ACE UK STATEMENT: ACE UK has supported the installation of a Recycleye robotic arm, boosting sorting of liquid cartons at the Veolia Southwark facility

The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) UK, working in partnership with recycling AI engineers Recycleye and waste managers Veolia, has unveiled an advanced, automated sorting system to boost the volume of liquid cartons separated for direct reprocessing in South London.

ACE UK is supporting the installation of Recyleye Vision technology at the Veolia Southwark Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Using advanced AI, sensor and robotics technologies, the Recycleye Vision System will automate the sorting of liquid cartons, alongside paper, card and mixed plastics, improving both the quantity and quality of materials recovered from aluminium lines for recycling.

All liquid cartons recovered will be fully reprocessed at the dedicated recycling facility in Halifax and used in the manufacture of coreboard, which is converted into industrial tubes and cores.

Following its installation period, Recycleye’s innovative sorting AI – analysing 100% of the waste stream through an integrated camera and controlling an articulated sorting arm with suction grabber – has been learning to recognise and sort liquid cartons. It is now able to identify and pick between 35 and 50 items a minute, enhancing the quality and quantity of cartons recovered.

The installation mirrors a similar collaboration by ACE Ireland at Panda Recycling’s Ballymount facility in 2022, ensuring that the UK is benefiting from the very latest automated sorting innovations.

With the UK Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms expected to substantially increase the volumes of liquid cartons collected from the kerbside across England, ACE UK is supporting the development and installation of innovative sorting technologies to ensure that cartons can be fully and effectively reprocessed at specialist facilities.

This project forms part of ACE UK’s Carton Ready campaign, which was launched to support local authorities and waste managers across the country to prepare for Simpler Recycling reforms. If you would like to find out more, please contact Feaven.Abidta@instinctif.com.

About ACE UK

The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) UK represents Tetra Pak, Elopak and SIG Combibloc, the leading manufacturers of food, drink and other liquid cartons for the UK and European markets. ACE UK’s objective is to promote cartons as a renewable, fully recyclable and low carbon packaging choice and delivers environmental initiatives in the UK on behalf of our members.

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