Industrial optical sorting for marine plastic litter management

The aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of incorporating marine litter from the coast into the management system of the non-selectively collected fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). With this purpose, the technical feasibility of automatic separation of marine plastic litter is eva...

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Main Authors: A. Mendoza, G. Kortaberria, D. Carrero, A. Latorre, O.C. Basurko, C. Peña-Rodríguez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Waste Management Bulletin
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949750724000865
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author A. Mendoza
G. Kortaberria
D. Carrero
A. Latorre
O.C. Basurko
C. Peña-Rodríguez
author_facet A. Mendoza
G. Kortaberria
D. Carrero
A. Latorre
O.C. Basurko
C. Peña-Rodríguez
author_sort A. Mendoza
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of incorporating marine litter from the coast into the management system of the non-selectively collected fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). With this purpose, the technical feasibility of automatic separation of marine plastic litter is evaluated, which would allow for subsequent recycling. This solution requires mechanical–biological-treatment plants (MBT) to be able to sort marine plastic litter. Poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bottles constitute one of the most commonly reported types of marine plastics. Considering the sorting methods employed in MBT plants, optical sorting tests were performed with marine PET litter and compared with those for post-consumer municipal PET waste, in order to assess whether the current technology implemented in these plants would allow their automatic sorting. Results show that the separation efficiency of PET degraded under marine conditions and outdoors is very high, and close to that of post-consumer municipal PET waste. The separation efficiency by transparent colour for different types of PET materials evaluated is also very effective and similar to that obtained for separation by chemical composition. Therefore, the chemical differences observed would not affect the efficiency of automatic sorting of marine origin PET in a waste treatment plant.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 2949-7507
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Waste Management Bulletin
spelling doaj-art-61468e72fd0f4b61a8ff4f7a1b13e6912024-12-18T08:55:25ZengElsevierWaste Management Bulletin2949-75072024-12-0124102107Industrial optical sorting for marine plastic litter managementA. Mendoza0G. Kortaberria1D. Carrero2A. Latorre3O.C. Basurko4C. Peña-Rodríguez5Materials+Technologies” Research Group (GMT), Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gipuzkoa, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Plaza Europa 1, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Onurak Ecosolutions, Avda. Tolosa 72, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Corresponding authors at: Materials+Technologies” Research Group (GMT), Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gipuzkoa, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Plaza Europa 1, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.Materials+Technologies” Research Group (GMT), Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gipuzkoa, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Plaza Europa 1, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, SpainPicvisa Optical Sorting, Department of Technical and Product Engineering, Carrer Isaac Newton, 2, 08280 Calaf – Barcelona, SpainPicvisa Optical Sorting, Department of Technical and Product Engineering, Carrer Isaac Newton, 2, 08280 Calaf – Barcelona, SpainAZTI Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, SpainMaterials+Technologies” Research Group (GMT), Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gipuzkoa, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Plaza Europa 1, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Corresponding authors at: Materials+Technologies” Research Group (GMT), Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gipuzkoa, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Plaza Europa 1, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.The aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of incorporating marine litter from the coast into the management system of the non-selectively collected fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). With this purpose, the technical feasibility of automatic separation of marine plastic litter is evaluated, which would allow for subsequent recycling. This solution requires mechanical–biological-treatment plants (MBT) to be able to sort marine plastic litter. Poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bottles constitute one of the most commonly reported types of marine plastics. Considering the sorting methods employed in MBT plants, optical sorting tests were performed with marine PET litter and compared with those for post-consumer municipal PET waste, in order to assess whether the current technology implemented in these plants would allow their automatic sorting. Results show that the separation efficiency of PET degraded under marine conditions and outdoors is very high, and close to that of post-consumer municipal PET waste. The separation efficiency by transparent colour for different types of PET materials evaluated is also very effective and similar to that obtained for separation by chemical composition. Therefore, the chemical differences observed would not affect the efficiency of automatic sorting of marine origin PET in a waste treatment plant.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949750724000865
spellingShingle A. Mendoza
G. Kortaberria
D. Carrero
A. Latorre
O.C. Basurko
C. Peña-Rodríguez
Industrial optical sorting for marine plastic litter management
Waste Management Bulletin
title Industrial optical sorting for marine plastic litter management
title_full Industrial optical sorting for marine plastic litter management
title_fullStr Industrial optical sorting for marine plastic litter management
title_full_unstemmed Industrial optical sorting for marine plastic litter management
title_short Industrial optical sorting for marine plastic litter management
title_sort industrial optical sorting for marine plastic litter management
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949750724000865
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AT dcarrero industrialopticalsortingformarineplasticlittermanagement
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AT ocbasurko industrialopticalsortingformarineplasticlittermanagement
AT cpenarodriguez industrialopticalsortingformarineplasticlittermanagement