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autoclaving

key facts

  • No incineration, merely steam
  • No emissions or odours
  • No eyesore – the system is enclosed in a building
  • No water discharge
  • Recycling is dramatically increased, landfilling only 20 % residue of waste
  • Offers compliance with EU Landfill Directive
  • sterecycle® can be integrated with existing systems to pre-recover recyclables and dramatically improve system performance.
  • Flexible system – can take both mixed waste and residual waste streams
  • Valuable marketable recyclables
  • Sterilising process - removes health hazards associated with landfill and some Mechanical Recycling Facilities
  • Lower capital expenditure than "Mechanical Bio Treatment” advanced thermal treatment and incineration
  • Low operating costs
  • Low labour requirements

autoclaving

autoclaving with sterecycle® & O.Kay

Autoclaving is a method of sterilisation that can be used on bulk waste to avoid it being sent to landfill. O.Kay is partners with sterecycle® whose highly advanced technology is capable of recycling and recovering up to 80% of domestic waste in a sterile and environmentally-friendly process.

Clean recycling technology

The sterecycle® process is in two stages: in the first stage consists of steam autoclaving that takes place at temperatures in excess of 140°C.

In the second stage, O.Kay screening technology (which is similar to a MRF) is used to sort the sterilised material into: ferrous, non-ferrous, glass, plastics, textiles and a high biomass content fibre. Click here for a diagram showing the entire process.

After stages 1 and 2, the organic fibre can be used as a soil conditioner, which is water absorbent and aerates soils to encourage exceptional growth.

Alternatively, the fibre can be further processed in several different methods to produce valuable by-products including:

  • Paper fibre: passing the fibre through a washing plant and separating the long fibres (60%) for potential use in the paper industry as a high quality paper pulp, subject to markets. The remaining short fibres (40%) can be processed as follows:
  • Biogas & Fertiliser: The fibre can also be passed through an Anaerobic Digester to produce both a clean biogas for energy generation and a dark soil additive fertiliser. The fibre is an ideal feedstock for Anaerobic Digestion since it is a homogenous material unlike the original complex untreated waste.
  • Green Energy: The fibre is a clean fuel and can be used to produce energy and/or heat with extremely low emissions well below EU regulation requirements. Again, the biomass fibre is an ideal feedstock since it is a homogenous material that can be efficiently fed into a power plant. The biomass should also qualify for "green certificates" / ROCs.
  • Construction products: The fibre can be used for making a multitude of construction products that use cellulose fibre e.g. fibre board, tiles etc.
  • Briquettes: the fibre can be converted into a pellet or briquette as a green biomass, with potential markets with third party energy producers.

Click here for a diagram showing the material flow

Advantages of the system

  • Full sanitisation of the waste
  • Fibre has a range of potential applications in the construction and power generation sectors, displacing virgin materials and fossil-fuel
  • High quality ferrous and non-ferrous metal recovery
  • Autoclaving technology is well-established for medical waste
  • High volume reduction and up to 80% recycling of waste stream claimed, subject to markets
  • Low capital expenditure
  • Low operating costs through patented intelligent heat transfer system
  • Not dependent on high water quality for steam production

What type of waste does the system process?

For a full list of materials treated, click here

Options

  • Systems for all throughput tonnages
  • Automated recovery of fibre, glass, ferrous, non-ferrous, plastics
  • All types of mechanical screens
  • Bag Openers (with bypass) for bagged and loose materials
  • Cabins with Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Dust Control
  • Dust Control systems across the system
  • SCADA control systems
  • Principal Contractor/CDM packages
  • Preventive maintenance and total after sales customer care packages - please see servicing

For more information, visit sterecycle®

Currently in use by these customers

Plants across the USA

Other related pages

sterecycle® web site
MRFs Home