Green Recycling and TOMRA Recycling drive the future of recycling through integrated service and automation
Green Recycling, an Essex-based waste management and recycling solutions provider, faced significant business demands. Tackling labour shortages required an urgent shift away from manual sorting. The company needed a partner that could guarantee maximum long-term plant performance with exceptional service support to minimise downtime, as well as data and insights for continuous efficiency and output quality.
Combining automation, service and a partnership approach
TOMRA Recycling understood the scale of the challenges and responded by offering a holistic service partnership to Green Recycling, aiming to serve as a strategic partner, not just a machinery supplier. The core solution was the phased installation of a series of TOMRA’s AUTOSORT™ units, but this collaboration goes far beyond the machinery itself, focusing on maximising uptime, continuous performance optimisation and future-proofing operations to ensure Green Recycling remains a leader in resource recovery.
A fleet of AUTOSORT™ units delivering high purity
The need for automation, fueled by labour shortages, drove Green Recycling's ambitious move to develop a fully automated, picker-less Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and move away from manual sorting. The chosen technology solution was the TOMRA AUTOSORT™ unit. This highly versatile sorter delivers unmatched adaptability in both material throughput and integrated sensing capabilities across multiple applications. By combining advanced sensors – including NIR (for material identification and type separation), VIS (for colour identification) and EM (for metal detection) – the AUTOSORT™ ensures the highest achievable material purity, regardless of the incoming material.
Green Recycling now operates a fleet of six dedicated AUTOSORT™ units, each of which sorts different materials – film, soft plastics, OCC, wood, hard plastics and mixed paper. A seventh unit is on order to remove any other materials on a new line. This combination of units is helping Green Recycling achieve a fully automated process that can sort a diverse mix of C&I and municipal waste at a rate of 15 to 25 tonnes per hour, achieving an annual processing volume of on average 39,000 tonnes of material. The high-purity recovered material, including plastics and fibres, is sold to UK and Europe-based reprocessors such as paper mills, cardboard mills, fibre board mills and specialised plastic recovery facilities, depending on the market situation.
The impact of TOMRA’s technology on Green Recycling's operations is significant. The initial AUTOSORT™ unit installation immediately doubled paper and cardboard production from approximately 50 to 100 tonnes per week. A key AUTOSORT™, positioned at the start of the line, removes between 95 to 97% of film, which was vital to Green Recycling's participation in the Flexible Plastic Fund's (FPF) FlexCollect flexible plastic collection trial, allowing approximately 40 tonnes of film a week to be recovered. FlexCollect was a three-year, UK-wide pilot (2022–2025) testing kerbside collection of flexible plastics (films and wrappers) to prepare for national mandatory collection by 2027.
Maximising uptime and performance
The reliability of TOMRA's automation provides peace of mind and resilience. Jamie Smith, Operations Director at Green Recycling, explains: “The fact that we are buying another AUTOSORT™ unit is testament to how reliable the technology is, but also to the service provision TOMRA offers via TOMRA Care. They are playing a key role in sustaining our operations and are a true partner in driving throughput, efficiency and consistent output quality. We wouldn't contemplate using another supplier at this stage because we've never been let down by TOMRA.”
TOMRA provides swift and efficient support, minimising downtime. This level of support is a key factor for Green Recycling. The vast majority of issues are resolved instantly and remotely. Jamie comments: “Any problems that we’ve had, 95% of them are dealt with over the telephone or through dialling in, which is brilliant.” This support is crucial as any plant stoppage, even just for an hour, means valuable input material has to be sent to energy from waste, incurring a cost. Jamie adds: “If it wasn't for TOMRA’s service engineers being able to dial in and fix something immediately or come the next day then the knock-on effect of that is massive. Their support is a huge benefit from a financial, environmental and operational perspective.”
Thanks to its model of having local service teams, TOMRA guarantees a rapid, effective response. If an issue can't be solved remotely, an engineer is on-site by the next day, fulfilling the commitment to minimising downtime. Furthermore, TOMRA proactively adjusts planned service scheduling to address unscheduled issues at the same time, avoiding unexpected call-out charges.
Knowledge, insights and optimisation
TOMRA acts as an advisory partner, using knowledge and insights to drive data-driven real time optimisation and efficient, flexible operations. Over the years, TOMRA has provided Green Recycling with crucial knowledge and insights, including advising on the optimal line setup and recommending an innovative, space-saving decision to stack two paper AUTOSORT™ units on top of each other which Jamie describes as “amazing in terms of space savings, flow, product capture.” After installation, engineers fine-tuned the sorting programmes based on live data, ensuring consistent commodity quality. Jamie adds: “They tweaked it and then I haven't touched the machine since.” This optimisation, coupled with remote support, ensures the plant maintains the highest sorting performance and throughput, directly contributing to consistent quality of output.
TOMRA also ensures the longevity and smooth operation of the equipment through continuous training and knowledge transfer. Comprehensive on-site training was delivered upon installation, covering both basic operation and maintenance. As a result, Green Recycling's operatives can easily change consumables and handle minor issues, keeping the machines working reliably and reducing the need for call outs. Intervention is minimal and regular maintenance, including two planned services a year, keeps the machines running at peak efficiency.
Neil Hughes, Service Manager Recycling at TOMRA Recycling, comments: “Maximum performance and lowest downtime are essential for our customers to stay competitive long-term. Ensuring that continuous, peak performance is our mission at TOMRA, supported by our tailor-made service packages that include dedicated on-site support, off-site support, spare parts and training via the TOMRA Academy.”
Beyond supplier to partner
Green Recycling's state-of-the-art C&I MRF demonstrates how TOMRA’s dedication to integrated service – from expert consultation and continuous training to rapid remote support and data-driven optimisation – moves them beyond a mere supplier to become a fundamental strategic partner in the customer's ongoing operational success.