Yoghurt jars, food trays or even colored plastic sparkling water bottles: new waste that has so far been little recycled can now be recycled after passing through the second center of “come out” of France, in Épinal in the Vosges.
>> Plastic recycling remains a “myth“, warns Greenpeace
| The Epinal exit center, the second of its kind in France, on June 28. |
| Photo: AFP/VNA/CVN |
In a building of more than 4,000 m², hundreds of packages, crushed and of all colors, follow a long route on a conveyor belt similar to a roller coaster at a holiday party. On the way, they pass through optical sorting machines where they are gradually classified and separated.
“Each time, the waste arrives in a shredder, and each time, the shredding is done“, explains Stéphane Bertrand, the director of the site.
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| In the Epinal sursorting center in the Vosges, on June 28, final verification of the selected waste. |
| Photo: AFP/VNA/CVN |
Two machines are therefore responsible for sorting transparent waste, while two others, a little further away, put aside those made of colored polyethylene terephthalate (PET), such as sparkling water bottles or oil cans.
The waste that meets the criteria of the machine will be separated from the others and continue its path towards a final crossing point, in a cabin where the agents check that there is no unwanted object, such as paper or cardboard
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| On June 28 check an optical shredder in the center of Epinal tri. |
| Photo: AFP/VNA/CVN |
In total, ten optical sorting machines are installed, supplemented by a robot. The factory also contains a self-diagnostic device based on artificial intelligence to analyze plastic quality and reduce sorting errors.
All this waste arrives by truck in the form of “balls“, large blocks of compacted and mixed waste. They come from one of the 120 yellow waste crushing centers, which put them aside.
Recycle more
The existing sorting centers continue to use household products that have been around for a long time, such as transparent PET water bottles or laundry detergents, explains Éric Fromont, project director of crushing and oversorting centers at Citeo in France.
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| Bales of waste containing white polyethylene terephthalate (PET), at the Epinal sorting center site, on June 28. |
| Photo: AFP/VNA/CVN |
They also operate a “third stream”intended to set aside seven other materials, which will be processed by oversorting centers like that of Épinal.
Since last year, the yellow bins can accommodate all household packaging, whatever its material, except glass. But for each molecule, there is a different recycling technique.
Therefore, the white PET, with which the milk bottles, pots and trays of fruit and vegetables, salami, or pastries, polystyrene yogurt pots or many types of thermoplastic trays are made, must be subject to a specific classification to be subsequently sent. and of sufficient quality, to the recyclers.
About 25,000 tons of these plastics, usually rarely recycled, must be recycled every year in this shredding center, the second to have opened its doors in France, after another in Ruffey-les-Beaune (Côte-d’Or ).
Exit in 12 minutes
Installed in the place of an old tri center in Épinal, which was completely emptied to allow the installation of the imposing machines, the new factory is able to transform waste in 12 minutes.
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| A control screen showing the amount of waste classified and returned for recycling, at the Epinal recycling center, on June 28. |
| Photo: AFP/VNA/CVN |
These installations require 19 million euros, including 15 million financed by Citeo, the organization that organizes the collection, sorting and recycling of domestic waste in France.
In all, four centers are planned by Citeo at the moment, with a goal of recycling 70,000 tons of packaging per year. That of Épinal, equipped by the organization, is managed by Suez. “This represents a certain volume, because the density of plastic is quite light”notes Mr. Bertrand.
Once sorted, the waste, divided by material, is collected by trucks that transport it to plastic recycling customers. From Épinal, the material is sent to “Colmar, Verdun, Mâcon or in Belgium”explains Mr. Fromont.
In 2022, only 24.5% of plastic packaging will be recycled in France, while the objective of the European Union is to reach 55% in 2030.
AFP/VNA/CVN
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