Organic Waste Sorting | AISORT
Application Overview — Organics Recycling
Organic Waste Sorting in Modern Recycling Facilities
Organic waste sorting separates food waste, yard waste, and biodegradable materials from mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) or source-separated organics streams. The objective is to produce a clean organic fraction suitable for composting or anaerobic digestion while recovering recyclable contaminants (plastics, metals, glass) that would otherwise degrade compost quality or damage AD equipment.
Material Characteristics and Sorting Challenges
Organic waste sorting challenges: organic materials have highly variable moisture content (60-90%), making sensor-based sorting difficult (wet surfaces cause NIR spectral distortion); food waste in plastic bags requires de-bagging before sorting; compostable plastics (PLA, PHA) look identical to conventional plastics but have different end-of-life pathways; and odor management is a significant operational challenge.
Recommended Sorting Technology Stack
Mechanical pre-separation (trommel screen, ballistic separator) for size and shape classification → NIR (plastic identification and removal from organic fraction) + induction (metal removal) + RGB (color-based quality check). For depackaging (separating food from packaging): specialized depackaging equipment (hammer mill + screen press) before optical sorting.
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Organic Purity | >97% |
| Plastic Removal | >98% from organics |
| Throughput | 10-30 t/h (MSW organics) |
| Moisture Tolerance | Up to 90% |
These benchmarks represent achievable performance with modern sensor-based sorting equipment, assuming properly sized, well-maintained equipment operating on representative feedstock. Actual results depend on specific material composition, throughput, and operating conditions.