New Selective Glass Selection Plant in Guadalajara

Verallia and TM Alcudia Reciclatges joined forces to build a glass recycling plant in the province of Guadalajara. The companies invested nearly 7 million euros in this new glass recycling company, called Calcín Ibérico, which has the most modern technology and a high treatment capacity: up to 25 T/h.

Calcín, or recycled glass shell, is necessary for the production of glass containers, since its use, in addition to contributing positively to the environment, reduces the consumption of raw materials and energy. According to the circular economy report produced by Ernst & Young for FEVE, over the last 40 years the European glass industry has reduced CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by 70%.

With this new company strategically located in Guadalajara, TM Alcudia Reciclatges and Verallia expect to treat most of the glass waste generated in the neighbouring community of Madrid as well as that of Castilla La Mancha.

The company awarded to carry out this work was PICVISA. The design chosen for the treatment plant includes a high degree of automation that allows a high recovery of recyclable materials according to the defined indicators. As an example of this innovation, the material dosing boxes are equipped with a laser sensor that measures the height of the stored material and warns the operator.

The plant has 7 PICVISA optical sorters of the SG1500 range to separate impurities and classify the glass by colour (white and mixed). The set of optics processes more than 25 t/h of waste with a high recovery performance of maximum quality.

Due to the short period of time in which this project was carried out, PICVISA worked in shifts during the 24 hours of the day with great coordination with the suppliers and the responsible parties, TM Alcudia Reciclatges and Verallia. Thanks to this transversal coordination, PICVISA and Calcín Ibérico are now working together towards a more sustainable glass industry.

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