A manufacturer that sells a food product in small disposable cups wanted to know if, after their use, these containers could be effectively identified and picked out in materials recovery facilities.

Sustainable STRAT conducted different technical feasibility tests to analyze the container’s handling. These were run in different Canadian provinces, in recovery facilities equipped with various technologies.

The experiments showed that it was possible to separate the cups using an optical scanner. Therefore, the manufacturer could avoid their disposal in landfills and the ensuing penalties.