Sorting of plastic waste streams by near-infrared spectroscopy | Online course - MOOC

💡 This is the second MOOC in a series of five concerning advances in the recycling of plastics within the framework of PUReSMART.

🔬 Plastic has been a defining material for our modern society with the annual production reaching almost 370 million tons. However, the widespread use of plastic materials also generates huge volumes of plastic waste, posing severe environmental problems. Therefore, the recycling of plastic is of critical importance to attain a sustainable society.

The sorting of plastic waste according to the resin material is a critical step in the recycling process. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy has been integrated into sorting machines designed and manufactured by Redwave. The intensity of radiation reflectance depends on the chemical and physical nature of the plastic material, allowing for the identification of characteristic reflection signatures.

🔍 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement N° 814543.

➡️ For more information, check the website: https://www.puresmart.eu/