27/11-09   -   Press releases

Stena develops unique blasting abrasive from recycled glass

Stena has developed a completely new blasting abrasive made from glass recycled from electronic waste.

“Our product is made from clean material from the cathode-ray tube glass on end-of-life televisions and computer monitors. It offers more efficient abrasive blasting and environmental benefits compared with conventional abrasives," says Detlef Oertel, responsible for R&D in the board of GRIAG Glasrecycling, which is part of the Stena Metall Group.

An estimated 450,000 tons of cathode-ray tube glass are contained in the electronic waste Europeans throw out each year. Only a third is recycled.

“It is still not widely known in the market and among public authorities that an efficient technology to recycle the glass from electronic waste has been around for a long time," Staffan Johansson, President of GRIAG Glasrecycling, explains. “The potential for recycled glass in new products is enormous."

The latest in a line of Stena’s innovations is a new, patented abrasive made from recycled unleaded panel glass, which offers better properties and environmental advantages compared with conventional large volume abrasives. “The glass we use is clean, hard and sharp, which is good for blasting. Tests by industries in the Nordic region show that it at least doubles efficiency on the same surface. The product also seems to improve the working environment. The next step is to see how we can recycle the glass used in abrasive blasting, clean it and use the material in new products."

A huge amount of blasting abrasives is used in Europe. In Germany alone, consumption is estimated at 300,000 tons a year. Shipping and engineering companies, for example, use it in varnishing and maintenance work.

“Glass is an environmentally friendly alternative, and customers can switch to the new product without having to invest in new equipment, which is a big advantage. The waste glass available could potentially cover abrasive demand for all of Europe," says Staffan Johansson.

The new blasting abrasive has been analyzed and approved by the German Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, BGIA.

Since its start, GRIAG Glasrecycling, part of the Stena Metall Group, has recycled glass from over ten million TV sets and monitors at its facility outside Berlin. “We have increased production many times over in the last five years and now accept glass from customers in ten European countries. The potential market for the material is strong, and in the years ahead we expect to double capacity," Staffan Johansson concludes.

For general information on Stena’s glass recycling and on new products, please contact:
Staffan Johansson, President of GRIAG Glasrecycling AG
Tel. +46 705 64 70 29, +49 33 920 50 80

For more information on research and development, please contact:
Detlef Oertel
Tel +49 33 92 05 08 25, +49 17 23 94 61 54

About the WEEE Business Area and the Stena Metall Group
The Stena Metall Group is Europe´s leading electronics recycler, a business it established in the early 1990s. The WEEE Business Area has operations in ten countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Poland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Romania and Italy. Using the same proven and efficient processes, Europe´s electronic waste is recycled at all of the Group´s facilities. An important goal is to develop the market’s leading services for customers, the environment and society.