Waste Recycling Company is the First in the UK to Invest in Robotic Sorting Technology

Waste Recycling Company is the First in the UK to Invest in Robotic Sorting Technology

 

A leading UK waste management company has invested in robotic waste sorting technology to increase the recovery of recyclables at its facility in Essex.

Green Recycling has purchased the technology, known as the Max-AI™ AQC (Autonomous Quality Control) and this makes them the first UK company to invest in this type of technology.

The technology is already widely used in the United States.

How does it work?

The technology was launched last year by a company based in Oregon, and it is powered by a system that uses artificial intelligence to identify recyclable materials, pick them, and place them into separate chutes so they can be more easily recycled. The technology can identify the materials as efficiently and accurately as a person, if not more so.

At Green Recycling’s facility, the technology is used on the materials recovery line to recover cardboard, plastic bottles, and wood.

How does it improve operations?

The technology can pick out 65 groups of recyclables per minute, and this is the equivalent of having to employ 2 extra people. The managing director of the company states that the technology will allow them to be far more efficient and productive. The general manager added that rather than replace people, the technology will actually create technical jobs, as a member of staff would be required to carry out maintenance and troubleshoot should the equipment suffer an error or fail.

A company spokesman said that recycling companies have considerable challenges to face, like high staff turnover, high labour costs, health and safety issues, and more. This is why they believe that the technology is an excellent investment. The company intend to continue to pursue innovation and hope that others in the industry follow their lead.

Is robotics a long-term answer for the recycling industry?

The technology is certainly quicker at doing the job than a person, and it’s more accurate, and can work for longer periods of time, which will provide plenty of efficiency savings over time.

It can also make the sorting of waste much easier, but it does not completely solve the problem of dealing with lighter and smaller items of waste, that generally still needs to be sorted manually by staff. 

Share: