, and a four shaft UNTHA RS40 with screen achieves a refined 30mm fraction after processing SDA mix. Particle homogeneity is ensured by both machines. The post-shredded plastic is then transported via conveyor belt to the washing line with floating tank, to be cleaned and dried. ABS/PS and PP/PE material is then run through an electrostatic separator to create pure, high value ABS and PS flakes for remanufacturing.

Lancashire Waste

UNTHA XR3000RC

Alternative fuel production specialist Lancashire Waste Recycling has halved plant wear costs and further boosted manufacturing capacity with an investment in its sixth UNTHA shredder.

The firm has been making a high-specification Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) at its Fleetwood site since it was established in 2013. An UNTHA XR2000 pre-shredder fed two TR3200s secondary shredders, to produce a renewable energy source for the cement industry. But as UNTHA’s engineering innovation continued – to challenge the industry norm of high speed SRF manufacturing – Lancashire Waste worked with the UK division of this global brand to understand how to leverage the potential that next-generation technology could bring.

So when Lancashire Waste opened its second SRF production plant 46 miles away in Burnley, a single UNTHA XR3000C was installed at its heart. This slower speed equipment could produce a quality 40mm fuel in a single pass, without the concerns surrounding downtime or damage when higher speed machines encounter unshreddable items.

Malary

UNTHA RS100

Industrial waste management specialist Malary has bolstered its hazardous material recycling capabilities with an investment in a second RS100 UNTHA shredder.

The heavy duty four shaft UNTHA RS100 is the latest addition to the fleet, with another existing RS100 already in operation. Capable of processing the materials many operators shy away from, Malary will use the new equipment to shred contaminated waste such as IBCs, and plastic/steel drum shredding for re-use, recycling, and energy recovery. Currently configured to handle up to 150 tonnes pr/week the new RS100 machine doubles Malary’s total capacity, with the ability to transform difficult wastes into a homogenous particle size as small as 50mm. The fraction is then further separated so that ferrous and non- ferrous material can also be salvaged for remanufacturing.

Lighthouse Security

UNTHA RS30

A global specialist in protective security, surveillance, intelligence, cyber security, due diligence, training and dog handling, has further strengthened its portfolio of services in collaboration with UNTHA UK.

The business has bolstered the capabilities of its secure destruction division with the investment in a confidential waste shredder, certified to DIN-66399 standards. The four-shaft shredder is capable of processing up to 1.5 tonnes of these materials per hour and can produce a range of outputs from 10mm–100mm to allow classified materials to be completely destroyed. The cutting chamber also pre-shreds and re-shreds in a single pass, with a ‘mixing’ action for added peace of mind. The low-speed nature of Lighthouse Security’s new solution, means the materials can be shredded without damaging their fibres, which protects output quality and increases reuse or recycling potential. The zero-waste-to-landfill process therefore upholds high environmental standards, as well as compliance.

Safe & Secure Logistics

UNTHA RS40

Safe & Secure Logistics has boosted the capacity of its WEEE recycling service to pave the way for further growth.

The Slough-headquartered firm has invested in a new hard drive shredder which will enable the confidential destruction team to comfortably – and compliantly – process over 3,000 hard drives per week. The UNTHA RS40 shredder has just been delivered to SAS Logistics’ Northampton site and thanks to its ‘plug and play’ technology, it was operational within the hour.

ATP

XR3000 mobil-e

Australian Tyre Processors (ATP) – part of Pearl Global – has invested in cutting-edge new waste shredding technology, as the innovative firm advances its national resource recovery strategy.

ATP has procured the UNTHA XR3000C mobil-e from waste management equipment specialist FOCUS Enviro – the exclusive Australian distribution partner for the global shredding giant.

The movable machine with two energy-efficient 132kW motors will be used to process car/passenger tyres down to a homogenous 50mm output. This resulting fraction – produced to an exacting specification – enables ATP to supply a thermal desorption process to create fuel oils, clean gas for electricity generation, steel and carbon, with no harmful emissions.

Niramax

XR3000 mobil-e

Waste management specialist The Niramax Group, has overhauled its alternative fuel production line with the switch to new shredding technology. The move is expected to boost capacity for the Hartlepool-headquartered organisation, by as much as 30% per year.

Previously operating a high-speed system to transform pre-sorted commercial and industrial waste into a refined SRF for use in combined heat and power plants, the Niramax development team was encountering repeated problems with machine damage, unplanned downtime and excessive wear costs.

Keen to boost the reliability, throughput and profitability of the plant, Niramax has therefore re-evaluated the marketplace and made the switch to an UNTHA XR3000 mobil-e with new XC cutting configuration. The purchase of the energy-efficient machine follows a successful trial on the Hartlepool site, where operators put the XR to the test using their own materials.