Separation and sorting technology is integral to processing and measuring recyclable materials. Advanced systems, like magnetic separators and air classifiers, efficiently segregate materials based on properties. Optical sorting technologies further enhance precision by identifying and separating recyclables. These innovations contribute to streamlined processes, ensuring the optimal utilization of recyclable materials.
Charles Daridon is the Director Global Sales of the Bollegraaf Group. Charles was born in Bretagne but has been living in the Netherlands for several years now (since 2018). After a BSC in Chemistry, Charles attended a business school INSEEC in Paris. For more than 25 years, Charles has worked in the waste industry (soil remediation engineering, landfills, wastewater treatment, biogas plant) and, in the last 15 years, he became an expert in waste sorting solutions. His environmental commitment is not only professional but also personal.
Mario Vazquez is the Sales & Marketing Director at CM Shredders and a specialist in tire recycling, industrial size reduction, and alternative-fuel systems. He advises recyclers, cement producers, municipalities, and industrial operators on process design, equipment selection, capacity planning, and project economics. Supporting complex projects across global markets, Mario combines technical application expertise with commercial strategy to help operators improve throughput, product quality, operating efficiency, and return on investment.
Maximilian Gutmayr, international sales manager at Erdwich Zerkleinerungs-Systeme GmbH since 2017, is an expert for shredding systems, hammer mills as well as complete recycling solutions.
After studying Economics at University of Augsburg and different stations abroad, e.g. Japan, Switzerland, etc. he joined the company Erdwich Zerkleinerungs-Systeme GmbH and is now responsible for worldwide projects and the constant business development.
The company Erdwich Zerkleinerungs-Systeme GmbH has experience in the recycling branch since more than 40 years and delivers shredding solutions and turn-key recycling plants to customers all over the world, e.g. electronic scrap treatment plants, refrigerator recycling plants, solutions for metal swarf treatment, cardboard processing, and many more applications.
The worldwide demand for recycling solutions in the environmental branch and of course the changing material mixtures increased over the last years drastically especially in Asian countries where Mr. Gutmayr is an expert in.
Xu Xifeng, the founder of Keson and vice president of Jiangsu Low Carbon Environment Design Institute of China. He has been engaged in solid waste recycling industry for more than 10 years, and has unique insights on solid waste overall solutions and resource recovery and sorting systems. He has visited well-known solid waste treatment companies in the Middle East, Europe, America and other regions, introducing standardized, refined and systematic management concepts of global top enterprises to his enterprises, and transforming advanced technologies and processes into productive forces. Within five years of solid waste sorting technology and waste resources in the field of rapid layout, his products are sold in 17 countries and more than 40 regions.
Laetitia is the Marketing and Communications Director at Pellenc ST. An engineer by training, she has spent over 20 years driving innovation and transformation across multiple roles within the company,. This extensive experience has given her a broad perspective on both technological transformation and environmental challenges. Further strengthened by an Executive MBA, she now focuses on business strategy, innovation leadership, and digital transformation, leveraging data as a strategic asset to improve performance and support the transition toward a circular economy.
Eric van Looy has been active in the recycling industry for over three decades and is regarded as a pioneer in the development of sensor-based sorting technologies. As a technical engineer, he has played a key role in shaping advanced sorting solutions aimed at making recycling more sustainable, efficient, and accurate.
Since 2006, he has been deeply involved in the use of automated spectroscopic methods such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), collaborating early on with Tom Jansen. Today, the second generation of LIBS sorters from Sense2Sort enables high-throughput, multi-fraction sorting (up to six fractions) with precise identification of the elemental composition of each individual metal piece.
Sense2Sort–Toratecnica focuses on the development of future-ready, resource-efficient, and industrially robust sorting technologies. Eric is currently participating in several EU-funded projects, including the development of novel sensor-based sorting systems and a groundbreaking compressed air management solution that can achieve up to 50% savings in air and energy use.
A significant new development is the renewed collaboration with Andreas Weingart and his team—trusted partners from previous successful ventures. Together, they are combining their expertise and technological strength under the to be established Sense2Sort GmbH.
In addition to his development work, Eric continues to consult on the design and implementation of advanced sorting plants worldwide, always striving to combine ecological responsibility with economic performance.
With more than 20 years of experience in sensor-based sorting technologies, Tom Jansen is VP, Head of Segments at TOMRA Recycling, where he is responsible for the company's global segment strategies. After studying Chemical Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, he began his career at Innov-X Systems and played a key role in the early development of automated XRF sensor technology. Since joining TOMRA in 2011, Tom has held a variety of leadership roles. Today, he focuses on driving strategic development and growth across TOMRA Recycling's plastics upgrading and metals recycling segments.
Ivan Hondekyn has been part of the Valvan team for over 25 years, bringing a rare depth of expertise across design, project engineering, after-sales service, and sales. Starting his career in the design of baling presses and sorting installations, he gradually expanded his role to cover production planning, service coordination, and project delivery. Since 2023, Ivan has been responsible for the sales of horizontal balers — a role in which he draws on his hands-on technical background to offer customers the right solution for every recycling challenge or production line. His cross-functional experience makes him a trusted partner for companies looking to optimise a single process step or implement a complete turnkey installation.
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