SORTING | TECHNOLOGY
Sorting developments target quality and scale
Sorting technologies for plastics waste are making advances in terms of intelligence, versatility and capability. Mikell Knights explores the latest innovations
The latest developments in plastics waste sorting technologies offer fully automated recycling solutions, add-on capabilities, new detection approaches and AI-thinking to increase sorting yields, handle varying material types and raise sorting accuracy. Tomra Recycling Sorting says that the demand for high quality recycled plastics may be at a record high, but sorters and recyclers are facing major bottlenecks in recycled content availability, low quality recyclates and a lack of financial incentives. An S&P Global Platts Analytics forecast released in March, and cited in a recent Tomra report, states that by 2030 more than 1.7m tpa of virgin polymers will be replaced by mechanically recycled plastics, which compares to 688,000 tpa in 2020. Alberto Piovesan, Segment Manager for Plastics
at Tomra, comments: “To date, only a tiny portion of recyclates have found their way into the production of new materials.” To ensure a reliable supply of
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high-quality recycled feedstock, advanced recycling technologies and processes that can effectively sort material from mixed waste streams such as post- consumer recycled content need to be developed in a collaborative effort with the industry. Tomra’s equipment and knowledge are integral in a fully automated waste sorting plant operated by ROAF, Norway’s second largest municipal solid waste recycler. Tomra says the plant is a great example of the difference mixed waste sorting can make in significantly boosting recovery rates of plastics and organics. German plant builder Stadler constructed the plant for ROAF in Skedsmokorset, Norway in 2014 while Tomra and ROAF developed a new three- container waste management and kerbside collection model for handling post household waste. Inhabitants dispose of organics in green bags and throw it together with plastics and residual waste into one municipal waste container.
Main image: An optical sorting line from Tomra Recycling Sorting.
September 2022 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 17
IMAGE: TOMRA
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