Applications & Markets
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Sorting Systems
Mixed-waste processing lines that pull recyclables, metals, and organics out of residential garbage — engineered around your tonnage, composition, and end markets.
Sherbrooke OEM designs, manufactures, and integrates complete municipal solid waste (MSW) sorting systems. A typical line combines metered infeed conveyors, bag splitters, trommel screens for size classification, finger and glass breaker screens for organics and fines removal, overhead magnets and eddy current separators for metal recovery, and Eagle Vizion NIR optical sorters for plastics and fiber. Systems are fabricated in Sherbrooke, Quebec and installed across Canada and the United States.
How an MSW Line Works
- Infeed & metering. Loader- or tipper-fed conveyor doses bagged waste onto the line at a controlled, even depth.
- Bag opening. A bag splitter tears bags at a controlled rate, freeing contents without shredding recoverables.
- Size classification. A trommel splits the stream into organics-rich unders, a container-rich mid fraction, and oversize.
- Fines & organics removal. Finger screens and density stages clean each fraction ahead of recovery equipment.
- Metal recovery. Overhead magnets extract ferrous; eddy current separators recover non-ferrous metals.
- Recovery & QC. Optical sorters and picking stations recover plastics and fiber; residue and products report to bunkers.
Key Equipment in MSW Systems
Bag Splitters
Controlled bag opening without shredding recoverable content.
Trommel Screens
Size classification into organics, container, and oversize fractions.
Finger & Glass Breaker Screens
Fines and organics removal ahead of recovery stages.
Overhead Magnets & Eddy Current
Ferrous and non-ferrous metal recovery.
Eagle Vizion Optical Sorters
NIR + AI recovery of plastics and fiber from mixed waste.
Picking Stations & Bunkers
Manual QC platforms and storage for products and residue.
MSW Sorting — Frequently Asked Questions
What equipment does an MSW sorting line typically include?
A typical municipal solid waste line includes a metered infeed conveyor, a bag splitter to open garbage bags without shredding their contents, a trommel screen to split the stream into size fractions, density or finger screens to remove organics and fines, overhead magnets and an eddy current separator for metal recovery, optical sorters or picking stations to recover fiber and plastics, and bunkers for residue and recovered products.
Why is bag opening critical on an MSW line?
Most residential waste arrives in sealed bags. If bags are not opened upstream, recoverable material passes through the plant hidden inside them and reports directly to residue. A mechanical bag splitter tears bags open at a controlled rate without pulverizing the contents, which keeps downstream screening accurate and recovery rates high.
How does a trommel improve MSW recovery?
A trommel splits the opened stream into size fractions — typically an organics-rich undersize, a mid-size fraction concentrated in containers and packaging, and an oversize fraction dominated by film, fiber, and bulky items. Each fraction can then be processed with equipment suited to it, which raises both recovery rate and product purity compared to sorting a mixed stream.
Can an MSW line produce fuel or compost feedstock?
Yes. After recyclables and metals are recovered, the remaining high-calorific fraction can be directed toward refuse-derived fuel (RDF) preparation, and the screened organic undersize can feed composting or anaerobic digestion, depending on local outlets. The system layout is engineered around which end products the operator intends to market.
Planning an MSW processing facility?
Send us your waste composition and target throughput — our engineering team will propose a system layout and recovery strategy. Engineered and manufactured in Sherbrooke, QC, serving Canada and the United States.
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