Method and apparatus for separating waste materials

A device configured for separating mixed solid waste from flexible containers holding the mixed solid waste, comprising:

• a housing configured with an ingress and an egress for permitting a plurality of the flexible containers holding the mixed solid waste to pass through the housing via the ingress and the egress;
• a plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles, wherein a first set of the plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles is arranged along a sidewall at a first side of the housing, and wherein a second set of the plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles is arranged along the sidewall at a second side of the housing opposite the first side,
• wherein the sidewall at the first side of the housing comprises a hood coupled thereto, the hood adapted to cover the first set of the plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles,
• wherein the sidewall at the second side of the housing is adjustable such that the sidewall and the second set of nozzles can be movably arranged to adjust a size of an interior of the housing and relative position of the second set of nozzles,
• wherein nozzle outlets of the first and second sets of nozzles are adapted to direct sprayed fluid towards an interior of the housing,
• wherein the fluid sprayed from the nozzle outlets is adapted to be delivered at a force sufficient to cause the fluid to penetrate into the flexible containers passing through the housing to thereby create openings in the flexible containers for release of the mixed solid waste held therein.

A method of using a device configured for separating mixed solid waste from flexible containers holding the mixed solid waste, comprising:

• depositing a plurality of the flexible containers holding the mixed solid waste into an ingress of a housing of the device, the device further comprising:
• a plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles, wherein a first set of the plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles is arranged along a sidewall at a first side of the housing, and wherein a second set of the plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles is arranged along the sidewall at a second side of the housing opposite the first side;
• a plurality of hoods coupled to an exterior of the housing along the sidewall, each hood of the plurality of hoods adapted to cover at least one nozzle from the plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles;
• and
• a plurality of nozzle support carriages coupled to the exterior of the housing along the sidewall, each nozzle support carriage of the plurality of nozzle support carriages comprising a support plate adapted to support a nozzle from the plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles, wherein each of the nozzle support carriages is configured to adjust at least an angular position of the nozzle with respect to the housing;
• and
• using nozzle outlets of the first set of the plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles to direct sprayed fluid towards the second side of the housing, and nozzle outlets of the second set of the plurality of sets of fluid delivery nozzles to direct sprayed fluid towards the first side of the housing,
• wherein the fluid sprayed from the nozzle outlets is delivered at a force sufficient to cause the fluid to penetrate into the flexible containers passing through the housing to thereby create openings in the flexible containers for release of the mixed solid waste held therein, and
• wherein the flexible containers having the openings fall through an egress of the housing.