Because the Planet Deserves Better
OCC Process
- Receiving and Handling: Bales of OCC are received, stored, and placed onto infeed conveyors for processing.
- Shredding and Crushing: The cardboard may pass through shredders or crushers to break down large boxes into smaller, more manageable pieces. This increases material density and reduces transportation costs.
- Screening: Screens, such as disc or auger screens, separate OCC from smaller contaminants like plastics, glass, or other fibers. This step also improves worker safety by removing hazardous materials before manual sorting.
- Sorting and Quality Control: After initial screening, remaining contaminants or oversized debris are removed through manual sorting or automated systems, including optical or AI-based sorters, ensuring a clean, high-quality product.
- Pulping (for paper mills): In paper production facilities, cleaned OCC is fed into pulping systems, typically large drum pulpers, where it is mixed with water and processed into a fiber slurry for making new paper products.
- Baling (for recycling facilities): For facilities that do not process pulp on-site, the sorted OCC is compressed into dense bales for storage and transport to paper mills.
Key Functions and Advantages
- Increases Operational Efficiency: Automated feeding systems significantly reduce the reliance on manual labor, enabling higher throughput and more consistent processing rates. By optimizing the flow of material into the recycling line, these systems reduce downtime, minimize handling delays, and maintain steady productivity even under high-volume conditions.
- Enhances Sorting Facility Performance: Serving as an integral part of mixed paper and cardboard sorting plants, the system ensures precise material delivery to downstream equipment such as shredders, screens, and optical sorters. This streamlining improves the accuracy of separation processes, reduces contamination, and enhances overall sorting efficiency.
- Optimizes Material Handling and Flow: Engineered for high-volume cardboard and paper waste, the system maintains a continuous, controlled feed to all downstream operations. Its robust design accommodates variable bale sizes and material densities, ensuring consistent throughput, minimizing equipment strain, and reducing maintenance requirements.
- Supports Integrated Recycling Operations: By integrating seamlessly with automated sorting, screening, and baling equipment, the feeding system contributes to a fully synchronized recycling workflow. This reduces bottlenecks, improves operational reliability, and maximizes the recovery of high-quality recyclable materials.