Ulster University and Ulster Engineering Limited KTP 24_25 R3

Ulster Shredders is building a shredder that learns from the material it processes, using machine learning and artificial intelligence to decide how to tear apart waste for maximum recovery. Today’s industrial shredders are blunt instruments—they chew through mixed waste in a fixed way, producing a jumble of materials that is difficult and expensive to separate for recycling. This project replaces that one-size-fits-all approach with a smart system that can adjust blade speed, torque, and feed rate in real time, depending on what is passing through. The goal is to reclaim more usable raw material from each load of waste, rather than sending it to landfill or incineration. If the smart shredder works as intended, it could transform waste management by making recycling far more efficient at the front end. The impact would be felt in the supply chains for plastics, metals, and paper—industries that depend on clean, sorted feedstock. It also gives manufacturers a practical tool for meeting tighter sustainability targets without overhauling their entire operation. The project is applied engineering, not fundamental science, and its success will be measured in tonnes of material diverted from landfill and in the commercial performance of a new product line.