[Article from ScrapBook Spring 2011]
Since the mid-eighties Eldan Recycling has been active on the Latin American continent selling equipment and solutions to the recycling industry. There are many similarities between the recycling evolution in the Latin America and the recycling development in other markets across the globe.
Learning from experience
Often the cable recycling industry is the starting point, where the basic cable recycling per handcraft is moving to be operated by machinery. Eldan introduced its first Cable Stripper in 1960 on markets mature for this type of equipment. Currently, we are still selling this machine to the Latin American market, for customers who have a smaller capacity requirement, and for those who wish to process cables with larger diameters (up to 150mm). The next stage is typically that we see a demand for our automatic solutions – like a cable granulating line. Today we offer standard cable lines with capacities ranging from 400 kg up to 4 ton per production hour. We have also however sold and erected cable plants with capacities of 6 – 8 and 10 tons per production hour. For new customers with a smaller capacity demand, yet still looking for a automatic solution we have developed the Eldan Micro Module which has a capacity of approximately 200 kilo per hours.
In the Latin-American market we have an extensive reference list including customers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela. These customers are mainly active within the cable recycling industry. The market is however not saturated and we foresee great interest for cable recycling in the future as well.
Thinking ahead
New business segments like recycling of tire, electronic waste (WEEE - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and refrigerators are segments where we see a growing interest. “These segments are boosted due to changed national regulations and also by the demand for “new raw materials”“ says Henning Nørgaard, Territory Manager at Eldan.
In tire recycling there are three valuable materials: rubber, steel and fiber (nylon, PE or kevlar) which all are valuable materials. If tires are not recycled they can be a large environmental hazard. They can also be a large health risk since there is moisture in the tires and it is a perfect breeding ground for both malaria and dengue mosquitoes. Big piles of used tires are also a risk during fires, since it is very difficult to extinguish fires in them. The same properties which make used tires such a big waste problem also make them one of the most re-used materials. As the rubber is very resilient, it can be reused in other products. The materials that are the outcome of tire recycling have many benefits (flexibility, strength and combustibility), and can be used in shoe soles, artificial turf and rubber modified asphalt for road surfing.
Recycling of electronic waste is increasing concurrently with the increase of sold electronic products on the market. In typical WEEE scrap there are the fractions magnetic ferrous, aluminum, organic (plastic) as well as copper and precious metals. All valuable material which are demanded from the market. The German University of Aachen mentions a “gold rush” in a report mentioned by ERP (European Recycling Platform). The report also states that there is “80 times more gold in WEEE scrap than the same quantity of material from gold ore”.
In the Kyoto agreement (written by the United Nations to fight global warming), among many others, it is pointed out the importance of reducing the CFC (Chloro-Fluoro-Carbon) gases, which are found in refrigerators. When recycling refrigerators it is important to collect all the gases, which is approximately 400 gram per unit. In addition to that there is an amount of magnetic ferrous, aluminum, copper and organic (plastic) material, which to a larger extent is marketable.
Proven technology close to you
Eldan offer proven solutions for all the segments. We have a philosophy at the company to always be close to our customers. Therefore we currently have own sales offices in Denmark (head office), Germany, France, US and Australia, and a network of agents throughout the world.
In 2009 Eldan Recycling established cooperation with the international trading house Ferrostaal AG. Ferrostaal has sales offices in most parts of the world, and we agreed that they would be our representative agents in e.g. Latin America and the GCC countries. Ferrostaal AG has a long background, and experience in the Latin American market, since they have been present there since 1930. This almost 80 years background in their local markets like Mexico (covering Central America), Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil is invaluable. They have the best background for serving the market in the most efficient way.
Eldan Recycling has already introduced Ferrostaal AG as our Latin American agent at the most important exhibitions in Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Brazil and we are happy to mention that we are already in contact with the most important players in the market.
