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Arctic recycling business

Waste into business!

06.09.2024 // In September 2024, the Norilsk company Severmetallstroy received official status as a waste recycler and entered the nationwide register of companies engaged in waste processing. This means that the company meets all the requirements of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor)—it has become the first resident of the AZRF to achieve such status.

Severmetallstroy specialises in recycling used automobile tyres into rubber crumbs and tiles for outdoor surfaces. This is the most civilised way to dispose of old car tyres—storing them in landfills and burning them in furnaces, as was done in the last century, is now considered outdated in most Russian regions. In addition to the high environmental impact, traditional methods of disposing of car tyres are arguably the most inefficient means of waste management. Additionally, the company's specialists are involved in dismantling industrial facilities, snow removal and the elimination of unauthorised dumps. 

The focus on ecology has allowed the company to transform from a small project into one of the leaders in the environmental sector in Norilsk over seven years, employing more than 100 specialists.

The implementation of 'ecological' solutions in the Polar regions has become a trend among scientists and new enterprises in recent years, and it is not only about caring for the fragile Arctic environment. The specifics of polar logistics make the delivery of building materials from the 'mainland' a costly and time-consuming endeavour, while there is a severe shortage of 'classic' raw materials to meet the construction needs in the tundra. In Norilsk, scientists proposed adding mining waste to molten sulphur, the availability of which has significantly increased since the implementation of the 'sulphur programme' by Nornickel. The end product is sulphur concrete or sulphur asphalt, which can be effectively used for construction beyond the Arctic Circle. An additional advantage of these materials is that they do not require 28 days to gain strength, as is the case with conventional concrete, and work can be carried out at sub-zero temperatures.

This is a promising industry—large industrial enterprises produce vast amounts of waste that can and should be utilised. For example, in the Arkhangelsk Region, diamond mining companies produce saponite clays during the development of deposits, which are then transported to special dumps, referred to as 'beaches.' At the Northern (Arctic) Federal University (NArFU), it has been proposed that they be used as an active mineral additive in binding compositions. This will significantly enhance the strength characteristics of the existing concrete. From granulated slag, Poliplast produces soil concrete for reinforcing shorelines—the first successful trials were conducted three years ago.

In addition to waste from the metallurgical and oil industries, the Arctic also has biological waste, which can be transformed into a valuable resource. Since last year, the AZRF resident KMS-Raido has been working on this. The company plans to build a facility to convert manure, poultry droppings, fish processing waste and other organic materials into 'superfood.' These include additives for animal feed, fertilizers for agriculture, as well as beneficial substances for the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. The production launch is scheduled for 2025, with the facility set to produce up to 12 tons of finished products per year. Additionally, the company's equipment, installed at partner facilities, will generate another 300 tons annually.

Of course, proper waste disposal is essential as well. In Yakutia, AZRF resident AMK LLC is actively collecting metal waste and sending it for recycling. Considering that at the start of the project, there were approximately three million tons of scrap metal scattered across Yakutia, the company still has a vast amount of work ahead. The same can be said for the disposal of waste from the wood processing industry in the Arkhangelsk Region. At a recent meeting in the Pomorye government, the need to increase the number of companies recycling wood dust into products like cellulose, biodegradable seedling trays, fillers for baby diapers and more was raised. It is expected that the regional authorities will assist new enterprises in acquiring equipment, scaling up existing production or setting up new facilities.