Method for the selection and separation of polymers originating from urban and/or industrial plastic waste

A method for the mechanical selection and separation of at least two polymers from a mixture of polymers originating from commercial and/or industrial plastic waste, the method comprising:

• i. providing a mixture of polymers from commercial and/or industrial plastic waste comprising flakes of said polymers of sizes from 6 to 100 mm;
• ii. identifying from the provided mixture via near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy flakes of colored and white plastic material and separating a fraction rich in said flakes of colored and white plastic material from a fraction rich in flakes of black plastic material;
• iii. identifying via the NIR spectroscopy flakes of a first polymer from said separated fraction rich in flakes of colored and white plastic material, and separating a fraction rich in flakes of the first polymer from said fraction rich in flakes of colored and white plastic material, further obtaining a fraction poor in flakes of the first polymer;
• iv. identifying via the NIR spectroscopy flakes of one or more further polymers different from the first polymer from the separated fraction rich in flakes of the first polymer, and separating a fraction rich in flakes of the one or more further polymers from said fraction rich in flakes of the first polymer;
• v. identifying via the NIR spectroscopy the flakes of a second polymer from said fraction poor in flakes of the first polymer and from said fraction rich in flakes of the one or more further polymers, and separating a fraction rich in flakes of the second polymer from said fraction rich in flakes of colored and white plastic material, further obtaining a fraction poor in flakes of the second polymer;
• vi. identifying via the NIR spectroscopy flakes of one or more polymers different from the second polymer from the fraction rich in flakes of the second polymer, and separating a fraction rich in flakes of the one or more polymers different from the second polymer from said fraction rich in flakes of the second polymer.