Assessment of Performance and Challenges in Use of Commercial Automated Sorting Technology for Plastic Waste
Recycling plastic is an important step towards a circular economy. Attaining high-quality recycled plastics requires the separation of plastic waste by type, color, and size prior to reprocessing. Automated technology is key for sorting plastic objects in medium- to high-volume plants. The current s...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Recycling |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/7/2/11 |
| _version_ | 1797443946839801856 |
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| author | Cesar Lubongo Paschalis Alexandridis |
| author_facet | Cesar Lubongo Paschalis Alexandridis |
| author_sort | Cesar Lubongo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recycling plastic is an important step towards a circular economy. Attaining high-quality recycled plastics requires the separation of plastic waste by type, color, and size prior to reprocessing. Automated technology is key for sorting plastic objects in medium- to high-volume plants. The current state of the art of commercial equipment for sorting plastic as well as challenges faced by Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to sort post-consumer plastics are analyzed here. Equipment for sorting plastic recyclables were identified using publicly available information obtained from manufacturers’ websites, press releases, and journal articles. Currently available automated sorting equipment and artificial intelligence (AI)-based sorters are evaluated regarding their functionality, efficiency, types of plastics they can sort, throughput, and accuracy. The information compiled captures the progress made during the ten years since similar reports were published. A survey of MRFs, reclaimers, and brokers in the United States identified methods of sorting used for plastic, sorting efficiency, and current practices and challenges encountered at MRFs in sorting plastic recyclables. The commercial sorting equipment can address some of the challenges that MRFs face. However, sorting of film, multilayered, blended, or mixed-material plastics is problematic, as the equipment is typically designed to sort single-component materials. Accordingly, improvements and/or new solutions are considered necessary. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:05:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ee622c9b9f7405f9b1dc399289d8e85 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2313-4321 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:05:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Recycling |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ee622c9b9f7405f9b1dc399289d8e852023-11-30T21:49:12ZengMDPI AGRecycling2313-43212022-02-01721110.3390/recycling7020011Assessment of Performance and Challenges in Use of Commercial Automated Sorting Technology for Plastic WasteCesar Lubongo0Paschalis Alexandridis1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY 14260-4200, USADepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY 14260-4200, USARecycling plastic is an important step towards a circular economy. Attaining high-quality recycled plastics requires the separation of plastic waste by type, color, and size prior to reprocessing. Automated technology is key for sorting plastic objects in medium- to high-volume plants. The current state of the art of commercial equipment for sorting plastic as well as challenges faced by Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to sort post-consumer plastics are analyzed here. Equipment for sorting plastic recyclables were identified using publicly available information obtained from manufacturers’ websites, press releases, and journal articles. Currently available automated sorting equipment and artificial intelligence (AI)-based sorters are evaluated regarding their functionality, efficiency, types of plastics they can sort, throughput, and accuracy. The information compiled captures the progress made during the ten years since similar reports were published. A survey of MRFs, reclaimers, and brokers in the United States identified methods of sorting used for plastic, sorting efficiency, and current practices and challenges encountered at MRFs in sorting plastic recyclables. The commercial sorting equipment can address some of the challenges that MRFs face. However, sorting of film, multilayered, blended, or mixed-material plastics is problematic, as the equipment is typically designed to sort single-component materials. Accordingly, improvements and/or new solutions are considered necessary.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/7/2/11polymeroptical sorterwaste managementrecyclingcircular economysustainability |
| spellingShingle | Cesar Lubongo Paschalis Alexandridis Assessment of Performance and Challenges in Use of Commercial Automated Sorting Technology for Plastic Waste Recycling polymer optical sorter waste management recycling circular economy sustainability |
| title | Assessment of Performance and Challenges in Use of Commercial Automated Sorting Technology for Plastic Waste |
| title_full | Assessment of Performance and Challenges in Use of Commercial Automated Sorting Technology for Plastic Waste |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of Performance and Challenges in Use of Commercial Automated Sorting Technology for Plastic Waste |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of Performance and Challenges in Use of Commercial Automated Sorting Technology for Plastic Waste |
| title_short | Assessment of Performance and Challenges in Use of Commercial Automated Sorting Technology for Plastic Waste |
| title_sort | assessment of performance and challenges in use of commercial automated sorting technology for plastic waste |
| topic | polymer optical sorter waste management recycling circular economy sustainability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/7/2/11 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cesarlubongo assessmentofperformanceandchallengesinuseofcommercialautomatedsortingtechnologyforplasticwaste AT paschalisalexandridis assessmentofperformanceandchallengesinuseofcommercialautomatedsortingtechnologyforplasticwaste |