IPPMI: Ishitva Robotic Systems unveils AI-driven plastic recycling technology

Sandip Singh, CEO and founder of Ishitva Robotic Systems, unveiled groundbreaking advancements in AI-driven plastic recycling at a recent industry presentation, addressing critical challenges in waste segregation and the growing demand for recycled materials.

Singh highlighted the inefficiencies in India’s manual recycling value chain, where mixed plastic waste often loses value due to poor segregation. “If waste is mixed, it’s worthless. If sorted, it becomes a resource,” he stated. 

“Recyclers must ensure food-grade plastic isn’t mixed with cosmetic-grade, and injection-moulded waste is reused correctly. The complexity is unprecedented,” Singh explained.

To tackle this, Ishitva developed Sukha, an AI-powered sorting system capable of identifying polymers, colours, multi-layers, and even prior packaging uses on a conveyor belt moving at 3.2 metres per second—near free-fall speed. “Our tool analyses waste in real-time, separating materials with precision air jets at their centre of gravity,” Singh said, demonstrating a five-year-old video of the system effortlessly sorting unlabelled bottles. The platform, operable via smartphone, allows users to select sorting criteria (for example: colour, grade) with ease.

The system integrates live monitoring, tracking machine health, temperature, and output quality. “We’re not just segregating waste; we’re creating future resources,” Singh emphasised. Ishitva’s Innovation Centre is now piloting this technology worldwide, focusing on mixed-waste streams like HDPE and LDPE separation. “This is India’s most advanced material recovery solution, built here but deployed globally,” he added.

Singh concluded with a call for broader adoption. “Automation is no longer optional—it’s the backbone of sustainable recycling,” Singh asserted, noting regular dialogues with industry leaders.