Plastic waste sorting using infrared hyperspectral imaging system

The inherent chemical properties of materials can be brought into perspective using the large amount of spectral information provided by hyperspectral imaging systems. Therefore, the utilization of hyperspectral imaging in industrial applications is gradually increasing. One of the industrial sectors that can benefit from the advantages of hyperspectral imaging is recycling. Plastics which have different chemical properties (PP, PE, PVC, PET and PS) need sorting for plastic waste recycling. In this study, different types of plastics in hyperspectral images acquired using a shortwave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral imaging system are successfully sorted.