BFR Plastics sorting
with the new Pellenc ST Expert
AREERA is a fast-growing company based in the UK, specialized in the recycling of screen-based devices. They are running a very successful site which, 2 years ago, was the first of its kind using robots for most of its dismantling process.
AREERA’s CEO Craig Thompson, an industry veteran with decades of experience behind him, has decided to take a step ahead of the pack on the material-sorting side of the business. Craig chose to invest in the first new Pellenc ST Xpert to sort BFR (Brominated Flame Retardant) plastics after the screens’ shells are shredded.
Over the last few years Pellenc ST has been investing heavily in the development of sensor-sorting solutions for the WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) industry and developed the new Xpert with a clear objective in mind: to enable the removal of BFR plastics from WEEE plastics, allowing the highest recovery rates of recyclable polymers using X-ray transmission.
Fitted with a new X-ray generator that offers high operation stability, the X-ray sensor has a high sensitivity. The new software, with a specific X-ray learning classifier and the use of AI for shape recognition, allows the Xpert to be able to purify more complex streams where there is a high percentage of BFR and metal contaminations.
The customer’s long experience in the plastics-sorting industry and familiarity with most of the technologies and suppliers available on the market, allowed him to spot how efficient and reliable the Xpert is.
«Thanks to the Xpert we can recover 20% more Good Plastics compared to a floatation plant, which is currently what most of the recycling companies in the World use for sorting this type of stream. In addition to a higher recovery rate, the Xpert dramatically lowers our OPEX and makes our business more competitive. Without mentioning that we do not use any water in our process, our process is more sustainable from the environmental point of view ».
Thanks to the Xpert’s reliability and ease of use, AREERA can perform multiple applications with the same machine. They are processing 10.000 tons of shredded plastics per year. Part of this stream is coming from their internal production and the remaining is WEEE sinking fraction coming from other sites. Sinking fraction is usually considered non-recyclable.
« We are able to recover 20% of Recyclable Plastics from sinking fraction, diverting this material from incineration to recycling».
According to Giovanni Scarcelli, Sales Director Metals for Pellenc ST, « AREERA is the perfect example of how we at Pellenc ST see the future of recycling: a dynamic business running an efficient operation with low environmental impact. Pellenc ST is working with companies like AREERA to develop processes which improve recovery rates and lower the environmental impact of the recycling industry. The new Xpert is only the first step towards a future where sensor-sorting becomes the standard for the WEEE industry».
