Indumetal Recycling is working to recycle more than 3,000 metric tons/year of plastic in order to produce a new, high quality raw material. This plastic is extruded from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the process is the first of its kind in Europe.

Indumetal Recycling’s plant is located in northern Spain. It generates between 3,000-5000 metric tons/year of a plastic material that has been ground into pieces less than 15mm in diameter. This product is a potentially valuable mix mainly composed of different plastics and metallic components. Once they are separated and processed according to the necessary quality levels, these products can be sold in the market for recycled materials. This may be the first practical solution for the waste resulting from discarded electronics.

This process is pioneering in Europe and represents a ‘cleantech’ milestone for managing WEEE, not only at this Spanish plant but also because of its possible implementation around the world.

The technology uses a novel fusion and filtration concept for materials based on flow patterns and temperatures. The result of this innovative process is high quality styrene plastic pellets that can be marketed as a new raw material.

Indumetal Recycling is leading this Phoenix Project. Also participating are the Basque environmental agency IHOBE, recycling company Zicla, the Centro Tecnológico Gaiker-IK4 technology center and plastic pellet manufacturer Aligoplast.