A new state-of-the-art facility has been commissioned in Magdeburg, setting a benchmark in bottom ash recycling from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI). With a total capacity of 90,000 tonnes per year, it is now the largest plant of its kind in Germany. According to MDSU, the facility already processes around 60,000 tonnes annually, recovering valuable metals such as aluminium, copper, brass, and stainless steel that would otherwise be lost.

At the heart of the project lies cutting-edge STEINERT sorting technology, employing advanced X-ray systems:

XRT (X-ray Transmission) – separates light and heavy metals by atomic density. XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) – identifies elemental composition, achieving clean fractions of copper, brass, zinc, and stainless steel.

This multi-stage approach ensures exceptionally high purity, allowing recovered metals to be reintroduced directly into industrial material cycles. “Our goal is to extract the maximum from the slag,” emphasized André Hartl, Managing Director of MDSU.

Experts see the Magdeburg facility as a flagship project for resource conservation and circular economy in Europe, proving that advanced recycling solutions can unlock hidden value in industrial residues.

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