An industry collaboration between the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE Ireland) and Panda is aiming to increase beverage carton recycling in Ireland using AI-powered robotic sorting technology.

More than 5m beverage cartons have been sorted and fully recycled since the technology was launched at Panda’s materials recovery facility (MRF) in Ballymount, Dublin in 2023.

The automated system is reportedly the first of its kind in Ireland, providing a solution for identifying, picking and sorting cartons at the MRF for onward recycling.

The Ballymount facility receives more than 90,000 tonnes of mixed dry recycling materials from 400,000 homes and businesses each year.

The automated sorting technology, developed by Recycleye and Fanuc, can perform 33,000 picks over a ten-hour shift.

 Sorted cartons are then sent to ACE’s specialised carton recycling facility where they are pulped and turned into high-quality paper and core board. Fibres from beverage cartons can be recycled many times, making them an ideal raw material for paper-based products.

To mark the first year of dedicated carton sorting, ACE Ireland and Panda have launched a new consumer campaign to drive increased awareness of beverage carton recycling.

Titled #RecycleYourCartons, the campaign calls on households to place used beverage cartons in their household recycling bin.

ACE Ireland’s senior recycling manager Mandy Kelly commented: “There is huge potential for a further increase in carton recycling rates in Ireland and improved recycling practices through targeted investment and working with industry partners.”

CEO of Beauparc, the parent company of Panda, Brian McCabe added: “Robotics and automation are playing a pivotal role in increasing the efficiency and accuracy of our sorting processes.”