Renewi, Purified Metal to treat asbestos-coated steel

United Kingdom-based Renewi has announced a partnership with Netherlands-based Purified Metal Co. (PMC) to collect and transport contaminated steel directly to PMC’s new recycling facility in the Netherlands. A major focus of the project will be processing and recycling steel that contains asbestos coatings, which can be harvested from buildings constructed in the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

PMC’s facility, to be open in 2020, has been designed to convert contaminated steel into melt shop-ready raw materials. The facility will combine what PMC calls innovative processes with existing techniques originating from other industries. During the process, the fibrous parts of the asbestos will be destroyed, ensuring it is no longer hazardous, according to PMC. The firm says other hazardous substances contaminating the steel, such as chromium-6 and mercury, also are captured or neutralized.

The process prepares steel for reuse in the form of purified metal blocks (PMBs), which are ferrous metallic feedstock units that can be made to certain specifications, dependent on the requirements of the end user.

“PMC’s processing method provides a unique solution for this particular waste stream,” says Gijs Derks, commercial director for Renewi’s Netherlands Commercial Division. “Renewi’s ‘waste no more’ vision matches perfectly with the goal behind the collaboration with PMC and its new innovative technique of processing contaminated steel to produce secondary raw materials. Through collaboration with PMC, we are not only putting our vision into practice but also underlining our position as the leading waste-to-product company within the construction industry.”

Jan Henk Wijma, PMC managing director, comments, “It’s fantastic to see an idea that we had a number of years ago coming into action. Through working with market leading company such as Renewi, we are able to offer a solution for the collection, transportation and processing of asbestos-contaminated steel scrap that is both circular and safe. We can then convert this steel into a premium raw material for reuse. This means that we are taking the first big step towards fulfilling our mission of ensuring that absolutely no steel goes into the ground anywhere in the world.”