KEY BENEFITS

Sorted boosted efficiency and recovery at NWH's MRF in Dumfries

+17% in pickers’ efficiency

Sorted Light ensured NWH could train and upskill their new and current pickers more effectively.

Increased material recovery rates

By leveraging data, NWH can quickly identify shifts in operations or material composition, enabling timely adjustments. This maximises recovery, optimises performance, and boosts our recovered value.

Enhanced customer relationships

Thanks to Sorted, NWH provide precise data on customers’ materials and the measures they're taking, enhancing transparency and building greater trust.

ABOUT

Meet NWH

The NWH Group is one of the UK’s leading recycling and waste management businesses. Serving the whole of Scotland and Northeast England from ten sites, NWH Group is committed to creating a sustainable future by improving the social, economic, and environmental well-being of the communities.

Their site in Dumfries processes around 4,000 tonnes/year of Mix Dry Recyclable materials coming from commercial customers.

We sat down with Gavin Money, Managing Director at NWH Group, to learn more about NWH’s journey with our AI-powered sorting technology. Here's what he had to say.

I highly recommend Sorted. They are easy to work with and have a deep understanding of the industry. Their team visited our facility to thoroughly assess our operations, so they could provide the best advice and value. The entire system was installed within a few hours without disrupting our operations and started delivering results immediately. With precise, real-time insights into our MRF, we can now operate more efficiently, quickly adapting our picking processes to material changes to maximise recovery and revenue.

Gavin Money

Managing Director, NWH Group

THE CHALLENGES

MRF staffing and recovery: real challenges for a regional leader

We are one of the leading Waste Management Companies in Scotland and the North of England, so our MRFs play a central role in the region’s recycling efforts. That’s why we wanted to improve the quality of material coming from our site.
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Like many waste companies, we were facing challenges with staffing, including the constant need for hiring and training. We wanted to find the best balance between speed and recovery, so finding an optimal solution was crucial.

THE SOLUTION

We needed something simple that would work around us

The main thing we wanted from a sorting solution was flexibility and simplicity. We didn’t want to have to make complicated adjustments to our facilities or to require our team to completely change their working habits.

Budget was also a constraint for us, we needed to find the right balance between upfront costs, efficiency and immediate benefits to ensure the solution was supporting our business objectives.

We evaluated several AI-powered sorting solutions before making our decision, but many required complex installations and high upfront costs, resulting in longer implementation timelines and greater commitments.

Sorted Light ticked all the boxes. It stood out as the most flexible option to benefit from AI technology with minimal adjustments and commitments.

THE IMPLEMENTATION

The whole process only took a few hours

The implementation was straightforward.

We were asked only to provide ceiling brackets and access to a power outlet. The Sorted team installed our two devices within a few hours without disrupting our operations, which was crucial for our MRF. Afterwards, they remained available to answer questions and help troubleshoot any issues.

For example, by identifying shifts in material composition early, we quickly seized the opportunity to extract aluminium cans and hard plastics (mainly HDPE and PET). These data-driven adjustments have enabled us to increase the value recovered from the line.

Phillip English

Head of Processing, NWH Group

THE BENEFITS

With Sorted, we improved our pickers’ efficiency by over 17%

We can now track everything happening in our facility in real time and monitor operations remotely. This allows us to immediately adjust processes when issues arise, leading to greater overall efficiency.

Having detailed insights into the composition of materials moving through our conveyor belts, and detecting any changes, enables us to adapt our picking operations accordingly, maximising recovery and optimising performance increasing our recovery rate.

For example, by identifying shifts in material composition early, we quickly seized the opportunity to extract aluminium cans and hard plastics (mainly HDPE and PET). These data-driven adjustments have enabled us to increase the value recovered from the line.

Our partnership with Sorted ensured we could train and upskill our new and existing pickers, improving their efficiency by over 17%.

We also strengthened our relationship with customers. By providing precise data on the material we recovered for them and the measures we’re taking to increase it, we can be more transparent and build greater trust.

As Sorted continuously improves its AI model, we benefit from the latest updates, ensuring the highest detection accuracy, free of charge and without the need to upgrade our machinery.

Sorted is one of the few solutions that adapts to our MRF and operations, rather than forcing us to adapt to it. It’s truly retrofittable and requires minimal effort to implement.

Gavin Money

Managing Director, NWH Group

WHY SORTED

We chose Sorted for the simplicity of their solution

We chose Sorted for the simplicity of their solution and the ease of doing business with them. They are transparent and don’t lock customers into long-term contracts, giving us the peace of mind to try new technology with minimal risk.

Sorted is one of the few solutions that adapts to our MRF and operations, rather than forcing us to adapt to it. It’s truly retrofittable and requires minimal effort to implement while delivering valuable insights. Plus, it supports our picking team by making a challenging job a little easier.

CUSTOMER VERDICT

I highly recommend Sorted.

I highly recommend Sorted. They are easy to work with and have a deep understanding of the industry. Their team visited our facility to thoroughly assess our operations, so they could provide the best advice and value. The entire system was installed within a few hours without disrupting our operations and started delivering results immediately. With precise, real-time insights into our MRF, we can now operate more efficiently, quickly adapting our picking processes to material changes to maximise recovery and revenue.

our Solution

Meet the AI-powered recycling technology that increases your pickers' performance.

Discover how Sorted empowers pickers to efficiently extract recyclables while providing managers with real-time data and valuable insights.

Learn more about our solution

OUR CUSTOMER STORIES

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