Modernization of the MSW Sorting Line at a Waste Processing Plant

Modernization work on the mechanical sorting line for municipal solid waste (MSW) has been completed at a waste processing plant. The line's performance has been enhanced by installing new equipment from world industry leaders: Stadler, Tomra Sorting, and BRT Hartner (Germany). This includes three optical scanners and one ballistic separator.

The scanners use infrared radiation to locate "target" materials within the massive waste stream and eject them with a targeted air jet. There are three scanners in total, each targeting a specific type of secondary material: plastic, paper, and polyethylene film. In turn, the ballistic separator splits the plastic waste into two streams: so-called "flat" plastic (film, bags) and 3D plastic (bottles, containers). Only after this stage is the waste sorted manually by color and material.

A conveyor system has also been installed to connect all the units into a single chain. The role of manual labor is minimized. Whereas sorters previously had to manually retrieve, for example, PET bottles from the general waste stream, now only 3D plastic arrives on the conveyor, and sorters only need to separate the bottles by type and color. A similar process occurs with film.

As a result, both productivity and the percentage of recovered secondary resources are increasing. The sorted recyclables are shipped to companies specializing in their further processing.