Mirka and Adven Expand Cooperation to Abrasive Recycling

Under the new agreement, Adven will invest in a new rotary kiln system at Mirka’s site in Jeppo, Finland. The solution will process coated abrasive waste collected from Mirka’s customers and manufacturing operations. Unlike the existing incineration system, which already processes manufacturing waste to recover heat for Mirka’s production facilities, the new kiln will be designed specifically for abrasive waste. 

Incinerating abrasive waste separately produces a more consistent ash stream with fewer impurities, creating better conditions for reusing abrasive grains. The heat generated during the process will be used in Mirka’s manufacturing operations, while the resulting ash, containing recoverable abrasive grains, will be automatically transferred to Mirka’s adjacent circular grain manufacturing plant for further processing into recycled grains for new abrasives.

The new system will have the capacity to handle approximately 5,000 tonnes of abrasive waste annually, enabling the recovery of valuable raw materials that would otherwise be discarded. The circular grain manufacturing initiative is expected to reduce Mirka’s CO₂ footprint by approximately 5,000 tonnes.

'By reusing valuable materials from abrasive waste, we can reduce our dependence on virgin abrasive grains and lower our environmental impact. At the same time, the thermal output from the new kiln allows us to use recovered heat more efficiently, even during periods of lower energy demand,' says Stefan Sjöberg, CEO of Mirka.

Building on a Strong Partnership

As part of the expanded cooperation, Mirka and Adven have also entered into a strategic partnership agreement to further develop circular technologies for the abrasives industry. The agreement includes plans to scale up Mirka’s take-back model, enabling the collection of used abrasives from end customers across the European market.

Building on more than 25 years of collaboration, Mirka and Adven are extending their partnership beyond energy recovery to include waste treatment, raw material recovery and the development of circular solutions.

'Our cooperation with Mirka shows what becomes possible when energy expertise, a deep understanding of the customer’s process and a shared long-term ambition come together. We are moving beyond energy recovery toward a solution that also helps return valuable materials to production. This investment is a concrete step in building more circular industrial energy systems together with one of our key customers,' says Juha Elo, Adven’s Senior Vice President, Industrial Energy Solutions.