Cimbria releases optical sorting technology

Cimbria, headquartered in Denmark, has released new optical sorters that provide advanced sorting of plastics with precise material separation to enable a purification up to 99.99 percent of the sorted plastic.

Cimbria has more than 50 years of experience in the development and application of high-tech optical sorting solutions. In 2023, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) published a roadmap that outlines solutions to reduce global plastic pollution by 80 percent in 2040, if countries and companies make deep policy and market shifts using existing technologies.

“It is increasingly important to recycle postconsumer materials such as plastic, and luckily, we do have the right technology for it already,” Cimbria Head of Sales for Optical Sorting Michela Pelliconi says. “An important prerequisite to recycle plastics is the separation of color and polymers in flakes and granules. This ensures the highest quality of the selected materials so it can be reused in the best way.”

The current recycling sector accounts for about one-third of Cimbria’s turnover and the company says it’s linked to the recycling of plastic. The development of technology and software used in the optical sorters is a prioritized field within its business, Cimbria says.

“About 50 percent of the performance of an optical sorter is determined by the software,” Italy Head of Sales for Optical Sorting Lorenzo Tinti says. “Our software is developed in-house and has always been our flagship. With interconnected equipment and advanced data analyses we can provide actionable results, insights and recommendations that help our customers to make informed decisions which can improve the productivity of their plants.”

The plastic recycling industry in Italy is evolving due to legislation, creating high standards regarding the recycling of plastics. Two Italian plastic recycling companies recently have installed optical sorters from Cimbria in their facilities. The Plastisavio plant in Bertinoro sorts materials received through the WEEE circuit, which refers to the recycling and disposal of electrical and electronic products. The dry recycling process of polystyrene (PS) at this plant is handled by the combination of the Delta screen cleaner and the SEA.HY optical sorter from Cimbria.

“The plastic recycling world is very interested in optical sorting technology as it allows for the recovery of materials, which were unthinkable to recycle until a few years ago,” Plastisavio S.p.A. General Manager Pier Paolo Rossi says. “It is a rapidly growing sector, and we think that Cimbria plays a crucial role in this market thanks to the high technology of Cimbria’s optical sorters.”

Forever Plast S.p.A., also located in northern Italy, has launched a project for the sorting and purification process of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) flakes. The new optical sorting line includes a combination of seven Cimbria SEA optical sorters to efficiently select both polymers and colors in the same processing line. In the new plant, HDPE and PP flakes in all color types can be sorted without producing any waste. Cimbria says it worked closely with the customer in defining the best design for the sorting process to optimize the product flow and the dedicated performance of the machines.

Cimbria’s optical sorters are installed in more than 400 plastic sorting plants worldwide in countries such as Canada, North America, India, Mexico, Brazil and Peru.

“The market for plastic sorting is rapidly growing with a constant flow of new plants,” Pelliconi says. “Europe and especially the Nordic countries are growing with Germany, Italy and France being European first movers in the field. If we improve the collecting of postconsumer plastic waste, we have the technology needed to sort the plastic and thereby increase the reuse of plastic distinctively.”

According to Cimbria, its turnkey solutions combined with many years of experience play a crucial role in creating a more sustainable future with even more recycling of other industrial materials such as glass, metals and minerals.