The plastics that pervade the world today are combinations of many materials (polymers) with varying chemical compounds and additives, such as pigments or fibres, depending on its application. This makes it extremely difficult to tell the difference between types of plastic, making it hard to separate and recycle them. Consequently, the vast majority of plastics (more than 90 per cent) have not been recycled.
The new technology – developed by researchers from the department of biological and chemical engineering at Aarhus University, in collaboration with Vestforbænding, Dansk Affaldsminimering ApS, and Plastix – allows for differentiation between 12 different types of plastic which constitute the vast majority of household plastic types. The plastics are: PE, PP, PET, PS, PVC, PVDF, POM, PEEK, ABS, PMMA, PC and PA12.
The camera separates plastics based on a purer chemical composition than is possible today, opening up new opportunities for plastic recycling...