A fast-growing Suffolk recycling business has invested half a million pounds in a new sensor-based sorting machine as it continues to look for ways to cut landfill waste.

Sackers - which operates sites at Great Blakenham and Needham Market - has added a Tomra Find 2400 machine to its arsenal of recycling kit.

The machine uses intelligent electromagnetic sensors to find non-ferrous metal in waste material after it is shredded.

It means that items which would previously have been lost to landfill can now be recovered even from complex material and recycled.

The new investment will prevent "a significant tonnage" of material being sent to landfill, as well as enabling the processing operation to become more efficient, the company says.

Chief executive David Dodds said the new kit would mean the company can recycle more - and recycle effectively.

East Anglian Daily Times:

“The Tomra delivers exceptionally high purity levels with sensor technologies identifying material with metal fractions in it and creates additional value to our waste stream.

"This will help us with our sustainable objectives and really is a no brainer by avoiding sending material to landfill that can be further recycled. 

"We are always looking for ways of improving our processes and recover as much as possible from every item that we have over our weighbridge.

"The more we recover, the more we recycling and the worlds resources are left unscathed.

"Technology is always developing and advancing, so my stance is that we will continue to invest if it is going to benefit the business and the environment.”

East Anglian Daily Times: David Dodds of Sackers

Sackers, which dates back to 1923, sorts scrap metal at its Great Blakenham plant and carried out waste recycling at Needham Market.

The £60m turnover company - which employs around 100 people and recently scooped a King's Award for International Trade - is able to recycle more than 90% of all waste that enters the premises.

East Anglian Daily Times: