Color sorting process of materials in a plastics recycling company automated with Arduino (#973)

Authors

Escalante-Llanos, Lizbeth

Astete-Contreras, Ricardo

Velásquez Costa, José

Abstract

Plastics recyclers face challenges in efficiently sorting materials due to manual processes that are slow and error-prone. The color sorting process represents a significant bottleneck in terms of time and accuracy. To address this problem, an automation model using an IoT-based system with Arduino microcontroller, color and proximity sensors, and actuators is proposed that optimizes this process by reducing the time required to sort materials. The model was validated by creating a working prototype, which showed a considerable improvement in efficiency: the manual sorting time of 2.75 seconds per material was reduced to 1.95 seconds in automated form, representing a 29% reduction in time per material. This breakthrough demonstrates the potential of automation to increase productivity, reduce errors and improve consistency in the plastics recycling process.