VANDEN Recycling has announced it is supporting Professor Michael Johnston at University of Oxford’s Department of Physics to tackle the recycling challenge of identifying and sorting complex plastic waste with greater precision.
The partnership, supported by the UK Research and Innovation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UKRI EPSRC) through an Impact Acceleration Account, brings together academic excellence and industrial experience to accelerate science-driven innovation in plastic recycling.
The initiative is spearheaded by Vanden’s technical director, Beril Baykal Yesilırmak, and aims to translate advanced research into practical solutions that can be deployed across recycling infrastructure.
“We are committed to delivering absolute certainty and transparency to our clients and that means using the best available science to solve real-world recycling problems,” said Beril. “Working with one of the world’s most prestigious universities is a major step forward in achieving that goal.”
At the core of the partnership is terahertz spectroscopic imaging – described as an emerging technology with the potential to ‘revolutionise’ how plastic is sorted and recycled. Unlike traditional technologies such as Near Infrared (NIR) or Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), terahertz imaging can: see through all colours of plastic; penetrate multi-layer packaging to analyse internal structures and chemical compositions; detect signs of degradation and embedded contaminants; and deliver high-speed 3D imaging in real-time.
Vanden’s team recently toured Oxford’s physics laboratories, where the groundwork is being laid to adapt this technology for recycling applications. Discussions between Vanden and university researchers Kun Peng, Yi Zhu and Prof.  Michael Johnston focused on the barriers currently limiting the effectiveness of sorting systems.
“We are bridging the gap between academic discovery and industry execution,” added Beril. “This isn’t just about research, it’s about real, practical change.”
The impact of this project could be transformative for the UK recycling system. Vanden listed potential benefits as including: improved sorting accuracy will boost the quality of recycled plastics; recyclers will be able to access and process previously difficult materials, including black plastics; manufacturers will have access to higher-quality feedstocks that meets specific technical requirements; and less plastic waste will be lost.
“This is about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible,” Beril stated. “And we welcome collaboration with others who share our ambition to turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s solutions.”
