Join us as we delve into the transformative world of Protomax, a trailblazer in recycling 'unrecyclable' plastics. Managing Director Nick Stillwell shares insights on their mission to revolutionise recycling processes within the UK, turning plastic waste into valuable products locally. Discover how Protomax is challenging industry norms and pioneering new technologies to tackle the most stubborn waste materials.

Please tell us a bit about your company [Protomax/Stormboard] and its mission in the industry?
When the public think of recycling, they think of plastic being processed back into other products in the UK, when in reality, it is incinerated or exported on the whole. We work on re-manufacturing waste. Our mission is to design and build processes to turn post-consumer plastic back into products in the country they are sourced. This includes so called “unrecyclable” plastics such as multilayer films and contaminated plastics.

What inspired you to start focusing on recycling the "unrecyclable"?
In 2010, I was watching the footage of the earthquake disaster, and I saw that despite the lack of steel, concrete, and timber, there was a lot of plastic lying around. So, I designed and built a machine that produced a plywood board alternative from mixed waste plastic from which shelters can be built. We want to take a contemporary product that is made from a valuable environmental source and replace it with a product made from unrecyclable waste. Turning waste into a valuable local resource.

What do you see as the biggest challenges currently facing the recycling industry, particularly in relation to hard-to-recycle materials?
If recycling post-consumer plastic is based on incineration and export, installing capital equipment and personnel to re-manufacture these materials is going to cost more. Then these re-manufactured products need to be marketed and sold back into the economy. It is just a whole lot cheaper and easier to burn or export the crap. Very few customers are prepared to pay more to have their products actually recycled, and so the re-manufacturing companies are uncompetitive. A wooden post is far cheaper than a recycled plastic lumber post. The fact that the plastic lumber post will outlast the wooden one by 20 years doesn’t help much at point of purchase.

If we continue to be paid PRNs for loading waste plastic into containers and exporting it anywhere, there is little incentive to re-use it in the country of origin.
The Permitting system of the EA which is focused purely on “Site” and not on technology, discourages investment in new technology. We worked with one customer on a new machine permit that took 1 and a half years. No one is going to invest in a new piece of kit to have it sitting doing nothing for that period.

What key topics will you cover in your session at ESS Expo 2024 on, 'Recycling the Unrecyclable'?
The key message will be that the technology to deal with “unrecyclable” waste exists, however there is a reluctance to invest in remanufacturing in the UK and move away from “burn or export.” 

The focus areas are clinical waste sterilization and recovery, Lithium-Ion battery processing, and our advances in Plasma and Red Mud technology. These new machines and processes complement our well-known Storm Board production.

Your session will discuss the topic of recycling vapes. What are the unique challenges associated with recycling vapes, and how does your technology address them?
Vapes have a combination of unrecyclable plastics, (POPs), toxic/addictive chemicals and a li-on battery. We spoke to several vape recyclers to ask them about their process, and it was shrouded in mystery. What we found was that the vapes were being cut open by shears or presses in open air, the battery removed and exported without discharging it. We couldn’t believe this was allowed in the UK leaving open such obvious questions such as:

• What happens with the liquid chemicals?
• How do you protect the personnel?
• How do you remove the electrolytes?
• How do you remove the residual charge from the batteries?
• How do you do this safely in volume?

We developed an automated machine that safely shreds the vapes, removes the electrolytes, and produces a dry shred with no residual charge. The chemicals and electrolytes are bottled off, and emissions controlled by a clever exhaust management system and carbon filter. We are installing this machine in the UK in Autumn 2024. We also have developed and built a full separation system to recover the different materials from the dried shred, and we intend to start collecting vapes for reprocessing in September.

 

Protomax works in partnership with German machine builder ERMAFA to build and develop new technology for recycling difficult materials. Storm Board supplies the construction and retail industry with sheets made from 100% recycled plastic waste. These are used in such applications as site hoardings, shop fitting and farming instead of plywood.

Nick Stillwell, Managing Director of Protomax will be speaking on ‘Recycling the Unrecyclable’ at the Circular Economy & Sustainability Stage on 11th September (12:00-12:30) at the Environmental Services and Solutions Expo (ESS). Register to attend for free here.

 

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