In Porvoo, Finland, the materials from cold runners generated during the manufacturing of 2K injection-moulded components are separated from each other so that they can be fully reused in connectors for electricity distribution networks. The manual work is part of the day activities organised for special groups by the Wellbeing Services County of Eastern Uusimaa.
Valuable Materials Recycled and Turned Into New Connectors
For several years now, Ensto and the Eastern Uusimaa Activity Centre have collaborated on recycling and material reuse, and both parties are highly satisfied with the cooperation. Every couple of months, Ensto delivers a pallet of cold runners to the activity centre, where the polyamide and elastomer are separated from each other.
Ensto’s Quality Manager, Timo Koivisto, explains the process: “After separation, the elastomer is ground into granulate at the activity centre and reused directly in the injection moulding machine that produces the end caps for SLIW connectors.”
According to Koivisto, about 20% recycled granulate can be added to virgin raw material without compromising the product’s properties. The safe proportion of recycled material was verified through various mechanical tests. He continues:
“Polyamide, on the other hand, is returned from the activity centre back to Ensto. Here it is ground and reused so that, depending on the component, 12–30% of the production material consists of recycled content.”
Meaningful Tasks for Day Activity Participants
The Eastern Uusimaa Activity Centre organises day activities for special groups, most of whom are adults with intellectual disabilities. The programme may include outdoor activities, excursions, handicrafts, and work activities. Anna-Greta Lindqvist, Special Instructor in Day Activities, explains:
“Our cooperation with Ensto relates specifically to work activities. Our clients enjoy separating the materials from the cold runners because the task is easy and safe, making it suitable for many people. It is also meaningful for them to know that they are doing important work related to material recycling.”
The separation work forms part of Ensto’s production process, and for those doing it, it creates a sense of belonging to a larger whole. According to Lindqvist, the group also finds the day important when the driver brings a new batch of products from Ensto, as it feels like a link to real working life.
Roni Leivo, who participates in the day activities, finds the material separation enjoyable:
“This feels like real work, and I’ve liked doing it.”
In the picture from left: Roni Leivo and Iiro Blom separating the materials from the cold runners.
Cost Savings and Less Waste
The cooperation between Ensto and the Eastern Uusimaa Activity Centre originally began through a project aimed at improving the recyclability of SLIW overhead line connectors. At Ensto, the question arose as to how the materials from cold runners could be returned to the production process by grinding them and mixing them with virgin raw material. Since separating these materials must, at least for now, be done manually, and the activity centre had skilled hands available, the cooperation began – and has worked extremely well.
Both parties consider the best outcome of the cooperation to be the significant reduction of waste. In addition to being fully aligned with Ensto’s values and strategic sustainability goals, reusing materials also makes economic sense. High-quality raw materials that previously ended up in the energy waste stream can now be fully reused, resulting in direct cost savings.
Ensto’s goal is to eliminate cold runners altogether, but current mould technology does not enable this yet. The company continuously considers ways to improve the reuse and utilisation of materials, and the sustainability initiative that led to the cooperation with the activity centre originally came from Ensto’s own employees. At the activity centre, there is hope that the cooperation will continue in the future.
