Abstract: A device for recovering salvagable components from a mixture of compacted solid waste, especially municipal waste, which includes ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, fibrous organic and inorganic materials. In this installation the solid waste, preferably after first breaking it up, is fed to a magnet assembly for dividing the components into ferrous metals and non-ferrous materials including ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals and organic or inorganic materials. The ferrous metals and the non-ferrous materials containing ferrous metals are then subjected to fragmentation after separating ferrous metals parts from non-ferrous materials. The resulting fragments are separated into ferrous metals and non-ferrous materials and separately conveyed to collection stations. Similarly, the non-ferrous metals and the organic or inorganic materials are first fragmented, then separated from each other and finally separately conveyed to collecting stations.