New glass recycling facility to process 200,000 tonnes of glass per year
The facility, equipped with the REDWAVE sorting technology, boosts sustainable glass management
REDWAVE technology has been implemented at Australia's most advanced glass recycling facility. Designed to process 200,000 tonnes of recycled glass per year, the facility represents a significant leap forward in glass recycling technology.
The recent opening ceremony at the Laverton (Melbourne) site marked the culmination of a collaboration between REDWAVE and Visy, a leader in glass recycling and manufacturing in Australia and New Zealand. This state-of-the-art facility, equipped with the latest sorting technology, replaces the previous facility and introduces a new era in sustainable glass management.
Wayne Russell, the executive general manager of recycling at Visy, emphasized the commitment to closing the loop for glass in Victoria. "By building our brand-new glass recycling facility with REDWAVE's world-class optical sorters, we've doubled the amount of glass we can recycle," Russell stated.
As general contractor, REDWAVE was responsible for the entire process of design, engineering, delivery, installation, and commissioning, ensuring a maximum yield of cullet.
Revolutionizing glass processing
With a processing capacity of 200,000 tonnes annually, the new plant will receive two-thirds of the input from curbside mixed recycling collections and one-third from the newly established Victorian container deposit scheme (CDS Glass). On arrival, the glass is meticulously sorted into three different colours, down to three millimetres in size. This systematic sorting ensures a reliable supply of flint (clear), amber, and green glass for future glass production. The plant also maximizes the use of by-products, minimizing the impact on landfills and recovering valuable secondary materials. The sorting operates autonomously, eliminating the need for manual sorting.
Innovative sensor technology
REDWAVE has devised a solution to the unique challenges posed by glass-ceramics, which behave differently to ordinary glass when melted. Using its proprietary CX camera and lighting unit, the system separates glass-ceramics, ceramics, stones, porcelain, and off-colours through a multi-stage sorting process.
The implementation of REDWAVE mate smart plant software optimizes plant efficiency by collecting and processing real-time production data. This data empowers operators and enables autonomous plant operation, all tailored to meet customer requirements. At the heart of this data collection are REDWAVE's sorters, which act as data hubs to relay critical information to the software.
