An AI-powered robot that can identify and sort Tetra Pak beverage cartons has been installed at APR Kerbside’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Truganina, Victoria.

The sorting technology is a joint investment between Tetra Pak and APR Kerbside, and currently the robot is in training, learning to recognise all the different types of beverage cartons such as milk, soy, oat, almond, stock, and juice ahead of its final deployment in the coming weeks.

Vikas Ahuja, sustainability director at Tetra Pak Australia and New Zealand, said Tetra Pak is proud to be pioneering this  recycling innovation with APR to further advance the circular economy in Australia.

“For us at Tetra Pak, this AI-powered recycling robot is testament to the steadfast progress we have been making in our sustainability journey in Australia.”

The facility in Truganina has the capacity to process up to 20,000 tonnes of materials annually and mainly sorts items from the kerbside stream such as items collected from residents’ yellow lidded recycling bins like paper, steel, cardboard, aluminium, and plastics.

Darren Thorpe, MD of APR Kerbside, said future aspirations of expanding and working towards additional MRF’s in Victoria will allow them to increase their processing capacity.

“We are looking to install more AI- robots as part of our upgrade and expansion plans. It is our commitment to continue supporting carton recycling infrastructure and enable the circular economy so that Australians know their recycling efforts aren’t going to waste.”

Additionally, Tetra Pak helped to fund the opening of Australia’s first plant for recycling beverage cartons in Warragamba, New South Wales.

Tetra Pak beverage cartons will be transported by APR Kerbside to the recently opened saveBOARD plant in Warragamba, NSW, where they will be recycled into sustainable construction materials up until the saveBOARD plant in Victoria opens in 2024, which is jointly funded by the Victoria government.

This article was first published by C&I Retailing. Read the original article here. 

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