Our story
At Blue Phoenix, our metal division has been at the forefront of advancing metal recovery from incineration since 1998. What began as a pioneering effort to extract valuable metals from waste streams as grown into a global leader in sustainable recycling solutions. We saw opportunities in a landscape where the retrieval of metals from waste incineration was still in its infancy.
Innovation has always been part of our journey. We've consistently pushed boundaries, innovating technologies to enhance the separation of metals. As our suppliers refine their recovery techniques, we've adapted our separation processes to match their advancements. Blue Phoenix stays at the forefront, continually adjusting and optimising our methods to ensure the efficient and effective recycling and separation of metals as progress surges forward.
Our technologies now enable us to recover non-ferrous metals at an astonishingly precise scale, down to 300 microns. This incredible journey reflects our unwavering dedication to advancing sustainability, minimizing waste, and actively contributing to a circular economy.
Our history
1998
DGT was founded as a privately owned and family-run metal separation and recycling business.
2010
In the UK and Netherlands, bespoke technologies are developed to create marketable products from incinerator non-ferrous.
2013
Inashco Metal Refinery became operational in Maastricht, The Netherlands.
2017
A second processing line was established in the UK.
July 2019
Stratego became operational in Krefeld as part of C.C. Gruppe.
Dec 2019
DGT became a part of Inashco.
2020
Inashco and Ballast Phoenix are rebranded into Blue Phoenix Group, and the metal refinery division is branded as QR Metals.
2021
Stratego acquired as part of C.C. Gruppe by Blue Phoenix Group.
Mar 2022
Brewin's Way facility built in Dudley, UK, to upgrade and expand DGT’s capacity.
2023
DGT and Stratego are rebranded into the QR Metals portfolio.
2025
QR Metals, REKO, RGS Nordic and the original Blue Phoenix rebranded into a single, cohesive identity of Blue Phoenix.
The Faces behind Blue Phoenix metals
Behind the success of Blue Phoenix metals, lies a dedicated team of passionate professionals who are the driving force of our achievements. Our team comprises experienced metallurgists, engineers, researchers, and industry experts, each bringing unique skills and expertise to the table.
Recycling and the IBA markets are a truly exciting arena to operate within. During my time in the industry we have seen our suppliers metals recovery move from predominantely 10mm+ down to sub 1mm today. Blue Phoenix processes have of course been required to move alongside our suppliers grades which has meant developing and implementing new techniques and establishing markets for the new materials generated.
Every year brings with it a new challenge and the need to push our processes forward - there's rarely a dull day in this industry!
Coming from an engineering background in sustainable processes, it has always amazed me how much the positive impact can be from just looking differently at waste. The global (group) business is moving forward to make this possible at more locations and on a bigger scale, requiring Blue Phoenix to move with that.
It is truly exciting to think about and work on the future of metals recycling for many of these projects and see how technology and people will improve that for years to come.