Shredders Boost Waste Tyre Processing Capacity by 250% : Waste Management Invests in Tyre Recycling Equipment in New Zealand

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Following the acquisition of Pacific Rubber, New Zealand’s largest tyre recycling business last year, Wellington based Waste Management NZ Limited has invested in new tyre shredding technology.

The company said that the investment was supported with funding from the Ministry for the Environment and is helping it to make significant step forward in addressing a critical environmental problem by better managing and re-using end-of-life tyres in New Zealand.

Waste Management was join Minister for the Environment, Hon Dr Nick Smith, along with representatives from Golden Bay Cement, to announce a significant step forward in addressing a critical environmental problem by better managing and re-using end-of-life tyres in New Zealand.

Since the acquisition Waste Management has been working with Golden Bay Cement and the Government to create a local solution for the re-use of end-of-life tyres through supply of tyre derived fuel.

Mike McSaveney, Waste Management General Manager Upper North Island said further investment in new tyre shredding technology, which was supported with funding from the Ministry for the Environment, will result in such a solution.

“Waste Management saw the potential for expanding a solution to one of New Zealand’s critical environmental problems through our investment in tyre recycling last year,” he explained.

“We are now pleased to see our further investment, combined with Government support, has resulted in a New Zealand-based solution for the re-use of end-of-life tyres.

“By working together with Golden Bay Cement, we are turning waste into energy through the supply of tyre derived fuel,” continued McSaveney.

Waste Management said that it will use its network to collect end-of-life tyres from across New Zealand. With the support of a Ministry for Environment grant, it has purchased new tyre processing equipment from the US, which will expand processing capacity in Auckland by 250% and enable the installation of new capacity in Christchurch.

“With more than 800 trucks and over 70 facilities, we saw an opportunity to improve and invest in a national solution to turn tyre waste into energy, helping to solve the national problem of illegal dumping of tyres,” said McSaveney.

“By the end of this year we will have processing facilities in the North Island, with the South Island to follow,” he added. “This will significantly improve our capacity to remove end-of-life tyres from our environment and turn them into useful fuel. We are very pleased that Golden Bay Cement will be one of the companies able to use this product here in New Zealand.”

Waste Management’s shredders will be operational in Auckland by October this year, with shredding capacity of 30,000 tonnes per annum (approximately 3 million car tyres) each year and providing fuel for the manufacture of cement at Golden Bay Cement. Our South Island facility will be operational in early 2018.

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