Australia-based Sims Aluminum Pty Ltd., a subsidiary of New York City-based Sims Metal Management, has officially opened its newest facility in Laverton North, Victoria, Australia. Helping inaugurate the new aluminum recycling facility, Australian Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings officially turned on the facility’s machinery. Sims says the new facility will allow the company to reduce the amount of hazardous material going to landfill by 95 percent.
The new facility includes two new dross presses that prevent hazardous salt and aluminum oxide waste from going to landfills, according to the company.
To assist in the project, the Brumby Labor Government provided $773,000 (US$768,000) in funding through its HazWaste Fund to help purchase the machinery, which cost $1.97 million (US$1.963 million).
“Our government understands the importance of protecting our environment, and these machines, which dramatically reduce hazard waste going to landfill, are an innovative approach to reducing our impact on the landscape,” says Jennings.
“These dross presses are an impressive example of what the HazWaste Fund can achieve. It is a key element of our strategy to eliminate hazardous waste from landfill by 2020,” Jennings adds.
Traditionally, salt is used in the scrap aluminum smelting process to maximize aluminum recovery. Currently, this salt cannot be re-used or recycled and has generally been landfilled.
“This means the leftover fines will no longer be contaminated with salt and can be subsequently recycled,” says Doug McLean, general manager, Australian Manufacturing Division, Sims Group Australia Holdings Ltd. “This funding has allowed us to become the only known secondary aluminum smelter in the world to operate a ‘salt free’ process utilizing dross press technology.”
McLEan adds, “We’ve tailored the equipment to suit our specific needs and, as a result, can guarantee diversion of 1,800 metric tons of salt, and eventually an additional 12,000 metric tons of aluminum fines, from going to landfill per annum.”