Grensol completes BAFU-supported project to recover glass and copper from automotive shredder residue
Zurich, August 28, 2026 – Grensol has successfully completed a project supported by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN/BAFU), developing and validating a physical-separation process to recover a high-purity glass fraction and a copper-bearing stream from the mineral residues of automotive shredder residue (ASR).
A feasibility study confirms the economic viability of scaling the process to an industrial level. Grensol has also found interest from an industrial glass-wool manufacturer as a potential off-taker for the recovered glass, creating a promising pathway towards commercial utilisation.
The project marks an important step towards recovering additional value from complex waste streams, while reducing the waste being disposed of by incineration and landfilling. Building on these results, Grensol plans to expand its recovery capabilities and assess the application of the process to other waste streams, including electronic waste and demolition waste.
In August, Grensol welcomed more than 30 representatives from FOEN/BAFU to its industrial facility in Biberist, Switzerland. The visit provided an opportunity to showcase Grensol’s technology, present progress at the plant and exchange perspectives on the role of innovative recycling solutions in advancing Switzerland’s circular economy.
Grensol thanks all participants for their engagement and the constructive discussion. Collaboration with public authorities and industrial partners remains essential to developing solutions that strengthen resource security, improve resource efficiency and return valuable materials to productive use.
Through this project, Grensol continues to advance its mission of recovering valuable materials from complex waste streams and scaling innovative recycling technologies for a more circular economy.
