System and method for recovering desired materials and producing clean aggregate from incinerator ash

A method for separating incinerator combined ash and preparing clean aggregate, comprising:

• combining the ash with a liquid, screening the ash using a 2-stage screen to collect a first material of less than 100 mm, sizing the first material using at least one 2-stage screen to collect that first material less than about 35 mm, sizing the first material into discrete sizes, separating the first material using a first falling velocity separator operating at about 3.2 specific gravity, wherein there is a first heavy fraction and a first light fraction, separating the first light fraction using a second falling velocity separator operating at about less than about 2.2 specific gravity, wherein there is a second heavy fraction has a specific gravity greater than about 2.2 specific gravity and a second light fraction, magnetically separating the second heavy fraction to recover ferromagnetic metals to prepare a third heavy fraction, magnetically separating the third light fraction to recover ferromagnetic metals, using a first eddy current having a frequency greater than 800 hertz to the third heavy fraction to remove aluminum, brass and copper, using a second eddy current having a frequency greater than 1 kilohertz to the third heavy fraction to further remove aluminum, brass and copper, using on the third heavy fraction a sensor sorter and an optical sorter capable of sorting glass based on the transparency or lack of transparency, wherein the glass is recovered from the third fraction and the third fraction is essentially the metal-free and glass-free aggregate.