Devices for mechanical processing of plastics are usually crushers called shredders and mills. Strong teeth or knives of this equipment cut and crush hard materials, e.g. plastic agglomerations as well as high-density lumps and blocks. Shredders are designed to significantly reduce the dimensions and modify the shape of a given material, for example PET, PP, PS bottles. The waste can be processed, for example, into granules.

The eddy current separator is designed for the automatic separation of non-ferrous metals from loose or fragmented materials. Non-ferrous metal separators, or eddy current separators, are used to capture non-ferromagnetic metals, such as aluminum or copper. Their main component is usually a drum with a rapidly rotating set of permanent magnets that generate high-frequency alternating magnetic fields. These, in turn, cause strong eddy currents in non-ferrous metal particles, which generate their own magnetic fields. These counteract the external field, so that these metals are repelled.

Air (pneumatic) separators are included in the category of techniques, in which individual fractions of waste are separated from each other due to differences in the density of the materials from which they were made. The main task of this type of devices is to separate light and heavy waste.

Air separators are mounted on conveyor belts, which feed pre-screened waste. They are transported to the separating chamber. A negative pressure is created in it, causing light fractions, such as foil and paper, to be sucked in, while heavier ones are sent further. The efficiency of the separator’s work is regulated by changing the efficiency of the fan. This is a very effective method of sorting garbage. Its advantages are also: easy operation, low maintenance requirements, low operating costs, usually compact design of the separator.