Incoming materials
RMB recovers even the smallest fractions
All the operations carried out within the multi-purpose platform for the recovery of special waste are geared towards the recovery of materials and aim to maximise their value, both in economic and environmental terms.
RMB’s incoming materials
RMB carries out preliminary checks on the waste that can be delivered to its plant, with the support of an accredited laboratory, verifying that the waste complies with the acceptance specifications established by its authorisation. Depending on their characteristics, incoming materials are sent to the production sections most suitable for processing.
RMB’s incoming materials can be split into macro-categories:
- Carcasses of end-of-life vehicles and engines
- Ferrous and non-ferrous metal materials resulting from mechanical selection and sorting (e.g. automotive shredder residue and general scrap) or other materials containing metal fractions
- Metal-containing materials originating from the separate collection of municipal waste
- Inert material resulting from recovery operations carried out on excavated soil and rocks and on materials originating from the remediation of contaminated land or waste containing fractions similar to inert materials such as sand or lithoids, compatible with the formulation of products in the construction and/or road sectors.
- Bottom ash from waste-to-energy plants
- Other materials containing recoverable fractions
Incoming material checks
Before being accepted, each batch of material undergoes three main checks by RMB:
- Verification of basic characterisation to assess suitability for acceptance and to determine the most appropriate treatment method.
This is performed by the producer before delivery, identifying all the characteristics of the waste:
- Type
- Origin
- Composition
- Consistency
- Other properties related to the process that generated it
- Verification of conformity by laboratory analysis (homologation) to ensure the waste corresponds to the initial characterisation.
This is carried out every six months or after any significant change to the production process that generated the waste.
- Visual and material inspection to ensure the incoming material matches the accompanying documentation.
This check is carried out during weighing and at the time of unloading.
Additional checks for each batch
Each load is also subject to the following checks:
- Inclusion in the weekly delivery schedule
- Inspection of the transporter’s authorisation (registration in the Register of Environmental Operators)
- Inspection of the accompanying documentation
- Radiometric material check
- Visual and material inspection on the means of transport
- Visual inspection at the time of unloading, to check for any unwanted materials in the delivered load
Reclaimed vehicles are sent to crushing and shredding plants, where volumetric reduction separates the various metallic and non-metallic fractions.
The treatment of bottom ash from waste-to-energy plants is the last link in the urban chain — one that starts with collection, continues with incineration, and ends with treatment of the residual part known as bottom ash.
For over thirty years, RMB has been leveraging its extensive know-how to select metals by type and size. Through screening and flotation, it is possible to separate different types of metal for reuse.
