Turning Waste into Resource: Impact Air Systems’ Air Technology Helps Waste Operators Move Towards Zero-Waste Targets
From valuable metals and fibre to plastics, glass and lightweight fractions that can be recovered for recycling, modern waste streams contain significant potential value. The challenge is separating those materials effectively, particularly where lightweight films, dust, fluff and other unwanted fractions can compromise material quality and downstream processing.
Across recent projects in the UK, Europe and North America, Impact Air Systems is using engineered airflow to help waste operators and manufacturers recover more of what enters their processes – improving material quality, reducing residual waste and helping move operations closer to their zero-waste-to-landfill goals.
With more than 35 years of engineering expertise and hundreds of air separation systems installed worldwide, Impact designs bespoke air technology around the characteristics of each material stream and the objectives of each operation.
Recovering More from Complex Waste Streams
Impact’s Zigzag Air Classifier (ZAC) technology uses precisely controlled airflow to separate lighter materials from heavier fractions according to their aerodynamic properties.
At a UK WEEE recycling facility, a longstanding customer returned to Impact for its latest separation requirements. The facility processes waste electrical and electronic equipment containing valuable aluminium, copper, brass, plastics and printed circuit boards, alongside lightweight film, fluff and capacitor waste.
Impact designed a bespoke two-stage Zigzag Separation System to remove the lightweight fraction while allowing the heavier valuable materials to continue through the process. A cyclone removes larger particles from the airstream before the remaining fine dust reaches an automatic dust filter.
The Director of the WEEE recycling facility commented:
“Having previously worked with Impact Air Systems, we were pleased to return to them for our latest WEEE separation requirements. They understood the challenges of removing lightweight film and fluff from our material stream and developed a bespoke Zigzag Separation System to meet our needs. The addition of a new Zigzag system has made a significant difference to the efficiency of our process and quality of material outputs.”
At a UK refrigeration recycling facility, Impact engineered another bespoke Zigzag Separation solution to separate lightweight insulation foam from heavier recyclable materials including metals, plastics and glass. The separated foam is collected in a cyclone, while the remaining air and fine dust pass to an automatic dust filter. The cleaner recyclable materials can then be reintroduced into manufacturing processes, helping reduce waste sent to landfill.
High-Capacity Glass Separation
The technology is also being applied to large-scale glass recycling.
A leading UK aggregates and glass recycling business required a high-capacity solution at its Greenwich facility to remove dust, fines, wood, plastics and textiles from comingled glass.
Impact designed a twin Zigzag Glass Separation System incorporating two ZAC800 cascade enclosures, two HR14 cyclones, two dust filtration systems and dedicated conveying fans.
Using differences in particle shape and density, heavier glass falls through the upward-flowing air stream while lighter contaminants are lifted and carried through the conveying system for subsequent cyclone and filtration. The system was designed for a requested throughput of 40 tonnes per hour across two separation lines, with central touchscreen control of the fans and rotary valves.
Recovering Plastic Film Across North America
Plastic film presents another significant separation challenge, with lightweight material capable of contaminating other streams, wrapping around rotating equipment and increasing maintenance requirements.
One of North America's leading environmental services providers has deployed 13 Impact air technology systems across its MRF network, including 11 FilmLift systems and two ZAC systems, supported by Impact's expertise in dust collection, pneumatic conveying and industrial ventilation.
Installed after optical sorting equipment, FilmLift uses controlled airflow to remove lightweight flexible films from heavier recyclable materials, allowing cleaner material streams to continue through the process while recovering the film for recycling.
The two ZAC systems have been installed to recover valuable fibre from glass and rigid plastics processing lines, increasing recovery while improving the quality and value of recovered materials. Following the success of the initial installations, the customer continued to specify Impact technology as further facilities were upgraded, resulting in 13 installations across its US network.
A Scalable Approach to Air Separation
Impact has also expanded its ZAC range with the ZAC400, a compact air classifier developed for facilities where space and processing requirements call for a smaller-footprint solution.
Joining the established ZAC800 and high-capacity ZAC1200, the ZAC400 provides a scalable family of dry separation systems. It is designed to improve recyclate quality, reduce disposal volumes and maximise resource recovery while minimising installation space and operational costs.
The ZAC400 has already been installed at ENVA's Nottingham Materials Recovery Facility, where the customer reported improved efficiency, reduced downtime and better recovery of fibre and glass compared with its previous system.
Customers can also trial ZAC technology using their own materials at Impact's dedicated demonstration and testing facility, allowing separation performance to be assessed before a system configuration is selected.
Beyond Material Separation
Air technology has applications throughout the processing environment, from separating lightweight materials and recovering valuable fractions to conveying products, controlling dust and improving working conditions.
Impact designs complete air technology solutions combining material separation, pneumatic conveying, centralised dust collection, dust extraction and industrial ventilation, tailored to each facility's requirements.
The same engineering approach extends beyond MRFs into manufacturing and industrial waste-processing environments, where businesses are looking to recover more process waste, reduce disposal volumes and improve resource efficiency.
Engineering Towards Zero Waste
For waste operators and manufacturers, the objective is increasingly about extracting maximum value from each waste stream and creating outputs that can re-enter productive use.
By improving material separation, recovering previously lost fractions and reducing residual waste, engineered air systems can contribute to wider strategies for increasing resource recovery and reducing landfill dependency.
Impact's recent projects demonstrate this across WEEE, refrigeration, glass, plastics and fibre recovery.
Dave Landell, Managing Director at Impact Air Systems, said: “The waste and recycling industry is dealing with increasingly complex material streams, and there is no single solution that works for every application. Our role is to understand the material, the process and the customer's objectives, then engineer an air technology solution around those requirements.
Whether that means recovering a valuable material, removing a difficult contaminant or improving the overall efficiency of a plant, the objective is the same – to help our customers get more value from the resources they already have.”
With more than 35 years of engineering experience, Impact continues to develop bespoke air technology solutions for the recycling, waste-processing and manufacturing industries.
For more information about Impact Air Systems' air separation, film recovery, pneumatic conveying and dust control solutions, visit www.impactairsystems.com or contact sales@impactairsystems.com / +44 (0)116 244 8855.
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