Wendt tech gives Hawaii recycler competitive edge

Wendt Corporation has upgraded Island Recycling’s non-ferrous recycling facility in Hawaii.

As part of the order, the tech provider installed a M6090 automobile shredder. It features a Bowe disc rotor, a new infeed conveyor, feed roll assembly and a pin puller. The Hawaiian recycler also replaced an old 1 500 HP motor with a 2 500 HP motor with variable frequency drive technology from Wendt.

The package also includes a non-ferrous recovery system with eddy current separators for aluminium (zorba) recovery and a Wendt Tomra Finder to recover insulated copper wire and stainless steel.

Second generation

Jim Nutter started Island Recycling in 1983 from an office in an old shipping container, helping to introduce recycling to Hawaii. As a second-generation family-run business, now under the leadership of Nick Nutter, it operates from two locations. The company processes 60 000 tonnes of residential, commercial and government scrap every year.

Maximising profit

Nutter initially reached out to Wendt to explore non-ferrous separation solutions. ‘We sent batches of our automobile shredder residue to Wendt’s test facility. I told them we were losing 16% non-ferrous metals in the waste stream.’

Given Hawaii’s limited and costly landfill space, Island Recycling realised the substantial profit margins it was missing out on.

‘Our previous shredder couldn’t run consistently and failed to meet promised performance levels,’ Nutter said. ‘We faced issues with inadequate throughput, structural weaknesses like bowing sidewalls and multiple drive system failures. To address these challenges, we chose Wendt ‘s 6090 which offers the reliability and compatibility required for our upgraded operations.’

Hawaiian leadership

Island Recycling plans to continue growing and enhancing its operations. ‘Our new shredder and non-ferrous equipment have boosted our profitability and sustainability efforts, aligning with our long-term goals of reducing landfill waste, maximising resource recovery and leading the way in recycling technology and sustainability in Hawaii.’