Recovering additional non-ferrous value from dirt fines
BlakerTech recently processed dirt fines material that had already passed through both drum magnetic separation and eddy current separation.
Overview
BlakerTech recently processed dirt fines material that had already passed through both drum magnetic separation and eddy current separation.
At first glance, the material appeared low value and was being sent for tipping. However, further processing using the BlakerTech MagThro Eddy Current Separator recovered an additional 5% non-ferrous metal from the waste fraction.
The project shows how additional recovery can still be achieved from material streams that have already passed through conventional separation stages.
The Challenge
The material had already been processed through:
- Drum magnetic separation
- Eddy current separation
Despite this, recoverable non-ferrous metals remained within the dirt fines fraction.
This is a common issue in metal recycling, particularly where fine material and contamination can make separation more difficult and leave valuable metals within the waste stream.
The Solution
BlakerTech reprocessed the dirt fines material using the MagThro Eddy Current Separator.
The recovered non-ferrous stream was then cleaned and separated, producing a material stream containing heavy and light non-ferrous metals, including:
- Copper
- Brass
- Zinc
- Silver
- Aluminium
The purpose of the trial was to identify whether recoverable metal value remained within material that had previously been considered waste.
The Result
The operation processed:
- 45 tonnes per day
- 5 days per week
From that material, the process recovered:
- More than 2 tonnes of non-ferrous metal per day
- More than 10 tonnes per week
This represented an additional 5% non-ferrous recovery from material that was previously being sent for tipping.
Commercial Impact
Using a conservative value of £1,500 per tonne, the recovered material represented:
- £3,118.50 per day in recoverable value
- £15,292.50 per week in recoverable value
Importantly, this value was recovered from a waste fraction that had already passed through existing magnetic and eddy current separation stages.
The project highlights the commercial impact that further optimisation can deliver, particularly when processing challenging dirt fines material.
Why It Matters
For recycling operators, even a small increase in recovery percentage can create a meaningful financial impact when applied across daily throughput volumes.
This project demonstrates that recoverable non-ferrous metal may still remain within waste streams, even after conventional separation processes have already been completed.
Rather than relying only on increased throughput, improving recovery from existing material streams can help operators maximise value from the material already entering the plant.
Next Steps
If you are processing fines, shredder residue or waste fractions that have already passed through magnetic or eddy current separation, there may still be recoverable non-ferrous value within the material.
BlakerTech can process sample material, analyse the recovered fraction and provide a clear breakdown of the recovery opportunity based on real-world testing.
Speak to the BlakerTech team to arrange a material assessment and find out how much value could still be sitting within your waste stream.
Date Published: 25 April, 2026