Making light work of waste

German waste recycling specialist Zimmermann Recycling & Transport, based in Lahnstein near Koblenz, is one of Germany’s leading waste handling operations. The company sorts and moves more than 200,000 tonnes of waste annually on its 70,000 square metres (750,000 square feet) site using an exclusively Volvo fleet of machines. Some 60 personnel work on the site, processing the waste that is collected by the company’s own container service operating 20 vehicles and 11,000 waste containers of varying sizes.

Currently Zimmermann is operating 12 Volvo machines including several wheeled loaders from an L30 to L110G, as well as a EW160B and anew EW210D wheeled excavators, both featuring hydraulically elevating cabs.

The machines work three shifts per day and run for 2,000 hours per year, with Zimmermann replacing its machines after 8,000 hours to ensure maximum productivity. According to Ralf Zimmermann, co-owner with brother Frank; “Qualified personnel, logistics and the latest machine and plant technology are key factors in recycling. We mostly rely on industrial waste coming in from the demolition and wood industries but we also recycle green waste, plastics, scrap metal, waste paper and glass.”

The EW210D cabin can reach a height of 5.6 meters, assisting the operator when sorting piled high waste and when feeding the shredders and crushers. The high cab also allows a clear view when loading into high-sided truck bodies. The S6 quick coupler allows the sorting grab and bucket to be easily changed over on both machines to suit different tasks.