Method and System of Separating Plastics Using a Covered Screen Bed

A system for separating materials using a covered screen bed and gravity separators, comprising:

• a. a covered screen bed designed to separate materials based on size, the screen bed comprising an agitator bed and a protective cover enclosing between 80% and 95% of a surface of the bed and including curtains or flaps;
• b. a first gravity separator set with a first specific gravity between 0.95 and 1.05, which separates materials into first denser materials that sink and first lighter materials that float, the first gravity separator containing a fluid medium;
• and
• c. a second gravity separator set to a specific gravity between 1.05 and 1.25 to separate the transferred first denser materials into second lighter materials that float and second heavier materials that sink.

A method for separating materials using a screen and gravity separators, comprising:

• feeding a waste stream into a screen to facilitate separation;
• collecting the larger materials from the waste stream, while allowing smaller materials to pass through the screen;
• directing the larger materials to a first gravity separator set at a specific gravity between 0.95 and 1.05, where the materials are separated into first denser materials that sink and first lighter materials that float;
• transferring the first denser materials from the first gravity separator to a second gravity separator, set to a specific gravity between 1.05 and 1.25, to further separate the transferred first denser materials into a second set of lighter materials and a second set of heavier materials;
• and recovering at least one of the second set of lighter materials and the second set of heavier materials from the second gravity separator.