Method and apparatus for separating contaminants from compost and other recyclable materials

A method of separating contaminants from biodegradable materials in feed material, comprising:

• supplying the feed material to an inclined trough including a plurality of riffles angled to at least partially hinder and unsettle a flow of the feed material flowing down the inclined trough;
• inducing a vibration in the inclined trough utilizing one or more vibratory motors;
• generating an air flow across and to one side of the inclined trough utilizing a plurality of overhead air vent nozzles positioned over the inclined trough;
• separating the contaminants from the biodegradable materials in the remaining feed material utilizing a material resilience separator, wherein the material resilience separator comprises an inclined plate adapted to cause contaminants to separate based on differences in material resilience and hardness, whereby contaminants bouncing off the inclined plate assume a trajectory of fall different from the biodegradable materials based on coefficients of elasticity, such that the contaminants are substantially separated from the biodegradable materials;
• varying the angle of the inclined plate to increase separation of the contaminants from the biodegradable materials between a plurality of bins;
• and
• adjusting an angle of blades located between and dividing the plurality of bins to increase separation of the contaminants from the biodegradable materials.

An apparatus for separating contaminants from biodegradable materials in a feed material, comprising:

• an inclined trough having a feed entry at a top end for receiving the feed material, the inclined trough including a plurality of riffles angled to at least partially hinder and unsettle a flow of the feed material flowing down the inclined trough;
• one or more vibratory motors configured to induce a vibration in the inclined trough;
• one or more blowers configured to generate an angled air flow through overhead air vent nozzles positioned over the inclined trough and directing the angled air flow to one side of the inclined trough;
• a material resilience separator for separating the contaminants from the biodegradable materials in the remaining material, the material resilience separator comprising an inclined plate adapted to cause contaminants to separate based on differences in material resilience and hardness, the angle of the inclined plate controllable to produce increased separation of the contaminants from the biodegradable materials between a plurality of bins, whereby contaminants bouncing off the inclined plate assume a trajectory of fall different from the biodegradable materials based on coefficients of elasticity, such that the contaminants are separated from the biodegradable materials;
• and
• adjustable blades located between and dividing the plurality of bins to increase separation of the contaminants from the biodegradable materials.