Page 79 from: May 2007
substances. ‘The concept behind this technology is
that component parts break off at the weakest point,’
TechRec explains. ‘For example, batteries and capac-
itors lose adhesion at their clamping or solder points
and, after separation, exit the QZ machine on a con-
veyor belt, where they are manually collected and
sent to specialist recyclers for processing.’
On leaving the QZ machine, material travels along
conveyor belts through several separation steps.
Firstly, it passes over a fork-sieve that separates
fragments smaller than 100 mm which are then sub-
jected to magnetic, sieve and cyclone separation
steps, as well as manual separation to ensure the
removal of any remaining hazardous substances.
Some of the 100 mm-plus fraction is taken out
using magnetic separation while non-ferrous mate-
rial is reintroduced at the beginning of the second
stage for reprocessing.
Residual material is processed in a hammer mill to
produce a pellet-sized fraction which then undergoes
a metal-plastic separation process. The plastic gran-
ulate is sent to a specialist recycler while the metal
stream is further separated into aluminium and a
mix of other precious metals. This mixture is sent to
a refinery for separation into constituent precious
metals – principally copper, although some gold, sil-
ver and other precious metals are also produced.
Cathode ray tube glass
The facility in Dublin also houses a system for
cleaning, cutting and separating panel and funnel
glass which is subsequently sold for reuse in new
cathode ray tube (CRT) screens. Mr Killen explains:
‘At the moment, we are doing about 2500 televisions
and monitors per week but expect to double this
soon.’ In the same field, Immark’s Swissglas AG
plant at Mulheim in Switzerland is claimed to be
Europe’s largest CRT glass processor with a capacity
to clean, crush and process 30 000 tonnes each year.
Meanwhile, refrigerators are directed to the
group’s fridge recycling facility at Dungannon in
Ireland which is a full processing plant with a state-
of-the-art chlorofluorocarbon/ozone-depleting sub-
stance recovery unit.
TechRec is marketing its recycling service to
waste companies throughout Ireland. The compa-
ny explains: ‘TechRec’s use of modern sophisticated
technology will ensure that Irish producers and dis-
tributors – as well as all business-to-business (B2B)
users – will have a cost-effective and fully-compli-
ant WEEE processing facility on their doorstep,
eliminating the possibility that their waste electri-
cal and electronic equipment is mishandled or
shipped to a non-compliant overseas operator.
C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E
Recycling International • May 2007 79
TechRec can also help and advise on all aspects of
the WEEE directive – including setting up self-com-
pliance schemes for B2B clients.’
A market perspective
In the WEEE sector, ‘there now exists a clear
choice between backyard-style recycling and highly
compliant plants using state-of-the-art processing
and separation technology such as Immark operates’,
according to Mr Killen. With many major countries
around the world – including China, India, Canada
and the USA – beginning to adopt approaches similar
to that enshrined in the EU’s WEEE legislation, ‘the
processing market is starting to concentrate and this
is being driven by the major electronics producers
who are looking to deal with a small number of high-
end plants in their various key markets’. And he adds:
‘It is our firm belief that only those processors who
offer a substantial global network and can genuinely
unlock all the value from the fractions contained in e-
scrap will survive as the market develops rapidly over
the course of the next three to five years.’
It goes without saying that he believes Immark,
with the backing of an acquisitive One51 group, will
be among those companies to lead the way in the
proper and profitable recycling of end-of-life electri-
cal and electronic equipment.
Background to One 51 and Immark
One51 Ltd can trace its roots back to 1897 and still operates from the address that
gives the company its name – 151 Thomas Street in Dublin. Formerly the Irish
Agricultural Wholesale Society Ltd, it has over 50 shareholders operating from nearly
600 branches across Ireland. Under Chief Executive Philip Lynch, the company has
looked to refocus over recent years as a diversified group concentrating on high growth
areas in waste, sustainable energy and support services; its involvement in WEEE
recycling dates back two years.
One51’s other interests in the waste sector include Rilta Environmental, a former sub-
sidiary of the French group Sita, which is active mainly active in hazardous waste man-
agement. The company also owns a 27% holding in UK hazardous waste company Augean
as well as a stake in Irish company NTR which operates in the waste management and
renewable energy markets through its subsidiaries Greenstar, Bioverda and Aitricity.
In Switzerland, Immark AG is a leading provider of WEEE recycling services and
also operates a number of large WEEE processing facilities elsewhere in Europe. Its
clients include such blue-chip electrical and electronic equipment specialists as Canon,
Panasonic, Sony, Siemens and IBM. Immark has operated in the WEEE recycling
market since 1986 and describes itself as the market leader in Switzerland. Sister
companies Drisa Entsorgungs AG of Lausen and Swissglas AG of Mulheim are active
in, respectively, WEEE recycling and CRT glass processing.
At the time of the deal with One51 last December, Immark AG had been a subsidiary
of DI Metall Holding AG, which itself was owned by leading European non-ferrous met-
als trader, the Dietiker Group. Under the agreement, Immark’s Managing Director
Rolf Jeker and Technical Director Ruedi Hafner will retain 20% of the group’s shares.
For further information visit: www.techrec.ie or www.immark.ch
TechRec’s Dublin facility is capable of process-
ing up to 30 000 tonnes of WEEE per annum.
The plastic granulate is sent to a specialist
recycler while the metal stream is further
separated into aluminium and a mix of other
precious metals.
RI_039 WEE-One51:Opmaak 1 02-05-2007 12:07 Pagina 79
