BackSince 1989 Avonmouth deep sea dock facility has played a crucial role in driving business growth and achieving success. With over 50,000 tonnes of scrap metal processed every month, Unimetals in Avonmouth is one of the largest metal recycling facilities in the UK.
The business’ strong dedication to innovation and sustainability has led Unimetals to continuously look to pioneer ways to maximise metal recovery by investing in state-of-the-art processing and cutting the edge technologies.
The Unimetals dock facility in Avonmouth is one of the 28 locations whence Unimetals buys, processes and sustainably recycles ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal to reintroduce it into the economy.
The Improvements over the Years: the Pre-Shredder
Over the past 35 years, the site has gone through various improvements, the latest completed between 2019 and 2020 which has seen the installation of a pre-shredder of which role is to process car bales before being sent to the main shredder. The improvements were aimed at eliminating exposure to blast overpressure (BOP), in other words: preventing explosions within the mill whilst feeding the end-of-life vehicles (ELVs).
The pre-shredder also plays a very important role in facilitating the detection of impurities that build up with the car as well as helping with mill motor loading and extending the life of the ware part within the mill.
Metal Recycling and Shredding
The Unimetals shredder can process up to 200tph, its mill box includes an acoustic enclosure that helps reduce noise pollution and has a system in place that keeps the air shredder residue in base to help enrapturing dust and eliminating water egress.
The role that a shredder plays is pivotal in reducing the size of scrap metal to make them more manageable, transportable and to facilitate the separation of ferrous from non-ferrous metals as well as other materials like plastics.
Unimetals can shred over 350,000 tonnes of scrap metal each year in Avonmouth!
A Key Player: the Dockside Portal Crane
In a deep-sea dock facility like this, a dockside portal crane plays a major role in ensuring that the scrap metal processed reaches their final destinations, primarily exported to Turkey, Spain, USA and Egypt. The crane is used to sort stockpiles, as well as load all cargo vessels. It takes about 3 to 5 days to load a ship with 22,000-29,000 tonnes of scrap metal depending on the metal grade.
A Look into Sustainability: The Electric Shear and Electric Material Handler
At Unimetals, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving natural resources, and driving circular economy initiatives to help the UK achieve its zero-landfill goal by 2050. One way we minimise our environmental footprint is by replacing diesel-powered machinery with electric alternatives wherever possible.
In 2023, we took a significant step forward by installing an Electric Atlas TM350 Scrap Handler and a LEFORT 1000 Electric Shear at our site. These state-of-the-art machines not only enhance efficiency but also contribute to a cleaner, greener future.
Unimetals: Delivering Unmatched Quality and Service
At Unimetals, we take pride in providing the highest levels of quality and service. Our dedication is backed by ISO 45001 and ISO 9001 accreditations—two of the most prestigious international standards. These certifications reflect our commitment to workplace safety, employee well-being, and operational excellence, ensuring that we consistently deliver outstanding service to our customers.
If you’re looking for a reliable, sustainability-focused metal recycling partner, Unimetals is the name you can trust.
Contact us at info@unimetals to learn more or fill out our web form.
