Skip to main content
Waste characterization, from sample to report

Waste characterization, from sample to report

Measure the composition and quality of your flows to manage sorting and material recovery.

Definition

What is waste characterization?

Waste characterization measures the composition of a waste flow. A sample is taken, separated by material category (paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, contaminants), and each category is weighed to determine its share of the total.

In a sorting center, it applies at both ends of the process. On incoming flows, it measures the quality of selective collection and the share of sorting errors. On outgoing flows, it checks the purity of sorted materials before they are sent to recycling. On sorting residue, it shows what the line lets through.

Its results are both a management tool for the operator and a shared reference with local authorities, producer responsibility organizations and material buyers. Their reliability therefore matters as much as their frequency.

Characterization is still mostly done by hand, on a characterization bench. Artificial intelligence can now automate most of it: this is what Wasoria Characterization does.

Discover Wasoria Characterization
Characterization run from a touch screen, in front of the Wasoria gantry installed on a characterization bench.

What characterization measures

Reliable data to manage your sorting center and work with your partners.

Flow composition

The share of each material in an incoming or outgoing flow, to know what you receive and what you produce.

Mass purity

The share of target material in a sorted flow, calculated on weight: the indicator that determines material value.

Sorting errors

Waste that does not belong in selective collection, including dangerous objects, to target awareness campaigns.

Material lost in residue

Recyclable materials that end up in the residue instead of being sorted: material that will never be recovered.

Sorting efficiency

By comparing incoming flows, outputs and residue, you can estimate how much of each material the line actually recovers.

Trends over time

Historized results to compare periods and measure the effect of a setting change or a communication campaign.

What are characterization results used for?

The same measurement, several uses depending on who reads it.

Adjusting the sorting line

For the operator: spot a drop in quality, adjust equipment and the organization of sorting stations. See performance optimization.

Guaranteeing material quality

For material buyers and recyclers: show that shipped bales meet the quality standards of their recycling stream.

Reporting to partners

For local authorities and producer responsibility organizations: document the quality of received and sorted flows, a common basis for monitoring contracts and extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.

Targeting awareness campaigns

Know which sorting errors are most frequent and, if samples are linked to their collection round, where they come from, to tailor messages to residents.

Comparing several sites

For a waste authority or a group: apply the same method in every sorting center to compare their results on a common basis.

Preparing investments

Base a line modernization project or a change in sorting instructions on measured data rather than estimates.

Which flows should be characterized?

The method stays the same; the goal depends on where the sample is taken.

Incoming selective collection

What residents put in their recycling bin: collection quality, share of each material and sorting errors.

Sorted materials

Output flows (PET, HDPE, cardboard, paper, steel, aluminum…): purity and contaminants, before they are shipped to recycling.

Sorting residue

What the line did not sort: lost recyclable materials and non-recyclable objects, to improve recovery.

Residual household waste

The general waste bin, analyzed in characterization studies (the MODECOM method of ADEME) to measure what could have been sorted.

How does manual characterization work?

Five steps, from sampling to report.

  1. 01

    Take the sample

    It is taken from the flow (collection skip, line output, residue) following a defined protocol that ensures it is representative.

  2. 02

    Prepare it

    It is mixed and, if needed, reduced by coning and quartering (keeping two opposite quarters) until the quantity to sort is reached.

  3. 03

    Sort by category

    On the characterization bench, operators separate each object by hand according to the chosen category grid: materials, formats, contaminants.

  4. 04

    Weigh each category

    Each category is weighed, then compared with the total weight of the sample to obtain the composition and mass purity.

  5. 05

    Record and share

    Results are recorded, often on paper and then in a spreadsheet, consolidated and sent out as a report.

The limits of manual characterization

Challenges that weigh on reliability and efficiency

A time-consuming process

Sorting and weighing by hand keeps operators on a strenuous, repetitive task, at the expense of their other work.

Variable results

From one operator to another, from one day to the next, the same object is not always classified the same way: comparisons over time suffer.

Limited traceability

Paper sheets, re-entered data, scattered spreadsheets: results are hard to find, check and keep on record.

Few measurements, fixed reports

The time each characterization takes limits how many are done, and hand-built reports are hard to use for new analyses.

Manual or automated characterization: what changes

The same sample, the same categories: AI takes over sorting, classification and data entry.

Manual Automated
Sample placement Spread by hand on the bench A tipper and a vibrating feeder lay it in an even layer on the conveyor
Sorting by category Object by object, by hand An AI gantry identifies and classifies every object that passes
Classification criteria Vary from one operator to another Identical from one characterization to the next
Composition and mass purity Calculated after weighing each category Obtained from the AI analysis and the weighing of the sample
Data entry and reports On paper, then in a spreadsheet Results recorded automatically, PDF report or data by email, API or dashboard
Operator role Sort and weigh Load, run from the touch terminal, validate

Learn more: discover Wasoria Characterization, or monitor the quality of your flows continuously, directly on the sorting line, with performance optimization.

Frequently asked questions about waste characterization

What is waste characterization?
It is the measurement of the composition of a waste flow: a sample is separated by material category and each category is weighed to determine its share of the total. In a sorting center, it is used to monitor collection quality, sorting performance and the purity of sorted materials.

What is a waste characterization study?
It is a series of characterizations carried out over a given period and territory to find out the composition of a waste stream: residual household waste, curbside recycling or drop-off center waste. Local authorities use it to prepare a waste prevention program or to change how waste is collected. In a sorting center, characterizations are rather carried out regularly, to monitor operations month after month.

What is the MODECOM method?
MODECOM™ is the household waste characterization method developed by the French Environment Agency (ADEME). It defines how samples are taken and the grid of categories to sort, and serves as the reference for the national campaigns carried out in 1993, 2007 and 2017 as well as many local studies. It makes it possible to compare results obtained in different territories and at different dates.

What is the difference between incoming and outgoing flow characterization?
Incoming flow characterization analyzes what arrives at the sorting center: it measures collection quality and the share of sorting errors. Outgoing flow characterization checks sorted materials (purity, contaminants) before they are sent to recycling channels.

What is mass purity?
It is the share, by weight, of the target material in a sorted flow. For example, a bale of clear PET with a mass purity of 95% contains 95 kg of clear PET per 100 kg of material, the rest being contaminants. It is the indicator that determines whether materials are accepted and what they are worth.

How does manual characterization work?
A sample is taken from the flow, prepared (mixed, possibly reduced by coning and quartering), spread on a characterization bench and sorted by hand by material category. Each category is weighed and the results are recorded, often on paper or in a spreadsheet.

How often should flows be characterized?
There is no single frequency: it depends on the flow, your contracts and your goals. The more frequent the measurements, the earlier a drop in quality is spotted. This is the whole point of automation, and of continuous analysis on the line.

What does automating characterization bring?
A gantry equipped with the Wasoria Box automatically identifies and classifies every object on the bench. Results are available immediately, with the same criteria from one characterization to the next, and are recorded for history and reports. See Wasoria Characterization.

Does AI replace characterization operators?
No. The operator loads the sample, runs the characterization from the touch terminal and validates the results. AI handles sorting and classifying the objects, the most repetitive tasks.

What can a camera not see?
A camera analyzes what is visible: an object completely covered by another one, or the contents of a closed bag, escape the analysis. This is why the Wasoria bench spreads the sample in an even layer before it passes under the gantry.

Do I need to replace my characterization bench?
No. The gantry adapts to your current bench. If you prefer to start from scratch, we help you design a bench optimized for our systems and for your teams' ergonomics.

How long does it take to train operators?
The interface was designed with and for sorting operators: it is touch-based, guided step by step and available in several languages. About one hour of training is enough to get started.

Explore more

Automate your characterizations

Request a demonstration of Wasoria Characterization on your bench and your flows.

Request a demo Discover Wasoria Characterization