Marlin Industries launch a new cable recycling service
Overview
Marlin Industries launch a new cable recycling service to help customers work toward zero waste targets.
Marlin Industries provide complete solutions for packaging in the cable industry. They service the sector between the cable manufacturers and installers, providing reels and drums as transit packaging along with complete logistics solutions for UK businesses.
Challenge
Marlin wanted to recycle fibre optic cable remnants on an industrial scale. Fibre optic cable that is damaged or part lengths too short for use has historically been scrapped with disposal to landfill.
Marlin has a target to be Zero carbon by 2030 and has four strands in their strategy to meet this objective.
- Reducing the use of raw materials by recycling materials that would otherwise go to landfill
- Extending the useful life of the existing product through repatriation and refurbishment
- Use of 100% carbon-neutral electricity
- Significantly reducing vehicle emissions through the use of alternative fuels, such as HVO
One of the ways they wanted to achieve their first goal was to develop a milling solution that meant that waste cable got a new lease of life by recycling it into reusable reels for the distribution of cable. Reducing the need for plastic and plywood reels reduces the use of additional raw materials and the cost of disposing of them in a landfill.
Solution
Marlin spent five years developing the new process from a lab-based project to launch in March 2022, they expect to recycle and redistribute thousands of tonnes of redundant cable per year.
Before choosing the Atritor milling solution they explored solutions across Europe with all the major players in Spain, Italy, and Germany. The key advantage of the Atritor Cell Mill was the ability to process a complex material whilst giving a high throughput with minimum wear and controllable particle size. They found that the competing disc-based systems were not able to provide the same minimal maintenance option with a controllable particle size.
They have 2 sites, Wrexham and Hawick, in the UK and have been working with Atritor since 2017.
Outcome
The Atritor Cell Mill is one part of a supply and repatriation service that Marlin Industries are offering. This expansion into existing markets means that customers avoid cable disposal costs and Marlin fleet utilization is improved as it becomes productive on inward and outward journeys.
Marlin already recycles timber drums and plywood reels that are outside of the refurbishment and reuse system, with uses including animal bedding and as fuel for their 2MW biomass CHP plant in Wrexham. Adding the Atritor solution helps them to further achieve circular economy gains, through recycling fibre optic cables.
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