Boliden MKM Ltd have been using modern technology to treat their industrial effluent, for over five years. Based in Aldridge, West Midlands the company specialises in brass extrusion and copper wire manufacture.

As a well established and successful manufacturing organisation, Boliden MKM has over 300 employees.
The company has high environmental standards, with an internal environmental management system and PPC permit, regulated by the Environment Agency.

Boliden MKM previously disposed of their waste (mainly foundry hydraulic fluid leakage) as special waste, via their existing waste contractor. The contractor was removing the waste via road tanker, for licensed disposal off site. Boliden MKM wanted to find an alternative method that provided both cost and environmental benefits. Working with Eco Technology Ltd, Boliden MKM established an on site contract service for oily effluent treatment using a mobile membrane filtration system. This specialist system uses ultra filtration (UF) to filter out oil, dirt and other contaminants from the liquid effluent. The treated clean `permeate' is discharged to foul drain. Typically 15 to 20 m3 of waste is treated every month. The system is brought to site for around two days at a time, during which time the waste is treated. The system is owned and managed by Eco Technology Ltd, and runs on a fully automatic basis. Flow controls, pressure sensors and integral bunding ensures that the system is fully protected.

By using the UF system, Boliden have virtually eliminated the requirement for this type of waste stream to be tankered off site by a waste contractor. The cost per m3 waste has been significantly reduced, and up to 98% of the effluent is ultimately cleaned and discharged to foul drain.

Mr James Newell (Boliden MKM Ltd) has commented " at the time of establishing the contract we wanted to find a more cost effective solution to having waste tankered off site, but also a solution that reduced our environmental impact, with energy, transport and hazardous waste issues taken in to consideration. Using the UF system on contract with Eco Technology has proved extremely successful, and has put us directly in control of our own waste."

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October 2003