Located in the south of Italy, Decom is one of the first companies in the country to achieve ‘End of Waste’ certification, specialising in the recycling of plastic, paper, aluminium, glass, cans and many other materials from waste collection. The company's goal is to recycle 98% of the material that is processed at its Matera plant and is keen to promote the culture of recycling. Founded in 1997, Decom began life operating in the freight transport industry, before evolving and specialising in the transport of special waste. In 2008, Decom moved into recycling community and industrial materials, culminating in the opening in 2015 of the first plant in Matera.

To carry out the transport and management of recycled materials, Decom uses Bobcat telescopic handlers which, thanks to their robustness, efficiency, versatility and ease of use, have proved to offer the essential characteristics needed for intensive industrial applications typical of the waste industry. 

The latest addition to the fleet of Bobcat telescopic handlers is a TL43.80HF Waste Expert model, which is equipped with a package of features aimed specifically at handling materials in the waste and recycling industry. Giuseppe Labbate, plant manager at the Decom plant comments: “Over the years, to improve the quality of work and to speed up the production cycle, we first purchased a Bobcat TL26.60 telescopic handler, which continues to be used inside our shed area, and then added a Bobcat TL38.70HF model, which operates externally, for the loading of materials on to trucks.

“We have recently further expanded the telescopic handler fleet with the Bobcat TL43.80HF Waste Expert, which is even tougher and higher performing. Designed with reinforcements and protection such as the strong chassis and cab and light grids, this machine is perfectly suited to our work, where the materials we handle are often at risk of falling on to the machine.  Furthermore, the agility provided by the four wheel steering, the compactness and the lifting capacity of over 4t, has made the handling and loading of materials for recycling a much simpler process, with a consequent increase in productivity. The TL43.80HF Waste Expert works in a continuous cycle, 24h/day, and is particularly suitable for handling and loading paper and glass which have high densities from 2,400 kg/m3 to a maximum of 2,800 kg/m3.”

Decom purchased all of the Bobcat telescopic handlers from Caldarola Srl, which has been the Bobcat dealer for Puglia and Basilicata since 1986 when Agostino Caldarola, the company founder and owner, decided that the future for his company and for construction was in compact machines, and immediately chose Bobcat as a partner. “In the past, Decom used another brand of telescopic handlers,” says Marcello Masi, sales manager at Caldarola.