Resource management company Geminor and Norwegian waste company “Renovasjon i Grenland” (RIG) have entered into an agreement for the handling of up to 35 000 tonnes of residual waste over a period of five years. The waste will be sorted into several recyclable fractions in one of Scandinavia’s newest robot sorting plants.
Geminor recently signed an agreement to handle and treat approx. 7,000 tonnes of municipal waste annually for the inter-municipal waste company Renovasjon i Grenland (RIG) in Norway. The contract starts on the 1. September and will last until the autumn of 2023, with an option for another three years.
The waste will be transported to Geminor’s partner in the project, Bjorstaddalen Næring AS outside the city of Skien. Here, the residual waste will be sorted into several recyclable fractions in one of Scandinavia’s most modern robot sorting facilities.
The robot plant performs 6000 picks per hour and can be “trained” to sort all of the important fractions for recycling
Head of project and Account & Development Manager at Geminor, Leif Neverdahl, explains. “The waste is transported to Bjorstaddalen in gas-powered trucks before the robot sorting plant carries out a detailed sorting: Using infrared sensors and gripping arms, waste such as wood, cardboard, stone, metal, plastic and ceramics are sorted into separate fractions. Of the annual 7,000 tonnes of waste, only around 2,000 tonnes of residual waste will remain that cannot be recycled”, says Neverdahl.
Better sorting means better use of materials. “The use of a robot sorting plant offers several advantages”, says Leif Neverdahl. “The robot sorting creates completely pure and cleaner fractions that improve the final treatment of materials – whether the waste goes to material recycling or energy recovery. Our goal is to increase the recycling rate and simultaneously improve the quality of the fractions that are used in the production of new products. Thus, robot sorting is a sustainable option in our waste treatment”, says Leif Neverdahl.
“The robot plant performs 6000 picks per hour and can be “trained” to sort all of the important fractions for recycling”, says CEO of Bjorstaddalen Næring AS, Sindre Hauen. “The sensor technology is unique and can identify both shape, color, and material. In case of new market opportunities – or even regulations – the system can be taught to recognize new fractions. We want to be in front when it comes to robot sorting, and are constantly looking for better solutions in our waste management”, says Sindre Hauen at Bjorstaddalen Næring AS in Norway.