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Jet-Zone makes dust-
free shredding a reality
Leading recyclers are turning to

dust suppression systems to

achieve a cleaner process. Mirko

Savic (ceo) and Nicolas Malfait,

(sales and service) of Jet-Zone,

know all about this type of

equipment. The trained

engineers developed a patented

approach that has been installed

at various recycling plants across

Europe and further afield.

Recycling International meets

up with them at Galloo’s site in

Menen, Belgium, to talk about

the impact of this innovation.

‘Jet-Zone is doing really well and we have a
steady stream of orders coming in,’ says
Malfait. ‘Galloo, for instance, already owns six
of our dust suppression systems and we are
currently preparing the seventh unit.’ Then, all
Galloo shredders will be equipped with the
company’s technology. ‘Needless to say, it’s
very exciting to see such strong interest in our
technology,’ Malfait adds.
Jet-Zone is working with a number of big recy-
cling groups which have two or three dust sup-
pression units supporting their day-to-day
operations. ‘Having leading recycling compa-
nies come back to us is a sign we’re doing
something right,’ the ceo asserts. ‘Seven times
is certainly a milestone. Jet-Zone has come a
long way since it was founded in 2011.’

KEEPING IT DRY
This doesn’t mean the company’s start-up was
entirely smooth sailing. ‘Traditionally, the recy-
cling industry tends to be wary of welcoming
newcomers and shredding has more or less
stayed the same during the last 30 years,’
Savic observes. ‘At first, people confused our
solution with a water addition based method
but it’s a totally different process.’
The fundamental difference is that the Jet-
Zone system does not create a wet waste

stream. It relies on a subtle dispersion of
micro-drops – comparable to mist. This means
the scrap stays largely dry and that the quality
of the fractions is not compromised. ‘As such,
Jet-Zone does not affect sorting performance,’
Savic underlines. ‘Once recyclers understood
that, they got on board with our technology.’

HOW MANY INJECTORS?
Operators can choose which injectors are acti-
vated for specific tasks and how much mist is
released in any required direction. ‘In the sum-
mer, when the material is dry, you can program
the system to release more micro-drops than
during cold, damp seasons,’ the businessman
points out. ‘In the winter, you’ll probably need
five times fewer micro-drops than when it’s
warmer.’
Companies can opt for either two or up to 12
injectors. Four and six are the most common in
Europe, depending on the size of the shred-

der, because recycling lines usually feature
overhead dust extraction systems. ‘Our solu-
tion is a great addition to that, catching even
fine dust particles inside the shredder as well
as along the complete shredder line,’ Malfait
explains.
‘In the US, however, most recyclers won’t have
far-reaching dust cleaning systems. So
American and Canadian recyclers prefer a
more elaborate Jet-Zone system with eight or
more jets. We’ve installed systems with up to
12.’ Savic adds: ‘We’ve also expanded our cus-
tomer network to include recyclers worldwide.’

MANAGING RISK
‘Besides witnessing spectacular dust suppres-
sion results, our clients confirm that the Jet-
Zone system helps reduce blue smoke while
also reducing explosions – both in number and
intensity.’
A Swiss client of Jet-Zone, with a facility close
to a city centre, is a good example. ‘They used
to experience up to 30 explosions each year
but now we’ve brought it down to seven,’
Malfait states. ‘Hitting zero is virtually impossi-
ble because it depends on external factors
such as input volume, material type, equip-
ment maintenance and so on.’ With a laugh,
the businessman adds, ‘We can’t do magic
but, yes, our installation can have a meaningful
impact on dust emission and safety.’

‘Besides witnessing spectacular
dust suppression results, our clients

confirm that the Jet-Zone system
helps reduce blue smoke while

also reducing explosions – both in
number and intensity.’

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