Broadband active hyperspectral sensing for black plastic identification

Sorting plastic waste is essential to allow for proper recycling. Without separating the waste according to polymer type and presence of hazardous substances, the waste mixture finds its way to either incineration or landfilling, increasing the emissions of greenhouse gases and polluting the soil and water bodies. To overcome this challenge, several automated sorting technologies based on optical sensors have been developed. Infrared optical sensors are devices that identify materials by shining infrared light on a surface and detecting the reflected light. The ability of such devices to distinguish different materials and their properties depends on the wavelength of the light they utilize. Black plastics are difficult to sort due to the low intensity of reflected light, which leads to a poor signal for existing optical sensors. In this project, we propose the development of a new laser-based optical sensor, which will enable distinguishing different types of black plastics.