Wendt commissions shredding plant, nonferrous system at Island Recycling

Recycling shredding and separation equipment provider Wendt Corp., Buffalo, New York, has announced the installation of its Wendt M6090 automobile shredder at Hawaii-based Island Recycling. The company says the installation includes an upgraded nonferrous recovery plant designed to enhance Island’s operational efficiency, throughput and material recovery.

According to Wendt, Jim Nutter started Island in 1983, working out of an old shipping container as an office to help introduce the concept of recycling to Hawaii. As a second-generation, family-run business now under the leadership of Nick Nutter, Island operates two locations in the state and acts as a multicommodity recycling center, helping public, commercial and governmental entities keep more than 60,000 tons of recyclable materials out of the waste stream each year.

Wendt says Nick Nutter, Island’s president, initially engaged the equipment maker to explore nonferrous separation solutions. “We sent batches of our automobile shredder residue [ASR] to Wendt’s test facility, revealing that we were losing 16 percent nonferrous metals into the waste stream,” Nutter says, adding that “given Hawaii’s limited and costly landfill space, we recognized the substantial profit margins we were missing in nonferrous metals.”

After investigating his nonferrous recovery options with Wendt and facing “persistent issues” with his existing shredder, Nutter turned to Wendt to help develop a complete shredding and metals recovery solution.

“Our previous shredder couldn’t run consistently and failed to meet promised performance levels,” Nutter says. “We faced issues with inadequate throughput, structural weaknesses like bowing sidewalls and multiple drive system failures. To address these challenges, we chose Wendt’s 6090, which offers the reliability and compatibility required for our upgraded operations.”

Wendt says the shredder it has installed at Island features a Bowe Disc Rotor, a new infeed conveyor, feed roll assembly and a pin puller. Initially using a 1,500-horsepower motor from its previous equipment, Island has invested in a new 2,500-horsepower motor with variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, scheduled for installation in the second quarter of this year. Wendt says the equipment package also includes a nonferrous recovery system with eddy current separators for zorba recovery and a Wendt Tomra Finder to recover insulated copper wire and stainless steel.

Wendt says that, being in Hawaii, Island required a dependable service and support team for their operations.

“Along with the equipment, my biggest issue with the previous shredding plant was the lack of support,” Nutter says. “We now have a responsive support team from Wendt, with quick reaction times to address any issues. The availability of spare parts has also been crucial to our operation.”

Looking ahead, Nutter says Island intends to continue growing and enhancing its operations.

“We’re excited about the future and the potential for growth with Wendt’s support,” he says. “Our new shredder and nonferrous equipment have boosted our profitability and sustainability efforts, aligning with our long-term goals of reducing landfill waste, maximizing resource recovery and leading the way in recycling technology and sustainability in Hawaii.”