Andusia are pleased to announce they have secured a different kind of waste contract to their norm – to supply 2,000 tonnes per annum of polyurethane (PU) foam to a plant in Europe, in partnership with GAP Group.
Polyurethane foam is the insulating material which is most widely used throughout the world for fridges and freezers. In its rigid form it acts as a structural and insulating material that is hidden in-between the outer casing.
Gap Group was set up in 2005 to provide services to the newly implemented European Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. GAP Waste collects over 200,000 waste fridges per annum and following significant investment, in 2019 they commissioned Europe’s latest fridge processing plant which is capable of processing nearly 700,000 fridges per year.
Fridges are hazardous and require specific treatment at end-of-life. Once potential damaging materials are extracted – the refrigerant, compressor oil and gases, fractions like plastics, metals and PU foam can be recycled.
Much like SRF, PU foam consists of small fractions of plastic with a very high energy content. The high calorific value means it is suitable for use in cement kiln facilities. PU foam directly replaces fossil fuels such as Petcoke and coal, and offers an excellent environmentally friendly alternative.