Comparative Analysis of Transfer and Continual Learning for Vision-Based Particle Classification in Plastics Sorting for Recycling
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of transfer and continual learning techniques for vision-based trash particle detection and classification in plastics recycling. This task poses unique challenges for vision-based methods due to the great variety of particles in recycling material flows, their variability over time, and the lack of real recycling industrial datasets available for research.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of transfer and continual learning techniques for vision-based trash particle detection and classification in plastics recycling. This task poses unique challenges for vision-based methods due to the great variety of particles in recycling material flows, their variability over time, and the lack of real recycling industrial datasets available for research.
Measuring the Flow Properties of Secondary Plastics
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Recycling of plastics, particularly in high-value applications, is essential for sustainable resource management and achieving climate targets. A critical challenge lies in developing robust processing methods that ensure consistent feeding of secondary raw materials into recycling machinery.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Recycling of plastics, particularly in high-value applications, is essential for sustainable resource management and achieving climate targets. A critical challenge lies in developing robust processing methods that ensure consistent feeding of secondary raw materials into recycling machinery.
Comparing the movement of three different types of microplastic in a simulated agricultural environment dependent on soil slope and rain intensity
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Compost is known as a potential source of microparticles of plastic (MP) transport into agricultural soil, with impurities originating from biowaste.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Compost is known as a potential source of microparticles of plastic (MP) transport into agricultural soil, with impurities originating from biowaste.
Advancing Polypropylene Recycling: A Study on Possibilities to Improve Sorting Systems
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
The current use of recycled polypropylene (PP) is still limited as the quality cannot compete with virgin PP. In addition to other influences, the mixing of different types and grades of PP during recycling has a negative effect on the quality of the recycled PP.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
The current use of recycled polypropylene (PP) is still limited as the quality cannot compete with virgin PP. In addition to other influences, the mixing of different types and grades of PP during recycling has a negative effect on the quality of the recycled PP.
Environmental impact of the end-of-life scenarios of PET rigid packaging
in Austria
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
The European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) proposes a recycling rate of 55% for plastic packaging by 2030. Currently, Austria's recycling rate is 24,5%, mainly due to recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
The European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) proposes a recycling rate of 55% for plastic packaging by 2030. Currently, Austria's recycling rate is 24,5%, mainly due to recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles.
Environmental effects of fireworks with special consideration of plastic emissions
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
In Germany, about 133 million Euro are spent annually for New Year’s Eve fireworks, which result in 38,000 to 49,000 Mg of total firework mass. By a com-bination of desk research with official fireworks approval statistics, a customer survey, dismantling experiments with fireworks debris and with packaging characterisation, the total nationwide polymer emission was estimated to be 3,088 Mg. Out of this total mass, a projected polymer debris mass of 534 Mg was identified, and about 270 Mg of polymer packaging material. The remaining 2283 Mg of polymer mass are parts that eventually may remain at the launching site.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
In Germany, about 133 million Euro are spent annually for New Year’s Eve fireworks, which result in 38,000 to 49,000 Mg of total firework mass. By a com-bination of desk research with official fireworks approval statistics, a customer survey, dismantling experiments with fireworks debris and with packaging characterisation, the total nationwide polymer emission was estimated to be 3,088 Mg. Out of this total mass, a projected polymer debris mass of 534 Mg was identified, and about 270 Mg of polymer packaging material. The remaining 2283 Mg of polymer mass are parts that eventually may remain at the launching site.
PlasticFreeDanube: Composition of macro-plastic waste in and along the Danube River
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The reliable estimates are essential to developing measures to reduce plastic pollution and to make successes measurable and visible. For this reason, the cross-border project "PlasticFreeDanube" (PFD), which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of Interreg Slovakia-Austria, aims to gain new knowledge on this topic for the Danube.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The reliable estimates are essential to developing measures to reduce plastic pollution and to make successes measurable and visible. For this reason, the cross-border project "PlasticFreeDanube" (PFD), which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of Interreg Slovakia-Austria, aims to gain new knowledge on this topic for the Danube.
Influence of pre-screening before ballistic separation on NIR-sorting quality of plastic rich 3D-fractions out of MCW
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The exploitation of plastics gains more importance over time. In this con-text, material recycling is especially focused on packaging plastics. A further waste stream that contains a significant amount of plastics is mixed commercial solid waste. To assess the potential of plastics for recycling and energy recovery from these waste stream large-scale experiments were conducted. The potential of mechanical pre-processing with the aim of generating a 3D-plastics pre-concentrate was assessed. The focus of these investigations was put on the relevance of the screening stage and its influence on down-stream material processing via ballistic separation and sensor-based sorting. Results demonstrate not only that the screening of the waste leads to enrichment of plastics in coarse particle size ranges (especially > 80 mm) and transfer of contaminants, organics and minerals to fine fractions (especially < 10 mm), but also that sensor-based sorting performance can be significantly enhanced due to cleaning effects on plastics, induced by the material circulation and friction in a drum screen.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The exploitation of plastics gains more importance over time. In this con-text, material recycling is especially focused on packaging plastics. A further waste stream that contains a significant amount of plastics is mixed commercial solid waste. To assess the potential of plastics for recycling and energy recovery from these waste stream large-scale experiments were conducted. The potential of mechanical pre-processing with the aim of generating a 3D-plastics pre-concentrate was assessed. The focus of these investigations was put on the relevance of the screening stage and its influence on down-stream material processing via ballistic separation and sensor-based sorting. Results demonstrate not only that the screening of the waste leads to enrichment of plastics in coarse particle size ranges (especially > 80 mm) and transfer of contaminants, organics and minerals to fine fractions (especially < 10 mm), but also that sensor-based sorting performance can be significantly enhanced due to cleaning effects on plastics, induced by the material circulation and friction in a drum screen.
Tex2Mat: The recycling of towels and laundry made from PET and cotton
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The project “Tex2Mat” was a cooperation between companies working in the field of recycling or textiles and universities specializing in the field of polymer engineering and recycling. There were two polymers (PET and PA) examined and the whole project divided into two subprojects.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The project “Tex2Mat” was a cooperation between companies working in the field of recycling or textiles and universities specializing in the field of polymer engineering and recycling. There were two polymers (PET and PA) examined and the whole project divided into two subprojects.
A powerful pair in plastics recycling: ANDRITZ’s latest shredder and separation technology
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The rising success of the plastics recycling sector has turned an environmental hazard – plastic waste – into a valuable resource. The constantly growing industry comes with increasing demands in terms of technology and quality, but also offers enormous potential for those who are ready to strike new paths. ANDRITZ has combined the latest shredder technology from its recently launched ADuro product line with an all-in-one solution for separating, washing and dewatering – the CENSOR ACZ decanter centrifuge. This powerful pair is perfect for processing various types of plastic waste, especially from household waste collection.
© Lehrstuhl fĂĽr Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The rising success of the plastics recycling sector has turned an environmental hazard – plastic waste – into a valuable resource. The constantly growing industry comes with increasing demands in terms of technology and quality, but also offers enormous potential for those who are ready to strike new paths. ANDRITZ has combined the latest shredder technology from its recently launched ADuro product line with an all-in-one solution for separating, washing and dewatering – the CENSOR ACZ decanter centrifuge. This powerful pair is perfect for processing various types of plastic waste, especially from household waste collection.
