Images depicting items in a waste flow on a conveyor belt are provided to two analysis systems. The first system processes images to decode digital watermark payload data found on certain of the items (e.g., plastic containers). This payload data is used to look up corresponding attribute metadata for the items in a database, such as the type of plastic in each item, and whether the item was used as a food container or not. The second analysis system can be a spectroscopy system that determines the type of plastic in each item by its absorption characteristics. When the two systems conflict in identifying the plastic type, a sorting logic processor applies a rule set to arbitrate the conflict and determine which plastic type is most likely. The item is then sorted into one of several different bins depending on a combination of the final plastic identification, and whether the item was used as a food container or not. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

An efficient material recovery facility is disclosed, including: a first sorting device configured to: process a first instruction to remove a first target item from a set of items; and in response to the first instruction, perform a first sorting action to remove the first target item from the set of items, wherein the set of items excluding at least the first target item is to be transported towards a second sorting device, wherein the second sorting device is associated with a same sorting device type as the first sorting device; and wherein the second sorting device is configured to perform a second sorting action to remove a second target item from the set of items excluding at least the first target item in response to receiving a second instruction to remove the second target item.

Selection machine for wood-type waste products to produce panels which comprises a delivery hopper and a conveyor belt on which a flow of wood material to be selected advances.

A system and process for sorting and recovery of recyclable materials, and in particular, sorting and recovery of recyclable materials from mixed waste comprising municipal solid waste in a materials recovery facility.

A separating device for separating different material fractions out of a feed-material mixture having a flow channel, which has a slope, extends in parallel with the direction of gravity in particular in its main longitudinal extension direction and comprises an inner chamber. The separating device has a first end region, a second end region, a material inlet region intended for feeding the feed-material mixture into the inner chamber of the flow channel, an outlet through which an air stream containing a lightweight material can exit the flow channel, at least one conveying means that conveys air through the flow channel, and a cross-flow device that has a separation chamber and an air intake that leads into said chamber and through which the cross-flow device can introduce air into the separation chamber in a flow direction extending at an angle to the main longitudinal extension direction of the flow channel.

A waste sorting robot comprises a manipulator moveable within a working area. A suction gripper is connected to the manipulator and arranged to selectively grip a waste object in the working area. An air supply is in fluid communication with the suction gripper and configured to generate an airflow along an airflow path in the suction gripper. A solvent outlet in fluid communication with a solvent supply wherein the solvent outlet configured to dose the airflow with the solvent.

The present disclosure relates to apparatus and processes for inspection, sortation, and pysrolysis of waste plastic feeds. In at least one embodiment, a method includes inspecting a waste platic bale, shredding its contents to particles, and sorting those particles based on target identifiers, such as material composition. The sorted material are then pyrolyzed to achaive a desired pyrolysis product.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for use in monitoring product placement within a shopping facility. Some embodiments provide an apparatus configured to determine product placement conditions within a shopping facility, comprising: a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive communications; a product monitoring control circuit coupled with the transceiver; a memory coupled with the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to: obtain a composite three-dimensional (3D) scan mapping corresponding to at least a select area of the shopping facility and based on a series of 3D scan data; evaluate the 3D scan mapping to identify multiple product depth distances; and identify, from the evaluation of the 3D scan mapping, when one or more of the multiple product depth distances is greater than a predefined depth distance threshold from the reference offset distance of the product support structure.

Disclosed is a system and a method for classifying articles in a flow of articles to be separated, the flow of articles to be separated being installed on a conveying device, including: —an image acquisition member installed so as to be able to acquire at least one image of a portion of the flow of articles to be separated; —a first overhanging light source, which emits in the visible spectrum and illuminates the portion of the flow of articles to be separated, the at least one image of which is acquired by the image acquisition member; a classification member capable of classifying the articles of the portion of the flow of articles to be separated according to the acquired image; and at least one second light source, of a different nature than the first light source, allowing additional visual information to appear on the acquired image.

A material sorting system sorts materials utilizing multiple stages of classification and sorting, including a vision system that implements a machine learning system in order to identify or classify each of the materials, and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy to perform a subsequent classification and sorting of the remaining materials.