Segregation of Plastic Wastes Using Electrical Properties

Sensors are a vital part of a connected world. As the world gets advanced on various fronts, we are equally challenged by the concerns of saving the environment. Plastics that have become indispensable in today’s world, constitute a major portion of the waste produced and have adverse effects on the environment. Plastic waste segregation has been attempted by a few researchers but the techniques are not scalable or easily deployable. Electrical characterization of plastics seems a possible low-cost, efficient method of segregating them. We report a simple permittivity measurement setup and analysis of results that prove useful in the segregation of plastics. The permittivity values of non-biodegradable and biodegradable plastics are seen to be in clear distinct ranges.