‘World’s first’ plant for environmentally responsible asbestos disposal

Following the launch of a research programme to further develop the understanding of the asbestos conversion or denaturing process, Wolverhampton-based Thermal Recycling has opened the world’s first plant of its kind providing a socially and environmentally responsible alternative for asbestos disposal.

The Brownfield Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) works with and supports Thermal Recycling Limited in their innovative research to address the continuing issue of the safe disposal of asbestos. The company firstly opened its demonstration plant in September 2020 to use a commercially viable method for denaturing asbestos and recycling the waste.

Graham Gould, chairman of Thermal Recycling, said: “Thermal Recycling is delighted to announce the opening of our demonstration plant. We can convert asbestos into asbestos-free material on an industrial scale, in a commercially viable and environmentally safe way. We can’t continue putting asbestos in landfill sites for future generations to deal with.”

Approximately 60% of asbestos taken to landfill is in the form of roof sheets. Removing asbestos roof sheets involves putting them in a skip and tipping the skip into a hole in the ground; this is not a safe or sustainable approach and until now there has been no alternative.

Thermal Recycling collects the asbestos and takes it to Wolverhampton where the pioneering treatment facility converts the cement roof sheets containing chrysotile asbestos. Thermal treatment changes the chemical and physical composition of the asbestos and the asbestos-free material is then crushed and a sustainable aggregate produced that is particularly useful for road building.

Kevin M Taylor FloR, president of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), said: “The NFRC welcomes this leading edge technology with the potential for a more sustainable approach to the disposal of asbestos. It is vital that we divert waste from landfill and reduce the number of sites containing asbestos.”

Read more about Thermal Recycling – finalist in ‘Engineering Innovator of the Year’ Innovation Award category here: https://www.thermalrecycling.co.uk/news/thermal-recycling-is-innovator-finalist

References & other sources:

https://www.wlv.ac.uk/schools-and-institutes/faculty-of-science-and-engineering/school-of-architecture-and-built-environment/bric/

https://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/article/and-finally-world-s-first-plant-for-environmentally-responsible-asbestos-disposal-opens

https://resource.co/article/university-wolverhampton-and-thermal-recycling-research-asbestos-disposal

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