Further accreditation for Axion’s ELV recycling plant

Axion Polymers’ award-winning Shredder Waste Advanced Processing Plant (SWAPP) now holds two widely-recognised International Standards, having recently gained the OHSAS 18001:2007 accreditation following its ISO 9001:2008 certification earlier in 2013.

OHSAS 18001:2007 is an externally-assessed occupational health and safety management system standard which recognises Axion’s safety systems and safety management practices are in accordance with International Standards.

In March 2013, the Trafford Park facility secured the ISO 9001:2008 quality assurance accreditation. One of the most advanced of its type in Europe, it is already capable of delivering over 95% recycling and recovery of materials from end-of-life vehicle (ELVs), thereby already meeting the fast-approaching January 2015 target for ELVs.

Adam Joyce, Axion’s Business Improvement Manager who led the process, commented: "The SWAPP plant now has two of the most recognised International Standards for its operations. These accreditations show we mean business when it comes to product quality, continuous improvement and health and safety."

He added: "This latest OHSAS 18001:2008 certification provides peace of mind for employees that their safety has been considered. It also reassures our clients and potential customers that they are doing business with a responsible company that works and complies with a recognised standard."

At the SWAPP plant, non-metallic materials are separated from about 600,000 cars a year to produce recycled plastics, aggregates for the construction industry and fuel to substitute coal.

Plastic concentrate is processed further at Axion Polymers’ Salford plant to produce a range of high quality plastic chip and extruded pellets, including Axpoly r-PP51, for a wide range of customers, including some in the automotive sector, thereby ‘closing the recycling loop’.

This year, Axion Polymers won the Supplier Partnership: Polymer Producer category of the 2013 Plastics Industry Awards for its collaborative work with moulder Barkley Plastics using 100% recycled plastics derived from ELVS in new vehicle components.

Axion Polymers is part of the Axion Group that develops and operates innovative resource recovery and processing solutions for recycling waste materials. The Group works with a wide range of clients within the recycling and process industries on the practical development of new processing and collection methods.