Systems and methods for an automated device that reduces a footprint of a bottle by moving linearly moving and rotating the bottle, while a blade cuts a body of the bottle into a continuous strip.

A fastening belt for a recyclable, plastic, beverage bottle including: a length of flexible material affixed around a circumference of the bottle and positioned on a lower part of a body of the bottle; in a first partially compacted the material is disposed in a crease of a fold between the first and the second segments of the bottle; and in a second, compacted state, the material is configured to be passed over the neck of the bottle, thereby securing the first and second segments of the bottle in the compacted state folded over the third segment.

A device for recycling a plastic container includes a housing with an opening to receive the plastic container. A moving part is movably arranged within the housing on which, in a first position of the moving part, the plastic container is placed such that a first portion of the plastic container is arranged inside the housing and a second portion of the plastic container is arranged outside the housing. An ultraviolet (UV) light device including a UV light emitter and a UV light detector is arranged in proximity to the opening and configured such that a UV light beam emitted by the UV light emitter radiates through the plastic container which is detected by the UV light detector. A controller is in communication with the UV light device and the moving part. The moving part is configured to move to a second position in which the plastic container is entirely placed inside the housing in response to a control signal from the controller indicating that the plastic container can be recycled. A first cutter is rotatably arranged in the housing and configured to separate an upper portion of the plastic container from an intermediate portion of the plastic container. A second cutter is rotatably arranged in the housing and configured to separate a lower portion of the plastic container from the intermediate portion of the plastic container. A third cutter is rotatably arranged in the housing and configured to cut the intermediate portion of the plastic container in an axial direction such that the intermediate portion, when it is rolled out to a flat form, has a rectangular shape. A mold unit has a first press mold part and a second press mold part. A robot unit is configured to roll out the intermediate portion of the plastic container, to move the intermediate portion of the plastic container to the mold unit, and to place the intermediate portion of the plastic container between the first press mold part and the second press mold part.

A fastening belt for a recyclable, plastic, beverage bottle including: a length of flexible material affixed around a circumference of the bottle and positioned on a lower part of a body of the bottle; in a first partially compacted the material is disposed in a crease of a fold between the first and the second segments of the bottle; and in a second, compacted state, the material is configured to be passed over the neck of the bottle, thereby securing the first and second segments of the bottle in the compacted state folded over the third segment.

A fastening belt for a recyclable, plastic, beverage bottle including: a length of flexible material affixed around a circumference of the bottle and positioned on a lower part of a body of the bottle; in a first partially compacted the material is disposed in a crease of a fold between the first and the second segments of the bottle; and in a second, compacted state, the material is configured to be passed over the neck of the bottle, thereby securing the first and second segments of the bottle in the compacted state folded over the third segment.

A device for recycling single-use containers, the device comprises a mechanical component to securely combine a plurality of single-use containers. In some embodiments, device may be a cable fastener that threads through a plurality of single-use containers. In other embodiments, device may be a strap that holds a plurality of single-use containers together through compression. In other embodiments, device may be a flexible container that gathers a plurality of single-use containers.

In certain embodiments, a system includes at least one optical sensor configured to capture one or more optical data associated with packaging of a waste product and a processor coupled to the at least one optical sensor. The processor may be configured to determine information about the waste product based on the optical data and send a signal corresponding to the information to one of a destination device and a controller based on the determined information.

A device for recycling a plastic container includes a housing with an opening to receive the plastic container. A moving part is movably arranged within the housing on which, in a first position of the moving part, the plastic container is placed such that a first portion of the plastic container is arranged inside the housing and a second portion of the plastic container is arranged outside the housing. An ultraviolet (UV) light device including a UV light emitter and a UV light detector is arranged in proximity to the opening and configured such that a UV light beam emitted by the UV light emitter radiates through the plastic container which is detected by the UV light detector. A controller is in communication with the UV light device and the moving part. The moving part is configured to move to a second position in which the plastic container is entirely placed inside the housing in response to a control signal from the controller indicating that the plastic container can be recycled. A first cutter is rotatably arranged in the housing and configured to separate an upper portion of the plastic container from an intermediate portion of the plastic container. A second cutter is rotatably arranged in the housing and configured to separate a lower portion of the plastic container from the intermediate portion of the plastic container. A third cutter is rotatably arranged in the housing and configured to cut the intermediate portion of the plastic container in an axial direction such that the intermediate portion, when it is rolled out to a flat form, has a rectangular shape. A mold unit has a first press mold part and a second press mold part. A robot unit is configured to roll out the intermediate portion of the plastic container, to move the intermediate portion of the plastic container to the mold unit, and to place the intermediate portion of the plastic container between the first press mold part and the second press mold part.

A dual roller (1) for compressing and/or puncture plastic or metal items comprising a first roller (3) and a second roller (4) having parallel axes (5a,b) rotatable mounted in a housing (6) and a drive mechanism (7) for rotating the rollers (3,4) synchronously opposite one another. The outer surfaces (28) of each roller (3,4) comprise an assembly of alternating protruding elements (8) extending from the surface (28). Spacers (9) are arranged so the protruding elements (8) of one roller extend radially into the spacers (9) between adjacent protruding elements (8) on the opposite roller in an alternating manner. The protruding elements (8) are longitudinal rails (11) arranged parallel with the axes (5a,b) of the rollers (3,4, attached to the circumferential surface (28) of the rollers (3,4).

A method for recycling polyester containers, in particular PET containers, said method including the following method steps: sorting the containers, comminuting the containers to produce flakes, friction washing the flakes, sorting the flakes, and extruding and granulating the cleaned flakes. The flake-sorting process is used to separate flakes which have a foreign polymer that is different from the polyester, and the flake-sorting process is a combination of a color-sorting process, a screening step, and polymer-sorting process.