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Post-Consumer Plastic Waste Management: From Collection and Sortation to Mechanical Recycling

Author

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  • Katarzyna Bernat

    (Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Sloneczna 45 G, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland)

Abstract

Challenges associated with plastic waste management range from littering to high collection costs to low recycling rates. Effective collection of plastics is obviously an important step in the management of plastic waste and has an impact on recycling rates. For this reason, several countries have transformed their collection systems in recent decades. Collecting more plastic packaging comes at a cost, as the feedstock for the sorting process becomes more complex and leads to cross-contamination within the sorted fractions. Therefore, a balance must be obtained between some elements, such as the design of packaging, collection and recycling rates, and finally, the quality of fractions that have been sorted. Further investment to improve pretreatment, sorting, and recycling technologies and simpler recyclable packaging designs are, therefore, key to further increasing plastic recycling rates. It is essential to possess more data, especially on the type of containers and plastics, and examine how often unsorted waste is collected. The automated waste collection monitoring system is a step forward in automating manual waste collection and sorting. Multi-sensory artificial intelligence (AI) for sorting plastic waste and the blockchain sorting platform for the circular economy of plastic waste are forward-looking activities that will increase the efficiency of recycling plastic waste. This review focuses on the development of collection systems and sorting processes for post-consumer plastic recycling. The focus is on best practices and the best available technology. Separate collection systems for recyclable plastics are presented and discussed along with their respective technical collection and sorting solutions, taking into consideration that progress in separation and sorting systems are implicitly linked to approaches to waste collection.

Suggested Citation

  • Katarzyna Bernat, 2023. "Post-Consumer Plastic Waste Management: From Collection and Sortation to Mechanical Recycling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-14, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:8:p:3504-:d:1126057
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Elbert Dijkgraaf & Raymond Gradus, 2017. "An EU Recycling Target: What Does the Dutch Evidence Tell Us?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 68(3), pages 501-526, November.
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    5. Marie Kampmann Eriksen & Anders Damgaard & Alessio Boldrin & Thomas Fruergaard Astrup, 2019. "Quality Assessment and Circularity Potential of Recovery Systems for Household Plastic Waste," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(1), pages 156-168, February.
    6. Sun-Kyoung Shin & Namil Um & Yong-Jun Kim & Na-Hyeon Cho & Tae-Wan Jeon, 2020. "New Policy Framework with Plastic Waste Control Plan for Effective Plastic Waste Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-13, July.
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    1. Artūras Torkelis & Jolanta Dvarionienė & Gintaras Denafas, 2024. "The Factors Influencing the Recycling of Plastic and Composite Packaging Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-30, October.
    2. N. O. Kapustin, 2025. "Prospects for the Development of Plastic Recycling Industry in Russia," Studies on Russian Economic Development, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 347-357, June.
    3. Zhuojiao Yu & Xiaoyue Liu & Jeongsoo Yu & Mohammad Sujauddin & Gaku Manago, 2025. "A Cluster Analysis of Cooperative Recycling Behaviors for Post-Consumer Plastic Waste in Urban Areas: A Case Study on Sendai, Kawasaki, and Kyoto City in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-17, September.
    4. Sani Abubakar Mashi & Amina Ibrahim Inkani & Abubakar Umar, 2026. "From Awareness To Practice: Socioeconomic Drivers and Public Engagement in Circular Economy–Based Urban Waste Management," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-34, February.

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