Efficient Removal of Plastic Production Waste at Yogurt Producer – France

The Challenge: Cutting Manual Waste Handling and Disposal Costs on Five Production Lines

Producing plastic-packaged yogurt at scale generates a steady stream of offcut waste, and without an automated waste removal system, that waste quickly turns into a manual labor and disposal cost problem. This large French yogurt producer wanted to eliminate plastic waste from five production lines.

The facility faced several key challenges:

• Eliminating plastic waste from five production lines was the producer’s core objective.
• Manual removal of two plastic boxes per production line, carried from the production area to the waste container by hand, added unnecessary labor and downtime.
• Separating the differently colored “stars,” the plastic offcut left in the middle of a yogurt four-pack, mattered to the producer for improving resale value.
• Unsorted bulk waste cost the company EUR 9,000 per month in transport and handling fees to its recycling partner.

The Facts: Material, System Requirements & Production Parameters

• Material: Polystyrene
• Dimensions: Min. 8.5 x 8.5 mm, max 20 x 20 mm
• Conveying distance: 30 meters

The Solution: Pneumatic Waste Separation with the RVS MultiSeparator

Kongskilde designed a pneumatic conveying and separation system built around the RVS MultiSeparator, enabling suction removal of waste material from all five yogurt production lines without manual handling.

• RVS MultiSeparator draws plastic offcuts from each line by suction, replacing manual box collection
• BPD 30 kW blower powers material transport, with a self-cleaning rotor, backward-curved blades, and an aerodynamic intake for continuous operation
• Individual conveying lines from each production machine keep different waste materials and colors separated
• Filtered air is returned through a dedicated filter bag before recirculation
• Separated waste discharges directly into bigbags for transport, replacing individual containers

How it works:

• Plastic offcuts are drawn by suction from each of the five production lines through individual pick-up points
• Material is conveyed through piping to keep each waste stream separate
• The RVS separators remove the plastic material from the airstream
• Filtered air is returned through the system’s filter bag before recirculation
• Sorted waste discharges into big bags, ready for transport and resale

This configuration eliminated manual waste handling across all five lines while keeping colored offcuts separated for higher-value resale.

Advantages & Benefits: Lower Costs, Higher Recovery, Less Manual Labor

Material Recovered for Resale

Over 8 tons of production waste is now recovered and resold to a raw material supplier monthly, at approximately EUR 200 per ton.

Lower Transportation Costs

Waste material is now conveyed directly into bigbags rather than whole containers, saving EUR 9,000 per month in transportation costs.

Reduced Waste Treatment Costs

Cleaner, pre-sorted material has lowered treatment costs charged by the recycling company.

Fast Return on Investment ROI

The system has an expected payback period of less than three years.

Reliable Material Separation

Individual conveying lines from each production machine keep different waste materials and colors separated automatically, supporting higher resale value.

Reduced Manual Labor

The system eliminated the need for staff to manually transport small waste containers from the production area to outside containers.