Robotic sorting agreement for UK and Ireland

Europe – Robotic recycling technology specialist ZenRobotics of Finland and Blue Group have signed a distribution agreement for the UK and Ireland covering distribution of the ZenRobotics Recycler (ZRR), claimed to be the world’€™s first robotic waste sorting system.

‘ZenRobotics is proud to enter the UK market hand in hand with a dynamic market leader,’ says Dr Mac Borkowski, UK sales director at ZenRobotics. ‘Together we can offer the robotic technology that increases sorting efficiency, flexibility and lowers operating costs.’

Blue Group will incorporate the ZRR into its recycling facilities, which are designed by BlueMAC, the Ireland-based plant manufacturing division of the company. The ZRR is designed to recognise and recover mixed waste – including metal, wood, stone, cardboard and rigid plastic fractions – from mixed waste streams.

The ZRR uses artificial intelligence technology in both identifying the valuable raw materials in the waste and in controlling the robot’s adaptive picking motions. According to Blue Group director Eugene Donnelly, robotic sorting technology is the future for waste plants.

‘The ZRR is almost three times quicker than a human picker, it is more accurate and can work over multiple shifts, which will ultimately save a company money over the long term,’ he emphasises.