Sorting end-of-life shoes is a key step in ensuring they are directed toward reuse and recycling channels. The wide variety of styles, materials, and construction methods makes this process particularly complex, especially in the absence of systematic product traceability.
AUTOMATED SORTING OF SHOES
IDSHOES – CETIA
IDSHOES is an automated detection and sorting system designed to identify shoes with high recycling potential. Using artificial intelligence, shoe types and brands are recognized in real time. The shoes can then be sorted into different categories based on their characteristics.
A specialized version of IDSHOES recognizes models from specific brands (DECATHLON, ERAM Group, SALOMON), enabling access to the shoes’ digital product passports for even more precise sorting.
This solution offers:
high reliability (>90%) in recognizing shoe types.
fast processing speeds (720 shoes/hour), suitable for industrial deployment.
a key driver for circularity, by directing each shoe to the most appropriate recycling stream.
SHOE DISMANTLING
The disassembly of shoes is a key factor in enabling efficient and sustainable material recycling. Shoes are complex products, made up of multiple materials assembled using a variety of processes, which complicates their separation and limits the quality of the recovered materials. However, the purity of the extracted materials directly determines their ability to be recycled in a closed-loop system.
Re_SHOES – CETIA
The Re_SHOES system is a pilot disassembly line designed to separate the uppers from the soles of shoes. The entire system is divided into three sections: two disassembly cells and one cell for detecting and sorting soles by material.
Separate the soles by tearing
The cell is designed to separate the soles from shoes that have been assembled using adhesive. The shoes are first heated to reactivate the adhesives, then a robot grips the shoe and pulls the upper away from the sole. This flexible solution can handle a wide variety of models at a rate of up to 4 shoes per minute.
Cutting soles using a waterjet
For shoes made using injection-molded, vulcanized, or stitched construction methods, the machine performs automated cutting of the sole using a high-pressure water jet. An image capture system determines the cutting path, which is then transmitted to the cutting nozzles. This solution ensures precision and flexibility, processing approximately two shoes per minute.
Sort the soles by material
The unit sorts the soles based on their material composition. Using NIR sensors, the materials of the outsole and midsole are identified. The soles are then sorted into homogeneous batches, resulting in qualified streams that can be directly processed by recyclers.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TEST SORTING OR DISMANTLING ON YOUR DEPOSITS?
CETIA conducts automated sorting and shoe dismantling tests on pilot lines. We can classify your waste streams, separate the components, and prepare material batches that can be processed by recyclers.