As published by Marketplace in “How do waste plants pick through all our unsorted recyclables?,” materials recovery facilities sort “single-stream” recyclables by moving them through a step-by-step line that pulls contaminants early and then separates materials by shape, size, and composition. A typical flow starts on the tipping floor, then moves into pre-sort where staff remove non-recyclables that can jam equipment or create hazards.
Sorting then relies on a mix of mechanical and sensor-based separation. Screens help split flat, 2D material from 3D containers, air systems can separate lighter from heavier fractions, magnets pull ferrous metals, eddy current systems separate aluminum, and optical sorters identify plastics (often using air jets to redirect targeted items). After separation, each material stream is compacted into bales for shipment to end markets, where it becomes feedstock for new products.
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Article with all rights reserved, courtesy of Marketplace — https://www.marketplace.org/