Camera Tech Holds Promise for Plastics Recycling

Due to the diverse nature of the materials used to make plastics, as well as additives such as dyes and flame inhibitors, plastic recycling poses significant challenges. According to Bjarke Jørgensen, head of research and development at Newtec Engineering A/S, separating plastics into pure fractions of compositional elements is needed to increase the rate of recycling. At least 95% purity in the plastic fractions is currently required, Jørgensen said.

Currently in Denmark, 31% of plastic packaging is reused. In terms of industrial packaging, 64% is recycled and 15% of plastic packaging from households is separated.

With a DKK 7.9 million ($1.1 million) grant from Innovation Fund Denmark’s Grand Solutions program, Aarhus University (AU), the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), and Newtec Engineering A/S have launched a project to develop camera technology to make it easier to recycle plastic materials.

The project, called New Hyperspectral Camera technology for material identification, or NewHC, aims to develop a high-resolution hyperspectral camera with a spectral range from around 400 to 1900 nm and a desired resolution of just 2 nm. This target spectral resolution and range is high enough for the camera to reveal unwanted fire retardants and pigments in the plastic that may be banned or harmful so they can be removed before recycling.

“It’s an extremely ambitious goal for this technology, and it places strict demands on the optical components in the camera technology,” said Mogens Hinge, associate professor from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University.

Partners in Denmark are developing super-high-resolution hyperspectral camera technology that can determine the chemical composition of plastic waste and the different additives. The technology targets efficiencies in future plastics recycling. Courtesy of iStock.

In addition to a high resolution, the group looks to optimize the camera optics for light spectra that are crucial for analyzing plastics, Hinge said. Further, the spatio-spectral analysis of signals that the project seeks to develop will be based on AI technology, according to Hinge.

Once the technology has been developed, it will be installed in a specially constructed waste separation plant in collaboration with Newtec Engineering. The project will run for three years.