Solid Waste Detection and Waste-material Characterization in Urban Environment at Subpixel Level in Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery

Improper management of solid waste is a major challenge for growing nations like India. Efficient waste detection and monitoring systems are essential to evaluate the impact of solid waste on ecological balance, human health and sanitation. It also aids to develop efficient pollution control and waste management strategies for the sustainable development of the nation. The detection of landscapes containing solid waste and the characterization of this waste provide further insight into the problem of solid waste management. However, the manual monitoring of these regions is a time and labour-intensive task. Recent advancement in the field of hyperspectral imagery (HSI) shows its potential for detection and characterization purposes. In this research, we explore the application of hyperspectral remote sensing and spectral unmixing for a sub-pixel level detection and characterization of solid waste in an urban environment. Results obtained for the detection and characterization of different materials forming waste suggest the promising applicability of hyperspectral remote sensing and spectral unmixing from an environmental and sustainability perspective.