Tetra Pak has announced a second investment in the UK this year aimed at improving the sorting and recycling of food and beverage cartons, with the installation of AI-powered optical sorting technology at a facility in Carlisle.
The system, developed by British start-up Recycleye and installed at Cumbria Waste Management’s materials recycling facility (MRF), represents the first deployment of its kind in the UK.
The AI-powered sorter, known as Recycleye QuantiSort, uses artificial intelligence and cameras to detect beverage cartons within mixed waste streams. Once identified, pneumatic valves are activated to eject the cartons so they can be sent for recycling.
According to Tetra Pak, the system is more easily trained than traditional sorting technologies and is achieving a carton output purity rate of over 98%.
Cumbria Waste Management, which serves a broad region across North West England, including Cumberland Council, Westmorland & Furness Council, and parts of Scotland, is expected to significantly increase its capacity to sort food and beverage cartons for recycling as a result of the upgrade.
The Carlisle site is the second of three UK MRFs set to benefit from Tetra Pak’s £1.4m investment in 2025.
The first upgrade was announced in May at J&B Recycling in Hartlepool, where two robotic sorting arms, also developed by Recycleye, were installed. The location of the third site will be revealed later this year.
The investments form part of Tetra Pak’s broader commitment to improving carton recycling infrastructure in the UK, working alongside local authorities and legislators.
The company has earmarked £2.4m specifically for the development of UK carton sorting facilities, as part of a wider annual global investment exceeding £34m to enhance collection, sorting, and recycling capacity.
These efforts come in anticipation of the UK Government’s Simpler Recycling policy, due to take effect in March 2026.
Under the new rules, all households in England will be required to separate food and beverage cartons for kerbside recycling. Similar regulations for businesses came into force in March 2025, mandating the separate collection of specific recyclable materials.
Tetra Pak has supported the development of the policy, which is expected to significantly increase the volume of cartons collected at kerbside – further underscoring the need for advanced sorting technologies at UK recycling facilities.
Awantika Chadha, sustainability manager, Tetra Pak UK, said: “This announcement of another upgrade to a UK MRF demonstrates our commitment to improving the UK’s recycling infrastructure and transforming the UK’s circular economy.
“We are particularly pleased to be helping to implement AI-powered optical sorter technology in the UK for the first time. We hope this collaboration with Cumbria Waste Management and Recycleye will act as a blueprint for the upgrade of food and beverage carton sorting capabilities across the UK.”
Achievements and innovations in retail and e-commerce, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, automotive, transport & logistics, and more will be celebrated at the Robotics & Automation Awards on 29 October 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.roboticsandautomationawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s robotics and automation sectors!
