AI-Powered Plastic Recycling

Let's Make Plastic
Truly Circular

The key to a circular plastic economy lies in intelligent separation. Our AI-driven sorting achieves unprecedented accuracy — identifying, classifying, and separating plastics by polymer type, colour, grade, and application at industrial scale.

98%
Sorting accuracy on PET streams
51+
Installations across facilities
1,100+
Tonnes processed per day
PPM
Contamination detection level
Mixed plastic waste sorting
Granular Precision Sorting
Beyond basic polymer ID

A Paradigm Shift in Plastic Recycling

Our AI-powered sorting solution goes far beyond traditional methods. By harnessing the sophisticated capabilities of computer vision and deep learning, our system achieves an unprecedented level of accuracy in identifying, classifying, and separating plastics — at true industrial throughput.

We don't stop at basic polymer identification. Sorteco's technology discerns plastics by polymer type, brand, colour, Melt Flow Index, and original end-use application. This granular level of sorting yields a pure, uncontaminated input stream — the foundation of genuinely high-grade recycled pellets.

The direct result? Recyclers can confidently produce commercially valuable rPET and rPP that meet the stringent demands of a true circular economy — including food-contact and bottle-to-bottle grade applications.

This isn't incremental improvement. It's a fundamental leap toward unlocking the inherent value hidden within our plastic resources — one smart sort at a time.
How It Works

From Bale to Valuable Output — 5 Steps

Our intelligent sorting pipeline transforms contaminated plastic waste into clean, commercially valuable material streams with consistent, measurable results.

01
Infeed & Conveying
Material is fed onto high-speed conveyor belts, spread into a single layer for optimal vision scanning.
02
AI Vision Scanning
Hyperspectral, NIR, UV, and colour cameras capture material signatures in real time at high throughput.
03
Classification
Deep learning models classify each object by polymer type, grade, colour, MFI, brand, and application.
04
Precision Ejection
Targeted air jets eject specific material fractions with millisecond accuracy — no cross-contamination.
05
Clean Output Streams
Separated, high-purity material fractions are collected for direct use in recycling or reprocessing lines.
Plastic Identification

Every Resin Code. Sorted with Precision.

Our AI models are trained to identify all major plastic resin codes — ensuring no valuable material is misclassified or lost to landfill.

1

PET

Polyethylene Terephthalate

The most recycled plastic globally. Found in beverage bottles, food trays, and polyester fibres. Our AI achieves 98%+ purity for bottle-to-bottle grade rPET output.

Water BottlesFood TraysPolyester FibreBeverage Containers
2

HDPE

High-Density Polyethylene

Durable, chemical-resistant plastic used in milk jugs, detergent bottles, and pipes. Sorted by blow vs injection grade for maximised downstream value.

Milk JugsDetergent BottlesPipesToys
3

PVC

Polyvinyl Chloride

Used in window frames, pipes, flooring, and packaging films. Precise detection prevents PVC contamination in PET streams — a critical purity requirement.

Window FramesPipesFlooringCables
4

LDPE / LLDPE

Low-Density Polyethylene

Flexible packaging staple — found in cling wraps, squeezable bottles, and HM carry bags. Our system separates food-grade from non-food-grade flexible PE.

Cling FilmHM BagsSqueeze BottlesBubble Wrap
5

PP

Polypropylene

Widely used in food containers, automotive parts, and woven sacks. Sorted by melt flow index and application — delivering consistent rPP pellets for remanufacture.

Food ContainersWoven SacksAutomotiveCaps & Closures
6

PS / EPS

Polystyrene & Expanded PS

From disposable cutlery to foam packaging, PS streams are identified and separated accurately — enabling routes to recycling that are otherwise economically unviable.

Foam CupsCutleryPackaging FoamTrays
Real-World Applications

Precision Sorting Across Every Plastic Stream

Purpose-built AI solutions that handle the full spectrum of plastic materials — from clean bottle streams to the most complex multi-layer packaging.

PET plastic bottles for recycling

PET Sorting

Achieve unparalleled purity in clear PET sorting from mixed bale streams — consistently delivering contamination-free output for the most demanding downstream applications.

  • 98%+ accuracy for clear PET from mixed streams
  • Closed-loop Bottle-to-Bottle grade recycling
  • Identifies and removes non-food-grade PET
  • Detects caps, labels, and sleeve contaminants
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Flexible plastic packaging waste

Flexible Packaging

Precisely identify and separate food-grade flexible packaging, recovering materials that conventional systems discard as contamination — opening new revenue streams for recyclers.

  • Food-grade flexible packaging identification
  • Separation of LDPE, LLDPE & HM bags
  • Advanced sorting of Multi-Layer Plastics (MLP)
  • Removes non-plastic contaminants from flex streams
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Rigid plastic containers HDPE PP

Rigid Plastics

Granular classification of rigid plastics to maximise the commercial value of HDPE, PP, and other polymers — sorted beyond just polymer type to include grade and application.

  • HDPE blow, PP blow & PP injection sorting
  • Classification by polymer, colour & MFI
  • Brand origin & food-grade compliance detection
  • Previous application and grade identification
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Plastic flakes post-shredding

Post-Shredder Flake Sorting

Identify and remove foreign polymer contamination from plastic flakes as small as 2mm — delivering clean, consistent input material for extrusion and pelletising lines.

  • NIR + UV + colour fusion for flake analysis
  • Detects contamination down to PPM levels
  • Flake size range: 2mm to 20mm
  • Continuous real-time reporting & analytics
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PET bale aggregator sorting

Aggregator-Level Bale Cleaning

When PET bales are cleaned at the aggregator level, the entire value chain benefits. Cleaner bales deliver better rPET and build trust — and profitability — at every downstream stage.

  • Removes non-PET bottles at aggregator stage
  • Prevents contamination from entering the chain
  • Improves overall rPET output quality
  • Increases bale market value and trust
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Circular economy plastic sustainability

Colour & Grade Separation

Separate plastics by exact colour family and processing grade to produce uniform-quality recycled output — unlocking premium markets for sorted-by-colour rPET and rHDPE.

  • Clear, light blue, green & coloured PET separation
  • HDPE natural vs colour grade sorting
  • Dark / black plastic detection using advanced NIR
  • Colour-sorted output commands premium pricing
Know More →

Why Manual Sorting Falls Short

The global plastic recycling industry loses billions in material value every year — not because the plastic isn't there, but because it can't be sorted accurately enough to use.

⚠️
Invisible ContaminationMany contaminants — foreign polymers, dark additives, barrier coatings — look identical to clean material but destroy batch quality.
🐢
Human Speed & Fatigue LimitsManual sorters can process a fraction of what's needed, introduce inconsistency, and cannot distinguish polymer grades visually.
📉
Rejected Material & Revenue LossImpure output streams are downgraded or rejected entirely, converting recoverable material into a landfill cost rather than a revenue source.
🤖
Sorteco AI Solves All ThreeHigh-speed, always-on AI vision processes material 24/7 with sub-millisecond detection — making contamination visible and removal precise.
AI technology solving recycling challenges

Real Results at Real Scale

Across 51+ installations, our plastic sorting systems have delivered consistent, quantifiable gains in purity, recovery, and profitability.

♻️
98%
PET sorting purity consistently achieved across installations
📦
4T/hr
High-speed throughput for industrial-scale plastic operations
🔬
PPM
Contamination detected and reported at parts-per-million accuracy
📈
40%+
Average increase in output material value reported by customers
Recommended Solutions

Intelligent Products for Plastic Sorting

Proprietary hardware and AI models purpose-built for plastic recycling — from full bale sorting lines to precision flake analysis.

SUKA AI Air Sorter machine
Air Sorter

SUKA® – AI-Powered Air Sorter

Advanced sorting technology designed to efficiently separate materials by colour, polymer type, and application — enhancing recycling accuracy and output consistency across all plastic streams.

Read More →
SANJIVANI Autonomous MRF facility
Autonomous MRF

SANJIVANI® – Autonomous MRF

A state-of-the-art Material Recovery Facility that operates fully autonomously — sorting multiple plastic categories simultaneously in real time while reducing manual dependency.

Read More →
Sorteco Flake Analyzer laboratory
Flake Analysis

Sorteco® Flake Analyzer

Powered by AI and hyperspectral vision, the Flake Analyzer detects foreign polymers, off-colours, and dark plastics in PET and mixed flakes — reporting contamination down to PPM levels.

Read More →
Sorteco Flake Sorter sensor system
Flake Sorting

Sorteco® Flake Sorter

Integrates NIR, UV, colour imaging, and AI in a single powerful sensor suite to precisely detect and separate foreign polymers and colours in fine flakes from 2mm to 20mm.

Read More →
The Circular Vision

From Waste to Resource — Closing the Loop

A truly circular plastic economy isn't a distant aspiration. With the right sorting intelligence at every stage of the value chain, it's an operational reality today.

Circular economy recycling facility
Collection & AggregationClean bales begin with clean collection. Our PET1 solution brings AI sorting to the aggregator level — preventing contamination before it enters the chain.
Intelligent SortingSUKA® and SANJIVANI® sort incoming bales with sub-millisecond precision — separating by polymer, grade, colour, and application simultaneously.
Flake-Level PurificationPost-shredder flakes are scanned by the Flake Analyzer and Sorter — removing the invisible contaminants that compromise pellet quality and block food-grade certification.
High-Grade rPET & rPP OutputClean, sorted, characterised flakes feed extrusion lines producing premium recycled pellets that command top market prices and qualify for bottle-to-bottle applications.
Back Into ProductsPremium rPET and rPP re-enter manufacturing — completing the loop and displacing virgin plastic demand across packaging, textiles, automotive, and consumer goods.
Have Something in Mind?

Let's Move Beyond the Limitations of Traditional Recycling

Step into an era of genuine circularity — where every plastic material is sorted accurately enough to be commercially valuable. Let's connect and build your sorting solution together.

Get In Touch → View Our Products