A container deposit return system having a housing, a crushing assembly and a control system. The crushing assembly is positioned within the housing and has a first crushing wall and a second crushing wall spaced apart from the first crushing wall defining a crush cavity, and, a crushing wall movement assembly structurally configured to move the first crushing wall relative to the second crushing wall to direct the first crushing wall toward and away from the second crushing wall. The two crushing walls are configured crush a container that is positioned within the crush cavity. The control system having at least one imaging sensor, the imaging sensor configured to record an image the container before crushing and after crushing.

A can crusher (102), having: a backing plate (120); a left crush-arm (126) pivotally secured to the backing plate and having a left handle (130) and a left crush surface (128) that faces the backing plate when the can crusher is in a closed configuration (190); a right crush-arm (140) pivotally secured to the backing plate and having a right handle (144) and a right crush surface (142) that faces the backing plate when in the closed configuration; and a support plate (150). In a vertical orientation (152) the backing plate is oriented vertically; the support plate is disposed below horizontal sweeps (154, 156) of the crush surfaces; and the support plate supports a can in between the crush surfaces when the can crusher is in an open configuration (104).

A beverage container recycling system has a housing with an advertising display, a user feedback display and a deposit opening. An imaging region is connected to the deposit opening. The imaging region has a camera to take an image of a deposited beverage container. A processor, network interface circuit and memory are associated with the housing. The memory stores instructions executed by the processor to analyze the image of the deposited beverage container to characterize the deposited beverage container as one of glass, aluminum or plastic. A carriage directly deposits a glass beverage container in a glass bin. The carriage directs aluminum and plastic beverage containers to a crusher with a blade to pierce aluminum and plastic beverage containers prior to compaction. The crusher selectively directs compacted beverage containers to a plastic bin and an aluminum bin. The memory stores instructions executed by the processor to maintain a count of deposited beverage containers and communicates the count of deposited beverage containers to the network interface circuit for routing to a networked machine.

According to various embodiments, a compactor arrangement (202) may have the following: a function module arrangement (1002), which is installed on a support framework (204a) above an empty-container transport device (202t), wherein the function module arrangement (1002) has: a module receptacle (1004) for receiving multiple function modules (1006), the multiple function modules (1006), which are designed to match the module receptacle (1004) such that the multiple function modules (1006) can each be selectively received in multiple configurations (1100c, 1100d, 1100e, 1100f) in the module receptacle (1004), at least one processor (1008) which is configured to ascertain an actual configuration of the multiple configurations (1100c, 1100d, 1100e, 1100f) and to operate the function module arrangement (1002) and/or the compactor arrangement (202) on the basis of the ascertained actual configuration.

A can crusher (1900), including: a support plate (1912) and a backing plate (1902); a left crush-arm (1908) pivotally secured to the support plate and including: a left flap (1924) and a left handle (1920) that extends transverse relative to the left flap; a right crush-arm (1910) pivotally secured to the support plate and including a right flap (1934) and a right handle (1930) that extends transverse relative to the right flap; and a retaining pin (1914) directly secured to the support plate. When the support plate is horizontally oriented the retaining pin extends vertically upward from the support plate and is disposed outside a horizontal sweep of the left flap and outside a horizontal sweep of the right flap. The retaining pin is configured to trap a can between the retaining pin and the backing plate when the can crusher is in an open configuration.

The invention is a plastic bottle crusher that includes a vacuum nozzle creating suction to compress the bottle via a manual pump or electric motor and a series of cutting blades in order to chop and shred plastic bottles of multiple sizes. The invention also includes an excess water chamber as well as variable sized detachable sleeves based on bottle size with mechanical blades to remove bottle labels as well as a vertical guide to provide maximum compression for air removal, plastic preparation for recycling and placement of crushed bottles into a recyclable housing.

A recycling apparatus for positioning within a canning facility receives pallets of damaged or otherwise unusable unfilled aluminum cans, and discharges the layers of cans within a depalletizer into a discharge chute which communicates with the hopper of a baler which compresses the cans and forms a compact bale which is then shipped to a recycled metal processor. The apparatus may be operated as a service to the canner charged on a per pound recovered basis.

A plastic material crushing and compacting structure, including: a barrel, a upper side thereof configured with an input hole, and an inside thereof a driving device, an inside of the driving device a wireless transceiver module; a pair of clamping seats, configured below the input hole, and used to clamp an input plastic material item (e.g. plastic bottle, paute, etc.) to prevent the plastic material item from ejecting; a crushing device, configured below the pair of clamping seats and used to crush the input plastic material item, and provided with crushing device driver; and a telescopic push rod, configured below the driving device and moved vertically, a bottom of the telescopic push rod provided with a compressing face, several strip supports configured on the compressing face, and a gap arranged between each two adjacent strip supports, each of the gaps is the same size or not the same size.

A can crusher (1900), including: a support plate (1912) and a backing plate (1902); a left crush-arm (1908) pivotally secured to the support plate and including: a left flap (1924) and a left handle (1920) that extends transverse relative to the left flap; a right crush-arm (1910) pivotally secured to the support plate and including a right flap (1934) and a right handle (1930) that extends transverse relative to the right flap; and a retaining pin (1914) directly secured to the support plate. When the support plate is horizontally oriented the retaining pin extends vertically upward from the support plate and is disposed outside a horizontal sweep of the left flap and outside a horizontal sweep of the right flap. The retaining pin is configured to trap a can between the retaining pin and the backing plate when the can crusher is in an open configuration.

A recycling appliance is for processing non-organic recyclable materials and organic materials. The recycling appliance includes a non-organic processing assembly configured to receive, process and store the non-organic recyclable materials. An organic processing assembly is spaced apart from the non-organic processing assembly. The organic processing assembly is configured to receive, process and store the organic materials. A housing assembly is configured to house the non-organic processing assembly and the organic processing assembly.