Our offering in circularity
Circular world
Circularity is more than recycling. For Metso, it means extended equipment and product lifetime.Our current lifestyle is built around a process of extracting materials from the Earth. Humans are on track to consume three planets worth of resources annually, and modern society will have high expectations of the mining industry to continue delivering the metals required for the global energy transition but at minimal environmental impact.
In a circular economy, no waste is produced in the first place and materials are kept in circulation and use for as long as possible. The circular economy decouples economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and is underpinned by renewable energy and materials. Ultimately, it is a resilient system that is good for business, people and the environment. Taking back, leasing and reselling products is also a growing aspect in the world of scarce resources.
Supporting circularity
Global demand for raw materials is growing rapidly, and the scarcity of critical materials is a significant challenge for our customer industries. In addition to virgin source materials, there is a growing interest in the use of scrap materials – both to meet the growing demand for energy transition metals and to reduce the carbon footprint.
Supporting circularity is an important part of our business model.Our equipment is built from strong and durable input materials, ensuring a long product life and minimizing the environmental impacts during its lifetime. In addition to environmental benefits, circular solutions are commercially attractive to our customers, as equipment wear and tear can cause considerable direct and indirect costs. We also offer solutions for processing demolition waste and for waste recovery.
Long-term planning of energy consumption, maintenance, repairs, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishment and recycling of parts are Metso's ways of minimizing the resources, waste and emissions required in our customers’ processes. The circular economy concept also includes extending the life cycle of equipment and improving the environmental performance - including energy efficiency - of industrial processes.
Recycling of electronic scrap
One of our circular economy solutions is focused on the recycling of electronic scrap such as printed circuit boards and electronic devices. Globally, this is one of the fastest growing waste streams. Electronic scrap contains copper, gold and other valuable metals. As primary raw materials are being depleted, there is an increasing need for safe and ecological reuse of both primary and secondary raw materials.
When properly treated, these complex raw materials can be recycled and reused. Metso is here to help our customers face these challenges, with solutions that address the following:
- To treat e-scrap safely and efficiently, it is important to use automated smelting solutions that are complemented with highly efficient gas cleaning and wastewater treatment. Compliance with the strictest environmental regulations is essential.
- High recovery and process availability are important. Metso can offer this for a wide variety of secondary raw materials - and even for the refined metal product.
- Metso can support customers on the development of a complete e-scrap treatment process flowsheet, technology, commissioning and advisory services.
Mill liner recycling service - our latest circularity innovation
Metso has been developing its sustainable mill liner recycling service for over a decade. Our latest circularity
innovation is a unique separation line for processing rubber Poly-Met™ and Megaliner™ mill liners. Metso piloted the solution in 2023 with a customer in Finland and in Sweden. The service will be expanded to other markets in 2024. This recycling service concept has many benefits, including the recovery of reusable materials, reduced CO2 emissions, as well as the use of the safest and most efficient lining solution, resulting in improved environmental efficiency and less material being sent to landfills.
Material efficiency
The recycling of asphalt and other demolition waste, as well as the use of manufactured sand, is quickly increasing in popularity The construction waste recycling professionals have an important job in making circular economy a reality. Construction waste consists typically of concrete and brick, rebar, wood, plastic, gypsum and insulation materials. Iron has a high reuse value, and it is easy to separate with the correct tools. Also, lighter materials such as wood and plastic can be separated and recycled, while the concrete gets crushed and screened to specification. Crushed concrete lends itself to many uses such as filling, road base and riprap. Reusing fossil bitumen, as well as aggregates in recycled asphalt, makes sense both financially and environmentally. Metso is a recycling specialist with decades worth of experience and our products are ideal for concrete and asphalt crushing.