Selfrag AG, based in Kerzers in the canton of Fribourg, has opened Switzerland’s first waste-to-value plant in Full-Reuenthal. According to a press release, the Centro Uno plant will recover valuable materials such as metals and minerals from the slag of waste incineration.
The company says the plant’s 50 per cent recovery rate will be the highest in the industry. Centro Uno is set to process 35,000 tons of slag every year, which would otherwise end up in landfill. The slag is taken from three waste recycling plants in the cantons of Aargau and Lucerne.
Selfrag AG uses its own patented technology to recover metals, iron oxide and mineral products. The materials are fragmented and separated using high-voltage pulse generators and cutting-edge methods, and can then be reintegrated into the material cycle.
“We are proud to open Centro Uno,” says Anton Affentranger, lead investor and chairman of the board at Selfrag, in the press release. He adds that the launch of the plant is a significant milestone in the company’s history and for the circular economy in Switzerland. The company’s vision is to build waste-to-value facilities right across Switzerland and “contribute to a nationwide paradigm shift in resource recovery.”
The press release says that Aargau cantonal councillor Dieter Egli emphasized the plant’s major environmental benefits at the inauguration ceremony.