More smart robots makes sorting an easy job for Eberhard Group

Swiss recycler Eberhard Group is investing in a new recycling plant with a capacity of 200 tonnes per hour.  The site, which is scheduled to open its doors late 2021, will convert mixed construction & demolition waste into valuable secondary raw materials.

Advanced artificial intelligence and smart robotic waste sorting technologies by ZenRobotics will be used at the new plant to capture high purity fractions from C&D waste. The recycled materials are then converted into new building materials for the construction industry.

The Swiss family-owned company says the new recycling plant will feature two parallel sorting lines with multiple high capacity heavy duty robots on each line.

Eberhard notes that C&D waste is a considerable source of secondary waste materials worldwide. In the European Union, it makes up approximately one third of the total waste generated. The EU’s target is to recover, recycle or reuse at least 70% of this waste by the end of 2020. 

However, mixed construction waste is currently still widely used as low grade material or ends up in landfill. In Switzerland, maximally 10% of the 7.5 million tonnes of C&D  waste generated per year is sustainably recycled today. 

Eberhard’s investment into the new high-capacity recycling center enables the company to boost the highest quality secondary raw materials for its customers and helps to lift recycling rates in the C&D industry.

The Eberhard Group purchased its first ‘smart’ waste sorting line by Zenrobotics back in 2015. ‘We are delighted that Eberhard is now multiplying its robot count by reinvesting in our advanced robot waste sorting system as part of this groundbreaking new plant,’ says Juha Mieskonen, head of sales at ZenRobotics.