An innovative model to save the environment: CMI invests in a robot that recycles millions of cans of

The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) has implemented a novel funding method to support the installation of a robot at a materials recovery facility (MRF) in California, owned by Caglia Environmental (Caglia), which will be responsible for sorting recyclable materials. The robot, created by EverestLabs, will use artificial intelligence and is expected to capture more than one million used beverage cans (UBCs) per year. To finance the equipment, CMI received funding from its members Ardagh Metal Packaging and Crown Holdings (Crown) who will cover the cost of the rental for two years. In exchange, CMI and Caglia will share equally in the revenues obtained from the collection of UBC with the leased equipment.

The rental program is the culmination of a multi-year effort by CMI to show how additional revenue can be generated for the recycling system through the collection of improperly sorted cans and to promote the installation of more equipment to capture them at recycling facilities.

“We are excited about the lease model because it highlights that aluminum beverage cans are consistently one of the most valuable recyclable products and further exemplifies how this recycled beverage container pays for its own recycling cost due to that high market value.”said John Rost, Crown’s vice president of global sustainability and regulatory affairs. “CMI’s research has concluded that without vital UBC revenues, most MRFs would not be able to operate without a change in their business model,” he added.

According to research conducted by CMI in 2020, it was found that up to a quarter of aluminum beverage cans are not correctly sorted at a typical MRF. To verify these results, tests were conducted at different MRFs in 2022 and found that there is an average annual loss of between seven and 36 UBC (aluminum beverage cans) per minute, which equates to an average annual loss of $71,900. CMI has developed an online calculator to calculate the return on investment and recommends its use by MRFs to recover these potential financial losses.

Arguably, even at a site like Caglia’s MRF located at the Cedar Avenue Recycling and Transfer Station (CARTS) in Fresno, CA, there is a great opportunity to collect more cans. This facility is constantly focused on improving its process and has recently upgraded its sorting line with a rented robot that captures those aluminum cans that have been misidentified and would end up in landfills.

For his part, Corey Stone, the CARTS plant maintenance manager, explained that they decided to use the EverestLabs robot to collect aluminum beverage cans as part of their goal to capture all recoverable material at the facility. “We put the EverestLabs robot on the latest opportunity and have it focus on aluminum beverage cans so that it is picking ‘gold’ out of the trash. This lease provides a no-risk, no-cost way for Caglia to advance its goal of capturing all recoverable material coming through its facility. EverestLabs’ user-friendly, real-time analysis platform, coupled with an easily adaptable robotic cell with zero disruption and the highest guaranteed recovery in the industry, ensures that as much UBC as possible is recovered. With CMI wanting to recycle more aluminum beverage cans and Caglia becoming a leader in the recycling industry, this program is a win-win,” he said, Stone added.

According to Caglia’s calculations and analysis, it is estimated that the EverestLabs robot will collect around 14,500 kilograms of used cans per year, preventing them from ending up in a landfill. This would equate to more than 1 million cans collected annually or about three cans per minute. In addition, Caglia will share 50% of the proceeds from the sale of these recycled cans with CMI, including proceeds from the beverage container recycling rewards program in California.
Also, Jens Irion, the CEO of Ardagh Metal Packaging – North America, explained the importance of metal recycling and how it can be beneficial to the environment. “Considering that metal recycles forever, with 93% of recycled aluminum beverage cans converted to new cans and recycled aluminum 94% less carbon intensive than primary aluminum manufacturing, it is imperative that recycling sorting facilities capture all cans for the aluminum industry to purchase and recycle. We are proud to have instituted a circular financing model for the textbook example of the circular economy: the aluminum beverage can. Revenue from the cans captured with the leased equipment can be used to fund even more can capture equipment at additional MRFs.”Irion detailed.

Jagadeesh Ambati, founder and CEO of EverestLabs, announced a partnership with the Can Manufacturers Institute, Crown, Ardagh Metal Packaging and Caglia Environmental to promote the use of its RecycleOS platform. This tool uses automation technology and artificial intelligence to help MRFs and manufacturers increase the recovery of UBC (used cans) and reduce their impact on landfills. According to Ambati, this could be an important solution in the fight against the massive losses in the ecosystem caused by this type of waste.

Following the installation of EverestLabs’ 3D camera, artificial intelligence and robot at Caglia’s Fresno MRF, the RecycleOS platform is providing daily reports on mis-sorted UBC cans, their economic value and the greenhouse gas emissions saved by recycling them. So far, up to 1,400 cans per day have been detected and most have been recovered for incorporation into the circular chain instead of going to landfill. Both Caglia and CMI have plans to continue implementing technology at the MRF to improve recovery efforts. In addition, CMI plans to support additional equipment at other MRFs through a leasing model and use the knowledge gained from this first lease to optimize its approach and obtain financing for more equipment.
CMI, along with its first lease, has also provided capital for The Recycling Partnership grants thanks to Ardagh Metal Packaging and Crown. By 2021, five grants have been funded that have achieved double the expected results, capturing 140 million aluminum beverage cans annually thanks to the equipment installed with these grants. Earlier this year, CMI reported additional funding from Ardagh Metal Packaging and Crown for additional grants through The Recycling Partnership.

Next October 4, 2023, EverestLabs, CMI and Caglia Environmental will conduct a webinar hosted by ISRI on the role of industry associations in implementing technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics in sorting and separation facilities for recyclable materials. Interested parties can register for this event through the link provided. In addition, during a panel session scheduled for October 12, 2023 at the Paper and Plastics Recycling Conference, Scott Breen, CMI’s vice president of sustainability, will discuss this innovative leasing program.