Eldan ‘oldie’ empowers Dutch C&D sector

Denmark – Eldan Recycling has had ‘a busy year’. Besides gearing up for the launch of its new twin-shaft pre-shredder and cable stripper, the company has explored new applications for its existing machinery, Recycling International was told at the recent IFAT trade show in Munich.

′We got an unusual request some months ago,′ confided Carrel Rutte, Eldan′s Benelux sales manager. ′Two major Dutch recycling services, Sortiva and G.P. de Groot, are on a mission to recover metal fraction from heavily-contaminated construction and demolition (C&D) waste – and they are using a 20-year-old Eldan ring shredder to do so.′

Of course, the machine wasn′t designed for that specific purpose but the companies have still seen some encouraging results. ′Bought on the second-hand market, the machine was still in perfect running condition,′ Rutte added. ′The recyclers asked if we kept the technical drawings on file in case they needed spare parts. When we found this wasn’t the case, our engineers went and took a look at the machine and recreated the blueprint from scratch.′

Do it yourself

With Eldan′s help, the Dutch firms are now processing the material themselves and getting a much better price for it. Rutte observed: ′It turns out they were right to ask ′′Why let others do what we might do better?′′ And from our perspective, this proved how customers can help you discover new market opportunities.′ Eldan is therefore keeping its eyes – and its mind – wide open.

The company is currently ′in talks′ with a Swedish manufacturer of wind turbines regarding a new project to recycle the ′unwieldy′ aluminium and composite-made blades. ′It was brought to our attention that they are left to languish in enormous holes in the ground until a sustainable alternative is found,′ Rutte commented. ′The blades are considered to be impossible to recycle but, somehow, there must be a way.′

The Eldan team had a ′great time′ at IFAT.

For more information, visit: www.eldanrecycling.com