Indeco shears – helping recycle for a cleaner environment
Industrial ecology is developing as a powerful influence in Australia, helping promote sustainability and resource efficiency through recycling and the reuse of waste materials.
Salvage and recycling of some materials is fast becoming standard industry practice with companies striving for innovative products and practices.
It is estimated that around 52.5 million passenger tyres reach the end of their life each year in Australia. Of this, only 13% are currently being recycled, with 57% of all tyres going to landfill which is by far the worst option environmentally. Without sunlight a tyre takes up to 30,000 years to degrade, taking up valuable space, providing havens for vermin and mosquitoes, and posing a health and fire hazard. Theoretically, it’s possible to recover the raw materials from tyres, but previously there has been little disposal by this method due to the high cost. Two companies trying to change this trend in Australia are the Delta Group and Sims Tyrecycle.
To help in their recycling process, Sims Tyrecycle is now using an Indeco ISS 10/20 Shear supplied to them through the Delta Group. Helping to speed up their operation and increase productivity, the Indeco ISS Steel Shear has been noted for its extreme durability and technical innovations, now seen as a vital tool working in the Sims recycling business. With a Regeneration Valve giving a cycle time 25% faster than competition, use of quality materials and HARDOX steel, oversize cylinders designed to withstand over 10,000 psi of pressure and an integrated Dual Guide Pack System of the Jaws, the feasibility of recycling tyres is becoming more achievable.
Delta Group began trading as Delta Demolition in 1974, and has long established itself as an industry leader specialising in small, large and delicate demolition projects. The Group has since expanded to incorporate civil works, excavation, landscaping, asbestos removal, heavy equipment hire, as well as innovative recycling and waste management programs- including a world-leading joint venture with Boral in concrete recycling. Delta now has recycling plants in Victoria and New South Wales, forming many successful partnerships with construction companies, government departments, municipal councils, developers, and other business partners. With a very strong family-oriented culture, Delta has approximately 650 employees Australia-wide – many of whom have been with the business for more than 20 or 25 years.
Sims Tyrecycle started in 1992 as a waste tyre division of a major tyre manufacturer but soon expanded into a national tyre recycler for all types of tyres. They’re continually discovering and searching for new applications for scrap tyres in a quest to decrease the number of tyres entering waste streams and landfill. Their aim is to eventually collect and process over 50% of waste tyres generated in Australia.
After collecting scrap and imperfect tyres from manufacturers, retailers, local councils and other sources, some of the rubber material is turned into high quality crumb, and steel is recycled through the same process. The rubber crumb is widely used in tyre manufacturing, road repairs, soft fall surfacing for playgrounds, horse arenas, brake pads, tile adhesives, insulation purposes and sporting surfaces. The remaining tyres are used mainly for civil engineering projects, fuel for energy recovery systems and drainage aggregates.
