Ward unveils state-of-the-art metals recycling facility

Ward’s new Kiverco waste plant. (PHOTO: Ward)

The facility, developed in partnership with Kiverco, aims to enhance the company’s efforts to divert waste from landfills and boost the reuse of materials from construction, demolition, commercial, and industrial waste.

Following extensive research across Europe to find the most effective technology, Ward invested over £10 million (US$13.3 million) in upgrading its Ilkeston site. The new facility can process up to 50 tonnes of material per hour, with an annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes of waste.

This significant expansion allows Ward to handle two and a half times its previous processing volume, improving the quality of recovered materials.

“We wanted to create the most technologically advanced facility in the UK,” said Donald Ward, Operations Director at Ward. “After months of research into the equipment and technology available, we were pleased that Kiverco and Pellenc ST could partner with us to build the recycling facility and supply the quality of optical sorter we needed to maximise recycling and achieve high-quality outputs.”

The facility is designed to handle a wide range of materials, including plastics, wood, metals, stones, and soils. Pellenc ST’s optical sorting machines ensure a high level of precision, improving recovery rates and reducing the need for manual sorting.

Additional technology, such as eddy current separators, magnets, and air systems, help separate ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Artificial intelligence integration further enhances the sorting process by continuously learning and improving its accuracy.

Ward’s new Kiverco waste plant. (PHOTO: Ward)

Donald said: “One of the key benefits of the new plant is the ability to maximise material recovery and help us further divert waste away from landfill.

“We’ve seen a huge improvement in the quality of outputs, which translates into better value for our customers. By improving the recovery of metals, plastics, cardboard, wood, and UPVC, we’ve also reduced our carbon intensity and increased recycling with local partners.”

With this upgrade, Ward has expanded its capacity to recycle a greater volume of materials, diverting over 95% of waste from landfills, aligning with its long-term goal of zero landfill waste.