| Title |
Influence of plastic packaging design on the sensor-based sortability in lightweight packaging waste sorting plants |
| ID_Doc |
29323 |
| Authors |
Jakobs, M; Kroell, N |
| Title |
Influence of plastic packaging design on the sensor-based sortability in lightweight packaging waste sorting plants |
| Year |
2024 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107599 |
| Abstract |
Lightweight packaging (LWP) waste is the largest post-consumer plastic waste flow in Germany. A crucial step in plastic recycling is sensor-based sorting (SBS) of LWP in sorting plants. While a more sorting- and recyclingfriendly product design is believed to enhance SBS and plastic recycling in general, data to estimate this potential is limited. Here, we aim to quantify the real-world sortability of LWP articles by assessing a SBS cascade for plastic-type separation in a state-of-the-art LWP sorting plant. Our results reveal a polymer-specific distribution of packaging types and quantitatively confirm negative influences of sleeves/labels, composites, dark colors, and rolling shapes on the sortability at sorting plant scale. By extrapolating our results to all LWP sorting plants in Germany, we estimate that up to 48,300 Mg/a (95 % CI: 25,900 Mg/a - 78,500 Mg/a) rigid plastics could be additionally recovered at sensor-based plastic-type separation level alone through improved sortability. |
| Author Keywords |
Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy; Product design; Circular economy; Mechanical post-consumer plastic recycling; Lightweight packaging waste; Design-for-recycling |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:001241413500001 |
| WoS Category |
Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences |
| Research Area |
Engineering; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| PDF |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107599
|