Stadler equips Spanish MRF

Germany-based sorting and recycling equipment maker Stadler Anlagenbau GmbH has completed a retrofit of what it calls the first turnkey plant it built in Spain more than 20 years ago, performing that project at the BZB lightweight packaging sorting facility in Bizkaia, Spain, in the Basque region.

Stadler says the retrofit has added new levels of capacity, efficiency and automation and that the project strengthens a 25-year partnership with BZB.

The upgraded facility was officially inaugurated Jan. 27, with representatives from BZB, Stadler, not-for-profit Ecoembes and regional stakeholders in attendance.

BZB is a public-private partnership involving regional council Garbiker and waste recycling service provider Trienekens País Vasco, and specializes in the collection, sorting and processing of discarded packaging materials.

“This plant is personally very meaningful to me,” says Carlos Manchado Atienza, international sales director at Stader. “It was the first full facility contract we signed in Spain when I was acting as Stadler’s distributor. Being able to sign up for the new BZB plant today as part of the Stadler team is a true source of pride.”

“The modernization of our plant is transformative for BZB,” adds Pedro Goicoechea, a general manager with BZB. “It allows us to increase efficiency and recover more materials, while positioning us to meet future challenges and sustainability goals.”

The decision to modernize the plant rather than relocate it reflects BZB’s commitment to maximizing the use of existing infrastructure while adopting the most advanced sorting technologies available, according to Stadler. Working within the constraints of the original building required precise planning and compact design solutions but ultimately resulted in a highly efficient and modern installation that far exceeds its predecessor's performance, the company adds.

The new BZB plant increases processing capacity from 3-8 tons per hour, more than doubling throughput while delivering higher recovery rates and cleaner output fractions, according to Stadler.

The retrofitted plant has been designed to handle a wide range of light packaging materials, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and two types of film plastic, plus ferrous and nonferrous materials.

Incoming material is fed into the system through an automatic feeder and a pre-shredding stage that opens bags and loosens the materials stream, according to Stadler.

A trommel screen then separates the material into three size fractions, each processed independently using a combination of Stadler ballistic separators, magnetic and inductive separators, and near infrared (NIR) optical sorters. The sorted materials are conveyed to dedicated bunkers and then baled for shipment.

The plant features reversible conveyors for flexible material routing and integrates bunker-level sensors and automatic container change signaling to optimize day-to-day operations, Stadler says.

“A key differentiator of the new installation is its high level of automation,” the company adds. "Compared to the original 2002 plant, the upgraded facility uses space more efficiently and reduces manual intervention. That contributes to lower operating costs and increased overall efficiency, while also improving working conditions for operators."

The company says the project was completed in a short time frame, with assembly taking three and a half months. Commissioning of the plant was completed at the end of October 2025, two months earlier than originally scheduled.

“Completing the project ahead of schedule demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Stadler and their commitment to excellence,” Goicoechea says. “The modernization ensures we are ready to meet future challenges while continuing to provide high-quality waste sorting services to the region.”

“I would like to sincerely thank the entire Trienekens team in Spain and in Germany and, in particular, Joachim Domrös, managing director [of] Trienekens, for their outstanding professionalism throughout the negotiation and installation process,” Atienza adds. “Everything was handled smoothly and efficiently, and it has been a real pleasure working with them.”

A video of the retrofitted plant can be viewed on YouTube.