Capacity boost at UK e-scrap plastics recycler

Recycling firm 3R Technology is eager to grow its e-scrap plastics business in 2022, starting with investments in new facilities to bolster its UK operations.

On a yearly basis, some 2 000 tonnes of plastics from small household appliances are currently processed at 3R’s 5 000 m2 facility in Preston in the UK’s northwest. Two Untha shredders lie at the heart of the plant; a single shaft shredder processes fridge plastics while a four shaft unit achieves a refined 30 mm fraction.

The company now aims to increase the volume up to 5 000 tonnes within the next 12 months. They will handle more materials next year and thereafter with the Preston site capable of recycling various plastics including TV flat screens and computer monitor housings. 3R also wants to ramp up capacity by launching two more plants, one in the south of England, another in Scotland.

‘The UK’s e-scrap recycling capabilities are continuously improving,’ says 3R Technology’s founder and ceo Yu Lin Wang. ‘However, the focus is usually on the processing of the metal content. We are therefore partnering with recyclers to tackle the 50% mixed plastic that typically remains once redundant appliances have been shredded. This still has a significant resource value which often is not realised in the UK.’

3R Technology also has recycling facilities in Serbia and The Netherlands.