The Kalmar DRF450-60S5X reach stacker moving the special containers.

Kalmar has provided a reach stacker and forklift to handle containers in Kölliken, Switzerland, where a consortium of companies is working to remove tonnes of industrial waste.

The site is being cleaned up by a joint venture, Arge Phoenix, which was formed by four companies - Eberhard Bau, EberhardRecycling, Walo Bertschinger, Richi Weiningen and Ecosoil.

Kölliken site manager for Arge Phoenix, Walter Zwahlen, explains that the cleaning project was started in 2006 by the building of a large hall in which air pressure is kept low to prevent dust, gas and odours escaping.

"Since November 2007, we have been digging up the waste with excavators and placing it into special containers. These containers, weighing 30 tonnes, are then sealed and loaded by a Kalmar reach stacker onto trucks for transport.

"The Kalmar forklift is used to handle empty containers in the hall. In the next phase of the project, the containers will be transported by rail," Zwahlen says.

The Swiss town of Kölliken followed the regulations for waste management of the time. Beginning in 1978, 350,000 tonnes of hazardous waste was deposited over seven years in a clay pit near the town. The waste, which includes heavy metals and chemical residues, threatens a source of ground water and poses a problem for neighbouring communities.

"We know roughly what has been dumped on the site but we need to be sure before making decisions about the material's remediation potential. Only after a thorough analysis, the waste is transported to different treatment centres," Zwahlen explains.

He adds that all of the waste has to be removed from the site and treated by 2013.

The Kalmar DRF450-60S5X reach stacker and Kalmar DCE100-6 forklift have been customised to operate inside the hall. A low speed limit, limited height and effective emissions filters make it possible to use the machines inside.

Thomas Angehrn, the project manager of inventory for Eberhard Bau, says there were many options for moving the containers in the hall but the team chose mobile equipment because of its flexibility and stability when lifting.

The Kalmar reach stacker can handle loaded containers quickly and efficiently in narrow spaces, while still ensuring the driver has optimum visibility. Its boom and attachment's rotation possibilities allow the driver flexibility by not having to approach the container from a 90-degree position. The containers can be picked up or dropped off by the reach stacker approaching from any angle.