According to Veolia, the robotic arm is made up of a camera, six-axis robotic arm, pneumatics system and a compute box, and is designed to pick out paper, card, mixed plastics and beverage cartons from the aluminium line.
The robot is able to select the item by using compressed air and a silicon gripper. It then twists to face the sorting bins and blows the item off the gripper, into the bin. According to Veolia the AI technology also scans the objects as they pass along the belt and records the data. This data is then uploaded to the company’s cloud.
Veolia has highlighted that the robot will enable it to streamline its “aluminium” picking process and remove contamination from the final recyclate. The company has stated that the robot will be able to pick between 35-50 items per a minute.
Implementation
Tim Duret, director of sustainable technology at Veolia, said: “As the UK prepares for the implementation of stronger legislation, such as the extended producer responsibility (EPR) and Simpler Recycling, Veolia embraces this once in a generation opportunity to integrate new technologies in our UK infrastructure to further optimise our recycling processes.
“The data presented to us by the robot will give us a better understanding of common materials that are found in the wrong waste streams and how to prevent this, making sure our recycling is as effective as possible. Combining innovation and technology is a major aspect of Veolia’s current operations and future plans, as set in our new GreenUp strategic plan, and we will continue to take a proactive route to change through new improvements and design.”
‘Efficiency’
Victor Dewulf, CEO of Recycleye, said: “The ability of robotics to increase efficiency in the sorting of materials for recycling is now well established, and we are proud to collaborate with Veolia to bring our AI-powered sorting robot to Southwark. In particular, this application demonstrates the strength of AI to sort materials such as liquid cartons, which have represented a challenge to existing sorting technology. This is a clear example of robotic sorting supporting greater circularity in packaging, which needs to increase in the context of EPR and Simpler Recycling in the UK.”
According to Veolia, this project has been supported by the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE), which is a body that represents food and drink carton manufacturers in the UK and Europe.
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