COMPANY NAME SARCO SRL
COUNTRY Italy
SECTOR Waste treatment and materials recovery
CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL Recovery and Recycling
CHALLENGE
RE-SIC is a project launched to address the issue of used cork disposal; in Italy, these stoppers routinely end up in landfills due to the lack of dedicated sorting technologies. The project’s primary objective was to design and test a prototype optical sorter powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) capable of distinguishing and separating cork from mixed waste, thereby adding value to this waste material by transforming it into cork granules for practical industrial applications.
SOLUTION
Prior to the RE-SIC project, there were no technologies on the market capable of separating natural cork from synthetic stoppers (made of LDPE plastic or silicone) due to their nearly identical shapes and colors. This resulted in significant environmental damage, as sending cork stoppers to landfills generates emissions and leads to the loss of a recyclable material like cork.
RE-SIC was created to put an end to this waste.
On average, 15 tons of used cork stoppers arrive annually at Sarco’s treatment facility, mixed with other types of waste from separate collection streams. Before the project, these stoppers were sent to landfills because they were difficult to separate from other materials; this caused an environmental impact equivalent to approximately 1 ton of CO2e emissions for every ton of stoppers disposed of.
To solve the technical challenge of separating and sorting natural cork stoppers, Sarco partnered with two technical firms: CavArt S.p.A. (an Italian company) for plant design and PICVISA (a Spanish company) for sorting technology. PICVISA developed the ECOPICK optical sorting prototype, which uses artificial intelligence to distinguish and separate cork from mixed waste, thereby recovering this waste material and transforming it into cork granules for practical industrial applications.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY STRATEGIES/BUSINESS MODEL IMPLEMENTED
Production of cork granules from processing waste generated at the plant.
Sale of cork granules to the design, automotive, and green building industries.
IMPACT
Environmental impacts: 237 kgCO2eq saved thanks to the recovery of 1,786 kg of used bottle caps
Social Impacts: Two new jobs created at the company through the hiring of one man and one woman under the age of 35 on permanent contracts, in accordance with the National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL) for the glass, lamp, and display manufacturing sector. Economic Impacts: approximately €250 saved for every tonne of cork stoppers diverted from landfill
KEY TAKEAWAY
Integration of expertise across the value chain: despite Sarco’s solid experience in managing traditional waste streams, the initial lack of specific expertise regarding cork was effectively addressed through knowledge transfer from technology partners.
Technological risk management: the strong visual resemblance between materials necessitated continuous training cycles for the AI algorithm using real samples, as well as the development of a modular prototype to ensure future industrial replicability.
Replicability and technology transfer: following validation in a real-world operational setting, the goal is to extend this advanced sorting technology to other waste treatment facilities, both nationally and across Europe.
In conclusion, the RE-SIC project leaves behind a legacy in the form of a modular, scalable, and replicable technological model. Indeed, Sarco and its partners have demonstrated that Artificial Intelligence can unlock material streams previously considered impossible to recycle, paving the way for waste treatment centers in Italy and across Europe.