Recylex turns in ‘solid’ performance amid challenging conditions

France – The latest trading and financial statement from the Recylex Group reveals that the recycling plants in France and Germany processed a total of 53 000 tonnes of scrap batteries in the first six months of this year – a fall of 19% from the 65 500 tonnes of January-June 2015.

The decline is attributed to ‘the continued pursuit of the selective purchasing strategy for materials for recycling’ which is intended to ‘restore margins in the segment’ given the combination of ‘persistently very high’ prices for scrap batteries and limited availability owing to a mild winter. The shortage of scrap batteries was partially offset by lead concentrates, it is pointed out.

In electric arc furnace dust recycling, Recytech SA in France and Harz-Metall GmbH in Germany processed 83 535 tonnes of dust during the first half of 2016 compared to 73 900 tonnes in last year’s corresponding period.

Against a ‘persistently very challenging’ backdrop in terms of purchases of materials for recycling, Norzinco GmbH processed 10 906 tonnes of zinc-rich materials versus 10 940 tonnes in January-June 2015.

Recylex Group’s chairman and ceo Yves Roche comments: ‘Despite difficult trends in metals prices and reduced availability of materials for recycling compared with the first half of 2015, Recylex’s performance remained solid.’

Total production of recycled polypropylene within the group’s plastics segment dropped 15% to 8058 tonnes from 9433 tonnes in the first half of 2015.