SUEZ Recycling Services
The day included a visit to Suez's plastics recycling plant in the Waalhaven. A huge hall processes waste from consumers and businesses. The excursion was introduced with a presentation by director John Geerts. Suez is the largest plastics processor in the Netherlands.
They work with pre-separation of plastic waste and not, like another Dutch processor, with final separation (where bags of mixed waste are separated at the plant). Mr Geerts went into detail about the various types of plastics processed by Suez (mechanically and by hand) and how they are separated and finally palletised using (infrared) light, compressed air, centrifuge drums, and magnets. What complicates processing and produces a lower-value product is the use of combinations of materials, such as paper laminated with a thin plastic layer (think milk cartons) or multiple types of plastic in 1 product. An example of the latter is a soft plastic bottle that usually has a cap made of a harder plastic that provides a good grip and thus seals well. A consumer leaves the cap on, creating a blended product and not the ideal separated flow of 2 types of plastics, each of which can be easily recycled.
Processing takes place at a specialised plant in Geleen. Partly due to the upcoming holiday period, a small number of members were present, so there was plenty of room to ask questions. For instance, we heard that Suez cannot process so-called bioplastics. It is a product that breaks down very poorly and does not technically match ordinary plastics. It is better to put that waste in the bag of residual waste.
The excursion to the factory was very interesting, but also an intense one. Although the factory has an anti-odour plant, it was noticeable that this was waste. The many mosquitoes and birds flying around also made that clear. During the excursion up the many stairs and landings of the factories, we walked right between, under and above the many conveyor belts. The timing of these belts is precisely tuned to the detection and separation systems. The many belts, motors and other components are under continuous load, hence 2 maintenance staff walk around continuously. The plant is also completely cleaned once a week; (flying) plastic gets between everything.
Description
On 28 June next, we have been invited to visit SUEZ Recycling Services. During this visit, there will be a presentation and a guided tour. Naturally, there will be ample opportunity for questions and/or discussion.
The maximum number of participants is 15. In case of possible oversubscription, a subsequent excursion can be organised.
Location
SUEZ Recycling Services, Waalhavenweg 50,
Port 2525, 3089 JJ Rotterdam (report to the gate)
Organiser
Transport and Logistics
Name and contact details for information
Further information via the e-mail address below