Cleaner Aggregates, Greater Impact
First published in the November 2025 issue of Quarry Management
Redruth-based Hart’s Haulage take big step forward by installing a new CDE wash plant, transforming the handling of construction waste and reducing what goes to landfill by around 80%
Hart’s Haulage have always been a hands-on, family-run operation. It all started with Neil Hart and a few machines, taking on muck-away jobs and supplying aggregates to local sites across Cornwall. As the demand grew, so did the business, but Hart’s core values never changed. They built a reputation for being reliable, down to earth, and focused on looking after their customers.
As the company’s focus shifted toward recycling and sustainability, Hart’s Haulage began transforming site waste into usable material for local builders and developers. Initially, the business dry processed the material utilizing a Finlay 883+ heavy-duty screener and a J-1170 jaw crusher sourced from Molson. The company has also since added 6F4 and recycled 803 to their product range, giving customers more choice and getting more value from every load.
Despite this process, Hart’s Haulage were still taking considerable volumes to landfill due to material being contaminated with clay and lightweights, and therefore not being suitable for dry processing. It was the limitations of this dry process that prompted Hart’s to seek a solution to divert more material from landfill and maximize the production of high-quality, high-value recycled sand and aggregates for use as a replacement for natural materials in a range of construction applications.
Thanks to the strong relationship between Hart’s Haulage and Molson, the conversation naturally turned to finding a better way to process their material. The local Molson sales team recommended exploring a wash plant and introduced Neil Hart to Matt Bunting, managing director of Molson Washing. Before suggesting any specific setup, Mr Bunting shared examples of successful installations he had delivered for other customers and facilitated site visits to see them in action. From here, Molson worked closely with Hart’s Haulage to co-create a solution tailored to their specific needs in terms of throughput capacity, required outputs, and footprint. With their trust in Molson, the decision to go with a CDE wash plant was an easy one for Hart’s Haulage. The full process, from initial planning to installation, took around seven months, with the Molson team providing support every step of the way.
The washing process starts with the feeding of raw material into a heavy-duty scalping screen where oversize is removed. The remaining material enters an AggMax scrubbing and classification system, which combines pre-screening, scrubbing, organics removal, sizing, stockpiling, fines recovery, and filtrates removal on a compact chassis. The integrated trash screen allows for the effective removal of organics and other lightweight contaminants, ensuring the production of high-quality final aggregates.
From here, the finer fraction moves to an EvoWash unit. This part of the system uses hydrocyclones to wash, classify, and dewater the 0–4mm sand, which proved to be a real game-changer for Hart’s Haulage. Previously, this sand would have been treated as waste, but now they are able to recover it as a high-quality, reusable product.
Meanwhile, coarser material goes through a VibroSync sizing screen, which accurately separates the cleaned aggregates into 14mm, 20mm, and 40mm sizes.
Behind the scenes, the plant also takes care of water recovery. Slurry from the wash process flows to an AquaCycle system, where flocculants help separate out solids. The clean water overflows back into the system for reuse, while the thicker slurry is pumped into a GEA CF 7000 centrifuge. This separates the solids and liquid, with the recovered water returned to the system for reuse and the dewatered solids discharged for disposal.
According to plant and operations manager Joe Grindrod, the new setup has completely changed the game for Hart’s Haulage: ‘The CDE wash plant helps us recover more, cut waste, and hit recycling targets, all while delivering quality material,’ he said. ‘The impact has been massive. Diverting up to 80% of waste from landfill not only helps the environment, it also saves on disposal costs, improves efficiency, and allows us to sell more recycled products to local builders. That means fewer lorries heading to landfill, and more high-spec recycled materials going back into the ground where they are needed.’
Even after the plant was fully up and running, the Molson Washing team have been on hand whenever needed. Whether it is fine-tuning the setup, helping the team get the most out of the equipment, or answering questions as new materials come through the yard, their ongoing support has made a real difference, giving Hart’s Haulage confidence that if any issues crop up, there is always someone they can call who knows the plant inside out.
For the Redruth-based company, this was not just about upgrading equipment, it was about building something that works for the future, keeping their focus on doing the job right, supporting local customers, and staying adaptable in a changing industry. With a cleaner product range, a smarter plant, and support from Molson and CDE, Hart’s Haulage say they are not just keeping up – they are leading the way.
Subscribe to Quarry Management, the monthly journal for the mineral products industry, to read articles before they appear on Agg-Net.com
