Manual sorting is the separation of waste by hand. Trained workers pick through mixed recyclables, usually on a sorting table or conveyor belt, and separate them by material, polymer, colour and quality.
People can recognise things machines struggle with: dirty items, black plastic, multilayer packs and the difference between a food pouch and a courier bag. In India, most sorting is still manual and is done by waste pickers and workers at collection centres such as Lucro’s Avkaar Kendras. Its limits are speed, consistency and working conditions, so larger plants combine it with mechanical sorting: machines handle volume, and people handle quality control.
