NKT reaches milestone in recycling of power cables

The recycling of power cable scrap is an important step in reducing the environmental impact of the power cable industry, and NKT is now setting new standards by giving cable scrap a second life in new products. After a partnership with the Norwegian recycling specialist KMT AS, scrap materials from the NKT production are now being transformed into flowerpots, cable drums and construction supplies.

- We have taken a significant step in reducing the environmental impact of our power cables as we have now developed a process that makes it possible for us to reuse our scrap by 100%. This is the result of a long-term focus on strengthening our recycling and waste handling to constantly reduce the carbon footprint of our power cables, says Anders Jensen, Chief Technology Officer in NKT.

NKT now practices open and closed loop recycling where waste is collected, recycled and produced to make something new. Effectively, the waste does a full circle without having a negative impact on the environment.

Game changing achievement In 2021, NKT divested its specialized recycling center to KMT and began a partnership to take the recycling of power cable scrap to the next level by solving the challenges of recycling the mixed waste fraction consisting of 30 material fractions proven hard to recycle. 

- This is a game changer in connecting a greener world through more environmentally sound processes. By finding a solution to the mixed fraction of our cable scrap reaches full recyclability as we have successfully proven that metals and cable plastics can be reused in other industrial applications, says Anders Jensen.

For NKT, the next step is to increase the recycled volumes until all production scrap goes to either internal or external recycling. NKT has a long-term ambition to have zero waste and is striving to keep all products and materials in use for as long as possible by reusing, reselling or recycling as much production materials as possible.