WEEE scrap piled up in front of
the treatment line operated by
Cablofer Bex.
Text & photography by Klaus Vollrath
Cablofer mines secondary raw materials
Swiss recycler of f
‘Our core competenceis the recovery of all
sorts of metals from a wide
variety of scraps,’ discloses
Paul-Albert Hitter, Managing
Director of Cablofer Bex of Bex
in Switzerland. Based on the
site of a former primary copper
refinery, the company operates a
variety of state-of-the-art dis-
mantling and treatment plants for
many types of scrap material.
These are complemented by a broad
range of services and additional
activities aimed at offering cus-
tomers a ‘one-stop’ solution for all
their needs. The services include not
only the treatment of nearly any type of
scrap and scrap-containing material,
but also: landfilling; the conversion of
energy-rich materials such as plastics
and wood into fuel for cement kilns or
incineration plants; demolition of build-
ings and plants; collection of obsolete
fridges and metal packaging; and related
logistics services.
The underlying philosophy is simple: in a
region comprised of small communities, small-
to-medium size industrial operations and
mountainous geography, specific wastes arise
only in limited quantities and should not be
trucked around from one special site to another. It
makes more sense, the company argues, to set up
a regional centre capable of tackling any type of
refuse or scrap material that may turn up. Thus,
the company has to remain flexible to changes and
new requirements in the marketplace.
Cablofer Bex of Switzerland runs a multi-functional centre
for all sorts of operations centred around the collection,
treatment and upgrading of wastes containing metal scrap.
In order to respond to diverse customer requirements, the
company uses equipment suitable for fulfilling a variety of
tasks with equally high efficiency.
Full service philosophy
‘This approach is reflected in the type of equip-
ment we purchase and the way we operate it,’ notes
Plant Manager Théodor Gertsch. The main focus is
on building in flexibility so that the company can
process to a high level of efficiency a broad range of
materials that often arrive in very small batches.
To attract sufficient input material to achieve rea-
sonable plant utilisation, the company not only
processes materials it has sourced itself, but also
offers scrap upgrades for third parties such as car
shredder operators or electrical/electronic equip-
ment manufacturers. With every customer expect-
ing separation and purity to match the best stan-
dards available on the market, the company does
not operate ‘turnkey’ plants but tends to buy high-
quality but basic equipment from well-proven sup-
pliers. It then complements these with add-ons
26
The spent cable shredder, with the results of its two-stage treatment
process piled up on the right.
