Waste separation technology has made rapid progress over the past decade. As a result, we can remove more plastic and beverage cartons from residual waste than is possible at home, with higher quality results.
AVR’s sorting line runs day and night, separating no less than 215 million kg of residual waste per year, the equivalent to the residual waste generated by around 1 million people. Now, a second sorting line is being built. The installation is fitted with the latest and most modern technical gadgets, such as flat screens, wind shifters, ballistic separators, a shredder, and near-infrared scanners. Around 10 to 15% of the waste separated on the line consists of plastic and drink cartons, and is removed by all this hi-tech equipment. There are different types of plastic in the waste: films, 2D and 3D mixed plastic. The remaining residual waste is taken to our waste and energy plant by a conveyor, where it is put to good use for society by generating energy and creating raw materials.
Mechanical separation is the future
Yves Luca, CEO, says, "Households are not all equally meticulous in separating their waste, and in inner city areas separation is often impossible. Mechanical separation is the future. We are a technology company, and every evolution is the result of advances in knowledge and technology. The separation process is improving, allowing us to process more residual waste. This reduces costs, benefitting both industry and the consumer. The shortage of labour also plays a role, along with the fact that different vehicles are needed to collect separate waste streams, which means higher CO2 emissions. On balance, technology wins out, and this is where AVR is concentrating its efforts. It also makes it easier for us to expand, and separate even more streams."
The separation process
If you’d like to find out how the separation process works, we’ve illustrated it via the following motion graphics: