Thomas Steindl and his colleagues at the MGG Metrec sorting plant use their nimble fingers to fish all impurities from the shredded iron material. For the MGG relay interview, in which an employee of the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group is always asked to appear before the curtain, the 39-year-old man from Ardagger takes a short break.
Mr. Steindl, your work looks very strenuous. You stand fully concentrated at the sorting conveyor to pick out everything that doesn’t belong in the ferrous scrap. Which parts do you sort out here?
Thomas Steindl: I work with my colleagues on the sorting belt of the electronics shredder plant, which we call our “EVA line” for short. This means that the ferrous scrap on our sorting belt is from e-waste material. Here we pick out copper wires or printed circuit boards that belong in other recycling streams. And of course we also pick other plastic parts or waste that has no place in pure ferrous scrap. So this all has to be sorted out by us.
But you don’t have time on the sorting line to search through everything forever; it has to go quickly. Do you feel pressure there?
Steindl: Of course, the material runs through on the conveyor belt steadily and we as the sorting team have to look at how to bring out a clean ferrous scrap. But I don’t feel any stress – after all, I already have enough routine.
How long have you been doing this work?
Steindl: I’ve been working here at Müller-Guttenbrunn in Amstetten for 18 years now.
Why did you decide on such a job?
Steindl: Before I started here, I completed an apprenticeship as an installer. But somehow I was more fascinated by the work at the scrap yard. By chance I found out shortly afterwards that the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group was looking for someone to work at the scrap yard. I came here and it was just fine for me right away. This is my world, I feel at home here. In general, the working atmosphere at Müller-Guttenbrunn is very good – and I think it’s great that I can do my work independently.
You are not the only one in the family who feels at home in the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group…
Steindl: Yes, indeed. After I found my job here, my brothers Martin and Robert also decided to work at the scrap yard in Amstetten. It’s also nice for me to be able to work with my own brothers.
Back to the sorting belt! Are there any special findings?
Steindl: It happens again and again that small coins mixes with the scrap.
Have there ever been any dangerous substances among them?
Steindl: No, fortunately it never happened to me that I discovered something dangerous. But there are enough harmless parts to pick out.
This requires a lot of concentration. How do you balance out your work?
Steindl: My car is my biggest hobby. I spend a lot of time on it – even cleaning my car is fun. But of course the trips are even more exciting.
We hope you continue to enjoy your work and your car…
