Saubermacher e-cycling Park

"Saubermacher e-cycling Park":
first all-in-one recycling plant for used electrical appliances in the Alps-Adriatic region

Soon electrical appliances will be recycled completely in Unterpremstätten and no longer transported over several hundreds of kilometres. Regional minister Dr. Christian Buchmann & Saubermacher CEO Hans Roth together laid the "foundation stone" for the Saubermacher e-cycling Park and laid down a marker for a strong industrial site!

Electronic appliances have caused growing piles of rubbish over the past years. Estimates indicate approx. 100,000 tons of electrical waste per year in Austria! At present, as much as 30,000 kg are disposed of properly every day in Styria, which is approx. 8 kg per inhabitant per year.

"Saubermacher e-cycling Park"

The foundation stone for a new recycling plant for small electrical appliances was laid in the presence of the regional minister Christian Buchmann, Hans Roth, councillor of commerce, Saubermacher CEO and vice mayor Anton Schmölzer in Unterpremstätten on 8 June 2010. Saubermacher has been operating a plant for the recycling of used electrical appliances at the site in Unterpremstätten since 1996. Now it is complemented by a special recycling plant for small electrical appliances, thus creating a unique complete system ("e-cycling Park") for the recycling of all used electrical appliances in the Alps-Adriatic region.

By means of this recycling plant, Saubermacher ensures that added value remains in Austria and that up to 15,000 tons of small electrical appliances can be recycled in an environmentally compatible way every year. As yet small electrical appliances had to be transported over hundreds of kilometres for further recycling because there was no suitable plant in the Alps-Adriatic region.

This plant of Saubermacher does not only contribute to the saving of large quantities of CO₂ due to short hauls, but also greatly upgrades the location of Unterpremstätten with approx. 80 jobs in the region with this investment. This reflects the self-image of Saubermacher: as a pioneer in the Austrian waste management industry, the company recognises its responsibility for people and the environment in the region and promotes this with path-breaking local investments!

KR Hans Roth, CEO of Saubermacher: "With the Saubermacher e-cycling Park, we set standards with a long-term effect for an environment worth living in and create a number of positive effects in the areas creation and safeguarding of jobs, innovation, climate protection and resource conservation, sustainable waste management as well as industrial site securing."

Data and Facts

What happens in the plant?

The appliances are carefully dismantled into their individual parts by means of separation in the so-called cross-flow shredder. Then the parts containing iron are sorted out on a magnetic belt conveyor and are recycled as scrap iron. The non-magnetic parts are sorted into their components by plastic and non-ferrous metals (such as copper and aluminium) on the subsequent sorting conveyor. The components that contain harmful substances, such as capacitors or batteries, are removed and disposed of properly. The portion of batteries alone is approx. 1% of small electrical appliances. Approx. 1,000 kg of materials that are detrimental to the environment are sorted out in Unterpremstätten every day by means of this separation system! Then composite materials that are still contained are shredded further and automatically separated into iron, non-ferrous metals and plastic materials. All of these recovered raw materials are recycled into new products.

What is processed in the plant?

All small electrical appliances from households und commercial enterprises up to a size of 50 cm edge length, for example: microwave ovens, coffeemakers, toasters, vacuum cleaners, mixers, hairdryers, shavers, PCs, printers, telephones, mobile phones, photocopiers,…

For photos recently taken of the laying of the foundation stone, please go to www.pressefotos.at

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