A primary objective at KMK Metals Recycling is maximising the recovery of critical raw materials from valuable waste metals to support to the goals of the circular economy.
KMK Metals Recycling provides for the environmentally sound management of waste metal in all its forms, including that from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Our recycling and recovery facility has maintained a leadership position in the management of solid metals and metal components for over 40 years.
KMK Metals Recycling have trained and dedicated staff to manage the metals recovery operations at its facility in Tullamore. Metal scrap, dusts, powders, sludges, filings and turnings from various origins arrive at the facility for inspection and processing. These metals, once suitably extracted from waste, are repackaged for onward transport to trusted metallurgical downstream partners in Europe for further specialist treatment using environmentally sound practices.
Electrical and electronic equipment is made from a variety of recoverable metal resources. When recycling these appliances, our aim is to separate the metal material from other WEEE components, such as plastic, to leave clean, separated streams of ferrous, non-ferrous and precious metals that can be maximally recycled and recovered.
Recovering metals from WEEE is a complex process with the most important element being the efficient segregation of the individual metal materials. Initial shredding of material facilitates the separation of plastics from metals and internal circuitry.
The main processing plant on-site, the WEEE Plant, commissioned in 2011, involves the processing of small household electronic appliances, treating up to 35,000 tonnes per annum. The process involves the use of specialist equipment such as a rotating trommel, magnets, screens, shredders, Steinert Eddy current to produce metals and metal-bearing commodities as well as plastics and components such as batteries and capacitors.
As a conveyor belt transports shredded material, a powerful overhead magnet separates metals from the waste stream. Further mechanical processing separates aluminium, copper and circuit boards from the material stream. Visual inspection and hand sorting further improves the quality of the extracted materials. The metal materials are then packaged and/or baled and shipped for further processing by our authorised outlets.
Whether it is high value material, such as jewellery scrap and metal pastes, or low-grade electronic scrap such as printed circuit boards, we have the expertise and best practice technology to recover the precious metals contained within, at maximum value to our customers.
