Embedded wireless-enabled low cost plastic sorting system for efficient waste management

Plastics are widely used non-biodegradable materials which have to be recycled economically and efficiently. For efficient recycling of plastics different types of polymer materials have to be identified and segregated. Economic aspects mandate that the plastic be identified and sorted instantaneously. In this work the Near InfraRed spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used for the instantaneous and on-line identification of consumer plastics. NIRS enables quick monitoring & identification of the structural or molecular properties of the plastic under investigation. To realize the above, a low cost embedded system, capable of automating the process of plastic sorting, has been developed. Further, a wireless interface, capable of controlling the NIRS instrumentation remotely, has been implemented to safeguard personnel from the unhygienic environments prevalent in plastic recycling plants.