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.

A recycling device stowable beneath a countertop for compressing bottles. The recycling device includes a housing having a chamber and a heating element capable of applying a moderate heat to the bottles received therein. The chamber includes a funnel section and an upper opening removably covered by a door, wherein the door can open to allow for depositing of the bottles within the chamber and close to restrict access to the chamber during the actuation of the heating element. The funnel section can direct the bottles to a specific orientation directly adjacent to the heating element, wherein a compression assembly positioned below the funnel section can reduce a volume of the bottle by collapsing the sidewalls of the bottle. In some embodiments, the door is operably connected to the heating element and the compression assembly such that upon closing of the door, the heating element and the compression assembly activate.

A device for compression of emptied containers, the device for compression of emptied containers including a container compressing arrangement provided with a first and a second roller, each roller having annular segments provided with specially shaped protruding elements. The device is for compression of plastic bottles as well as metal cans.

In order for contaminants (50) that are in particular liquid or highly viscous or solid and impact in an operating portion (40b) of one or 2 processing shafts (40.1, 40.2) that rotate adjacent to each other not to reach bearings (2) of the shafts (40.1, 40.2) which are arranged axially outside of the processing portion (40b) which could damage the bearings a wiping device (6) is arranged there between which is additionally axially shielded by a bearing plate (3) and a splash guard plate (4) wherein the wiping device provides that contaminants (50) that reach the wiping section (40a) are wiped off at this location and cannot move further through the bearing plate (3) to the bearing (2) that is arranged outside of the bearing plate (3).

Container compressing arrangement, mountable in a reverse vending machine, for compacting empty containers, in particular beverage bottles or cans which are preferably made of plastic or metallic material, such as PET or tinned metal, the container compressing arrangement including: a first and a second rotatable roller, each of the rollers having a working surface arranged between two oppositely arranged ends, wherein the rollers are arranged adjacent to each other to rotate in opposite directions around a respective rotation axis in a common geometrical xz-plane; and wherein the working surface includes a plurality of ridges extending across the working surface, in an axial direction of the roller, and distributed in the circumferential direction of the working surface, each ridge having a longitudinal extension in the axial direction.

A device for compression of emptied containers, the device for compression of emptied containers including a container compressing arrangement provided with a first and a second roller, each roller having annular segments provided with specially shaped protruding elements. The device is for compression of plastic bottles as well as metal cans.

The invention relates to a method for handling of containers (9) and a handling machine for containers, comprising an inlet arrangement (8), an infeed arrangement (2), a compressing arrangement (20, 21), a cutting arrangement (4, 6) and an outlet arrangement (7), wherein empty containers are compacted. In one embodiment containers are also handled to at least partly be provided in shredded form in the outlet arrangement (7), wherein said cutting arrangement (4, 6) comprises a first cutting unit (4) arranged to cut a container (9) into a plurality of longitudinal, parallel stripes and preferably a second cutting unit (6) arranged to cut transversally in relation to said first cutting unit (4), whereby said longish strips will be cut into a plurality of shredded pieces.

Apparatus for compaction of containers, particularly beverage cans or tin cans from the foods sector, having two pressure rolls disposed at a parallel distance from one another, forming a gap, which rolls can rotate about their axis of rotation, in each instance, and rotate in opposite directions, wherein their mantle surface has multiple essentially strip-shaped elements, in each instance, which reach longitudinally from one face surface to the opposite face surface of the pressure rolls, wherein the strip-shaped elements of each pressure roll are strip-shaped active elements, which each diverge at a setting angle relative to a reference line that runs parallel to its axis of rotation in the mantle surface.

According to the invention hollow elements 100.1 like bottles (100.1a) or cans (100.1b) are not only flattened for stronger compacting and thus optionally also perforated but the generated flattened plate-shaped hollow element (100.2) is crushed additional which increases the thickness of the plate by a small amount but which further reduces overall volume. The crushing is advantageously performed by reduced speed passage through a second roller pair, the crushing roller pair (3a, b) compared to a speed of running through the pressing roller pair (1a, b).

In order for contaminants (50) that are in particular liquid or highly viscous or solid and impact in an operating portion (40b) of one or 2 processing shafts (40.1, 40.2) that rotate adjacent to each other not to reach bearings (2) of the shafts (40.1, 40.2) which are arranged axially outside of the processing portion (40b) which could damage the bearings a wiping device (6) is arranged there between which is additionally axially shielded by a bearing plate (3) and a splash guard plate (4) wherein the wiping device provides that contaminants (50) that reach the wiping section (40a) are wiped off at this location and cannot move further through the bearing plate (3) to the bearing (2) that is arranged outside of the bearing plate (3).