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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Sensor-based and Robot Sorting Processes and their Role in Achieving European Recycling Goals - A Review
ClearChallenges to Increase Plastic Sorting Efficiency
This paper reviews the current challenges and future opportunities for improving plastic sorting rates in waste management systems. Higher sorting rates are essential for increasing plastic recycling and reducing the amount of plastic that ends up fragmented into microplastics in the environment.
Application of AI-Enabled Computer Vision Technology for Segregation of Industrial Plastic Wastes
Researchers developed an AI-powered computer vision system to segregate mixed industrial plastic wastes by polymer type, addressing a key barrier to effective plastic recycling. The system achieved high classification accuracy across common plastic categories, demonstrating that machine vision can improve sorting efficiency and recycled plastic quality.
A Machine Arm to Assist in Trash Sorting using machine Learning and Object Detection
Not relevant to microplastics — this paper describes a robotic arm system that uses machine learning and computer vision to sort recyclable waste materials, focused on automation of waste sorting processes.
Design and Fabrication of Material Separation Machine for Sustainable Development
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it describes the design and fabrication of a robotic material separation machine intended to sort recyclable waste more efficiently using AI-inspired engineering principles.
Design and Development of Smart Beach Debris Collection and Segregation System
Researchers designed and built a smart automated system for collecting and segregating beach debris, using sensors and robotics to identify and sort plastic waste from natural material on shorelines. The system demonstrated effective separation of plastic debris in field tests.
Assessment of the Electrostatic Separation Effectiveness of Plastic Waste Using a Vision System
Researchers developed an electrostatic separation method for sorting mixed plastic waste by polymer type, providing a faster way to assess the quality of plastic separation in recycling processes. Improved plastic sorting and recycling efficiency is key to reducing the amount of mixed plastic waste that eventually breaks down into microplastics.
Advancing Plastic Waste Classification and Recycling Efficiency: Integrating Image Sensors and Deep Learning Algorithms
Researchers developed a deep learning approach combined with image sensors to improve plastic waste classification and recycling efficiency. The study demonstrates that this method can distinguish between chemically similar plastics like PET and PET-G that conventional near-infrared spectroscopy struggles to differentiate, potentially improving automated sorting systems.
Indonesian Waste Database: Smart Mechatronics System
This study developed a mechatronic waste sorting robot paired with a smart database of Indonesian waste types, covering six categories including plastics. Automated waste classification technology can improve recycling rates and reduce the plastic that ends up in environments where it breaks down into microplastics.
Evaluation of Marker Materials and Spectroscopic Methods for Tracer-Based Sorting of Plastic Wastes
Researchers evaluated fluorescent and photoluminescent marker materials for tracer-based sorting of plastic waste, finding that spectroscopic detection methods could enable more precise identification of polymer types to improve recycling rates.
Polymer‐Based Recycling Strategies for Plastic Waste: A Comprehensive Review
This comprehensive review evaluates mechanical and chemical recycling strategies for plastic waste, noting that mechanical recycling is widely used but limited by polymer degradation, while chemical recycling offers higher quality recovery but at greater energy and financial cost. The study highlights emerging technologies including AI-assisted sorting, nanotechnology, and biodegradable polymer development as promising approaches for building a more circular plastics economy.
Artificial intelligence for waste management in smart cities: a review
Researchers reviewed how artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied to nearly every aspect of waste management, from sorting recyclables with up to 99.95% accuracy to cutting transportation costs by over 36%. Their findings show AI could dramatically improve how cities handle plastic and other waste, reducing pollution and public health burdens.
Managing Plastic Waste─Sorting, Recycling, Disposal, and Product Redesign
This review covers the full landscape of plastic waste management, from sorting and mechanical recycling to chemical recycling and disposal methods. The paper highlights that landfills remain the most common disposal method despite generating microplastics and toxic leachate, while advanced recycling technologies are still too expensive for widespread use. Better management of plastic waste is directly linked to reducing microplastic pollution and its associated human health risks.
Are Reliable and Emerging Technologies Available for Plastic Recycling in a Circular Economy?
This review examines the current landscape of plastic recycling technologies -- including mechanical, thermal, chemical, and biological depolymerization methods such as pyrolysis -- evaluating their readiness for circular economy integration. It concludes that while recycling rates remain below 10% globally, emerging technologies offer pathways toward closed-loop plastic supply chains, though full-scale implementation requires further development and performance assessment.
WEEE Recycling and Circular Economy Assisted by Collaborative Robots
This paper analyzes trends in electronic waste recycling across Europe and describes a new human-robot collaborative system for dismantling cathode ray tube computers that improves plastic recovery rates and economic performance over fully manual recycling. The approach demonstrates how automation can increase the value of recovered plastic from electronic waste.
Artificial intelligence-empowered collection and characterization of microplastics: A review
This review examines how artificial intelligence tools like robots and machine learning are being used to collect, identify, and characterize microplastic pollution more efficiently. Better detection technology matters for human health because accurately measuring microplastic contamination in water and soil is the first step toward understanding and reducing our exposure.
Analysis of Plastic Waste Processing Methods
This review summarizes global plastic waste production and recycling trends, arguing that the recycling industry must scale up urgently to address growing environmental contamination. Current recycling rates remain far below what is needed to prevent plastic pollution from continuing to accumulate.
Advancing microplastic pollution management in aquatic environments through artificial intelligence
This review examines how artificial intelligence and robotics are being applied to tackle microplastic pollution in aquatic environments, covering waste collection, particle identification, and degradation monitoring. Researchers highlight several successful AI-driven projects deployed by countries and organizations around the world. The study suggests that integrating AI with traditional environmental methods holds significant promise for improving both the speed and accuracy of microplastic management.
Artificial Intelligence-Based Robotic Technique for Reusable Waste Materials
This paper describes an AI-based robotic arm system that uses a customized deep learning model to classify and sort waste materials including plastics and cartons by material type for automated recycling. The integrated system combines gripping, motion control, and AI-driven material classification into a full-automation architecture for waste recovery.
Beach Cleaning Robots a Comprehensive Survey of Technologies Challenges, and Future Directions
This paper is not relevant to microplastics; it is a survey of robotic technologies and methodologies for automated beach cleaning and litter removal.
A Review of Sorting and Separating Technologies Suitable for Compostable and Biodegradable Plastic Packaging
This review evaluates sorting and separation technologies for identifying compostable and biodegradable plastics from conventional plastic waste streams to prevent contamination of recycling and composting systems. Technologies covered include spectral-based, hyperspectral imaging, gravity-based, flotation, and tracer-based sorting, with each approach assessed for advantages and limitations within a circular economy context.
Investigating the evolution of the technologies for collecting microplastics
This review investigates the evolution of technologies designed for collecting microplastics from the environment, comparing collection methods across a range of systems to identify the most suitable approaches and guide future technology development.
Markermaterialien und spektroskopische Methoden für die Sortierung von Kunststoffabfällen (NanoTrust-Dossier Nr. 060 - Jänner 2023)
This report (in German) reviews marker materials and spectroscopic methods used to sort plastic waste streams for recycling. Reliable plastic sorting technology is important for recycling efficiency and for reducing the amount of mixed plastic waste that ends up fragmented into microplastics in the environment.
Strategies and technologies for sustainable plastic waste treatment and recycling
This review covers current and emerging methods for recycling and treating plastic waste to reduce environmental pollution. The authors emphasize that improperly managed plastics break down into microplastics that contaminate ecosystems, and they evaluate strategies including chemical recycling, biodegradation, and energy recovery as more sustainable alternatives to landfilling.
Development of Garbage Collecting Robot for Marine Microplastics
Researchers designed and developed an autonomous cleaning robot for collecting marine microplastics scattered on beaches, using a conveyor belt and tray system to mechanically gather and retain small plastic particles. The study addresses the practical difficulty of manually collecting dispersed microplastics and demonstrates the robot's configuration and operational concept for beach remediation.