Vision Systems and the Circular Economy – Technology in Service of a Sustainable Future
Vision Systems and the Circular Economy – Technology in Service of a Sustainable Future
As pressure for sustainable development and more efficient resource use grows, the concept of a circular economy is becoming an increasingly tangible direction for industrial transformation. A key enabler of circular economy goals is modern technology—including vision systems—which play a growing role in automating, monitoring, and optimizing processes related to recycling, reuse, and waste reduction.
What Is the Circular Economy?
The circular economy is a model in which products, materials, and resources remain in economic circulation for as long as possible, and waste generation is minimized. It shifts away from the traditional linear model of “take – use – dispose” to a “design – use – recover” approach.
Implementing this model requires not only a change in mindset but also the deployment of technologies that allow for efficient identification, sorting, quality assessment, and reuse of materials. This is where vision systems come into play.
How Vision Systems Support the Circular Economy
1. Automated Waste Sorting
Vision systems—both RGB and hyperspectral—enable automatic identification of materials in the waste stream. Using image processing algorithms and artificial intelligence, machines can sort plastics, glass, paper, metals, and even textiles based on their chemical composition and structure.
AVICON’s Solution:
The waste sorter developed by AVICON enables precise separation of materials such as PET, HDPE, PS, and Tetra Pak. Using hyperspectral analysis and specialized illumination, the device automatically classifies waste by material type, significantly increasing the quality and value of recovered materials and reducing landfill volume.
With the use of mid-wave infrared (MWIR) hyperspectral cameras, the system can also detect black plastics, which are invisible to standard near-infrared (NIR/SWIR) systems.
2. Quality Assurance and Supply Chain Selection
Vision systems help determine which products are suitable for further processing and which should be rejected due to inadequate quality or usability. This reduces waste while channeling materials toward their most effective use.
AVICON’s Solution:
In the food industry, AVICON developed a system to detect changes on poultry skin. It uses neural networks to analyze the surface of carcasses to identify visual changes that reduce consumer appeal. Products not meeting market standards are redirected to processing instead of being discarded—an excellent example of maximizing resource use and minimizing waste.
3. Reducing Production Losses and Increasing Recycled Content
Introducing recycled materials into production presents new quality challenges. Vision systems can identify defects resulting from recycled content and allow early-stage rejection.
AVICON’s Solution:
AVICON’s PET preform sorter automatically rejects preforms with inclusions—defects that become more frequent as the proportion of recycled material increases.
By ensuring 100% quality control, the system allows safe incorporation of recyclate into production without compromising the final product.
Due to intralogistics constraints, the limited throughput of the sorting device (as PET preforms are produced by numerous injection molding machines), and the time lag between defect occurrence and detection, AVICON also developed a PET preform inspector.
Installed directly behind the injection molding machine, this device allows for immediate identification of defects, enabling process and material validation. Batches with a high defect rate are then directed to sorting, ensuring top-quality output. Early detection helps prevent the production of large quantities of defective items.
4. Early Defect Detection and Internal Recirculation
Vision systems also support real-time quality monitoring during production, enabling the immediate rejection or recirculation of defective products—before they leave the factory.
AVICON’s Solution:
As part of its quality control portfolio, AVICON implemented a film inspection system that allows rapid detection of surface defects, scratches, air bubbles, or contamination.
This enables immediate production intervention or internal recycling of the material within the plant. The system minimizes losses and helps close the material loop within the enterprise.
Benefits of Vision Systems in a Circular Economy
• Higher efficiency and sorting precision, increasing material recovery rates
• Reduced operational costs through automation and lower material waste
• Improved product quality—including those made from recycled materials
• Increased recycled content in production, without sacrificing quality
• Closed-loop material circulation within manufacturing facilities
• Compliance with growing regulatory and consumer demands
Technology in Practice – AVICON as an Example of Innovation
AVICON’s solutions demonstrate that vision systems can be a powerful tool in transitioning to a circular economy. From advanced waste sorting and food product optimization to real-time quality monitoring—each solution represents a step toward a more efficient and responsible industry.
These innovations were developed in response to specific market or customer needs and only scratch the surface of what vision systems can offer in pursuit of circular economy goals.
We invite you to contact us to explore whether an existing solution—or a custom-designed vision system—can help your operation increase recycled material usage, minimize waste, or optimize resource utilization.
Conclusion
The circular economy is not just a vision of the future – it is a direction that is already becoming a reality. Thanks to advanced technologies such as automation, robotics or vision systems it can be done without any loss in the quality of the final product. Companies such as AVICON show that properly designed and implemented solutions can bring real environmental, economic and social benefits. In the face of global climate and raw material challenges, new technologies are the foundation of a modern, responsible industry.
