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What We Do

Shanks has a distinct position in this industry structure and we have a reputation as a leading provider of sustainable alternatives to landfill and mass incineration. We focus our activities on sustainable waste solutions and ‘making more from waste’.

Shanks turns customers’ waste into a resource through innovative technology. The chart shows the waste management cycle which includes 4 defined phases:

Collect

In some industrial and commercial markets it is helpful to have a fleet of collection vehicles available to ensure delivery of the base load of waste to our processing plants alongside waste from other third party collectors. For the UK municipal markets, a collection fleet is less important as the contract with the municipality usually provides for the waste to be delivered to our plants. We try to avoid highly competitive municipal collections unless backed by long term contracts. In Organics, our focus is on the treatment plants and we rely on others to bring the waste to us.
Sort

We invest in highly automated sorting facilities including high-tech separation processes such as automatic optical sorting to sort waste into specific recyclates and streams for further treatment.

Examples of sorting processes:

  • Eddy current separation of non-ferrous metals
  • Magnet separation of ferrous metals
  • Trommels and sieves
  • Depackaging
  • Manual sorting cabin
Produce

We process segregated waste streams into valuable recyclate products which are used by reprocessors to replace virgin raw materials. We have a market-leading position in the conversion of waste to high calorific value fuels. These fuels include SRF (solid recovered fuel) and wood biomass, both of which are used as a fossil fuel substitute by power generators and cement manufacturers. Our Organics technology focuses on food waste and the generation of biogas for conversion into renewable energy. In our Hazardous Waste sector we treat contaminated soils, water and paint. After treatment the products are either used as alternative sources of fuel, for other activities such as land reclamation, or discharged back into the water systems.
Dispose

We have to pay to dispose of any non-recycled incoming waste either through landfill or incineration. Given our strategy of providing sustainable solutions we avoid investment in the high capital requirements of mass incineration and have a limited investment in landfill.