Recycling Breakthrough Can Now Sort Through A Dozen Different Types Of Plastic

Although we commonly refer to a certain type of items as “plastic,” the ubiquitous compound isn’t just one material. Instead, most plastics are a mix of different polymers, each with its own chemical sequence, not including the myriad additives or pigments added depending on the item’s use.

It has long been a struggle for recycling centers to sort through plastic waste, as different materials require different methods of breaking down. As per Engineering And Technology, current methods dictate that plastic has to be at least 96% pure by polymer type before it can be recycled. 

At the moment, due to technological challenges, not all items can be separated into such a pure form of chemical composition, leaving many lying in landfills.

Now, in an industry breakthrough, researchers from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University, Denmark, in collaboration with Vestforbrænding, Dansk Affaldsminimering Aps, and PLASTIX, has developed a camera that can detect the differences in 12 different types of plastics.

The 12 types, including PE, PP, PET, PS, PVC, PVDF, POM, PEEK, ABS, PMMA, PC, and PA12, feature in most common products made of plastic. According to The Brighter Side of News, this invention will allow plastics to be separated based on purer chemical compositions than once possible, thus allowing for better and more expansive ways to recycle the materials.

“With this technology, we can now see the difference between all types of consumer plastics and several high-performance plastics. We can even see the difference between plastics that consist of the same chemical building blocks, but which are structured slightly differently,” explained Associate Professor, Mogens Hinge.

“The plastic can then be separated into different types. It’s a breakthrough that will have a huge impact on all plastics separation,” he added.

Hans Axel Kristensen, CEO of PLASTIX, echoed Hinge, saying: “The technology we’ve developed in collaboration with the university is nothing short of a breakthrough for our ability to recycle plastics.”

“We look forward to installing the technology in our processing hall and starting in earnest on the long journey towards 100% utilization of waste plastic.”

[via Engineering And Technology and The Brighter Side of News, cover image via Chernetskaya | Dreamstime.com]