The robotic waste sorting line has been operational since February and is the first of its kind in Sweden. The investment in robotic sorting technology is expected to increase the recovery with 12,000 tons annually.
Carl F, based in Malmö, is a family-owned waste management company with an over 129 year long history. In 2013 the company mounted a wind turbine that generates power for the recycling station.
“We are constantly looking for more efficient practices and the ZenRobotics waste sorting system fits that scope perfectly. The standalone process allows us very efficient waste separation and the robots have been doing the night shift, too,” Carl Fredrik Jönsson, fourth generation in the family company, explains.
According to Carl Fredrik the development has been slow in the waste industry and many seem to be content with the status quo. The company feels that there’s way too much incineration of waste in Sweden and they want to recover more recyclables that would otherwise go to waste.
“W aim to recover up to 25% more of the waste that we process. That’s annually 12,000 extra tons of material that can be used for recycling”, Carl Fredrik clarifies.
The Malmö installation is unique as it’s powered with the company’s own wind power for reduced environmental impact. The line has been running also during nights, adding more capacity to the process.
“An installation like this is a great example of how you can set up a fully automated waste sorting process for a minimum investment. You instantly get the benefits of scale with a minimal operating cost. You can even run the line with wind or solar energy”, Rainer Rehn, ZenRobotics CCO explains.
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