Glass Recycling : Reiling strengthens glass recycling with Steinert MSort technology

For over 16 years, Reiling’s glass recycling operations in Denmark have relied on MSort sorting systems to ensure efficiency and quality. With STEINERT GmbH’s acquisition of the MSort technology in July 2024, the company is embracing new opportunities for innovation and collaboration. As Reiling continues to refine its recycling process, Managing Director Benedikt Heitmann shares insights into how the technology helps meet the industry’s stringent quality standards.

At the Reiling glass recycling plant in Næstved, about 70 kilometers from Copenhagen, two first-generation sorting machines were recently replaced with the latest MSort systems. These upgrades are particularly crucial for sorting fine glass fractions (3-10 mm), ensuring continued efficiency and compliance with industry requirements. Meanwhile, MSort machines operating on the 10-60 mm line, despite a decade of service, remain in excellent condition, requiring minimal maintenance.

During a visit to the Næstved facility, Heitmann explained the two primary glass streams Reiling processes: hollow glass and flat glass. Hollow glass includes beverage bottles and food packaging, whereas flat glass consists of materials such as windowpanes and car windshields. The differentiation between these streams is essential since each requires a distinct sorting process. In Denmark, glass recycling begins at collection points, deposit return systems, or a combined household collection of glass and metal. At Næstved, Reiling ensures that hollow glass is thoroughly cleaned and sorted before re-entering the cycle as high-quality cullet.

“No matter how bad the input material of the hollow glass that ends up with us is,” Heitmann explains, “the sorted product at the end of the entire sorting line is subject to strict limits. Even small quantities of impurities can cause major damage in the manufacture of new glass products. We return more than 90% of the glass that arrives here to the glassworks.”

Achieving such high recovery rates requires advanced sorting technology. The quality standards are defined in the T 120 guideline, which sets strict limits for contaminants. For example, only two grams of ferrous metals per ton of glass are permitted—roughly the weight of a small wire. Similarly, non-ferrous metal contamination cannot exceed three grams per ton, while ceramics, stones, and porcelain (CSP) must stay within 20 grams per ton, equivalent to a cup handle. Once sorted at Næstved, the refined glass cullet is sent to major glass producers, including the Ardagh Group, just 15 minutes away in Holmegaard.

Recycling at Reiling begins with mechanical pre-sorting, which involves crushing the glass to expose different materials. A series of extractors, magnets, and separators remove unwanted elements such as labels, paper, and metals. Despite these efforts, some residual fractions still contain valuable glass, necessitating further refinement.

To maximize material recovery, Reiling employs a dedicated Recovery Line, which processes fine glass fractions (0-10 mm) using optical sorting technology. Optical sensors differentiate materials based on how they transmit light, effectively identifying ceramics, stones, and porcelain. Metal contaminants are detected separately, and targeted air blasts remove impurities. This advanced sorting occurs in both fine and coarse processing lines, utilizing multiple generations of MSort systems. The latest additions—MSort AF for rough sorting and MSort AK for fine sorting—now handle cullet sizes of 4-10 mm. Meanwhile, the MSort AX, in operation since 2014, continues to process 10-60 mm fractions, ensuring optimal purity for color sorting into brown, white, and green glass.

Reiling’s partnership with MSort dates back to 1997 when the sorting systems were under the Mogensen brand. Nearly three decades later, MSort technology remains a staple in Reiling’s European operations.

“We have been relying on MSort for a long time, and under the STEINERT umbrella, we are once again investing in sorting technology. For this reason, we are building on our long-standing supplier and following the path to the new generation of sorting systems in glass recycling. Today’s progress is tomorrow’s standard,” says Heitmann. Looking ahead, he aims to push glass recovery rates even higher, further solidifying Reiling’s commitment to sustainable recycling. With MSort technology at its core, the company is well-equipped to meet future industry demands.