Norway: Robot Sorting Will Increase the Recycling Rate of Municipal Waste

Norway-based Geminor and Norwegian waste company “Renovasjon i Grenland” (RIG) have agreed to handle up to 35,000 tons of residual waste for five years.

Leif Neverdahl at Geminor (Photo: Geminor)

The waste will be sorted into several recyclable fractions in one of Scandinavia’s newest robot sorting plants. As reported by Geminor, the resource management company will handle and treat approximately 7,000 tons of municipal waste per year for the inter-municipal waste company Renovasjon i Grenland in Norway. The contract will last until autumn 2023, with an option for another three years. The waste is transported to Geminor’s partner in the project, Bjorstaddalen Næring AS, outside the city of Skien. Here, the residual waste will be separated into several recyclable fractions.

According to the head of project and Account & Development Manager at Geminor, Leif Neverdahl, the use of a robot sorting plant offers several advantages. “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.”

Sindre Hauen at Bjorstaddalen Næring AS (Photo: Kilian Munch)

The robot plant performs 6,000 picks per hour and can be “trained” to sort all of the important fractions for recycling. “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,” Sindre Hauen, CEO of Bjorstaddalen Næring AS, informed.

www.geminor.no/en
www.bjorstaddalen.no

(Published in GLOBAL RECYCLING Magazine 3/2021, Page 20, Photo: Geminor)