Empowering a Chinese-Characteristic Waste Classification Model with Mid-End Intelligent Sorting

• • Low-value recyclables constitute 15%–30% of mixed MSW, and the proposed intelligent sorting system achieves precise recovery of these materials, significantly enhancing resource recycling rates. • • At an 80 t·d−1 processing scale, the system yields annual sales revenue of 473×10^4 CNY, with an operator ROI of 20%, while reducing incineration and transportation costs by 89×10^4 and 38×10^4 CNY per year, respectively. • • The system enables carbon and pollutant co-reduction by recovering recyclables, with each ton of low-value recyclables recovered avoiding 884.66 kg CO2eq emissions. • • The model simplifies front-end classification to a 'dry-wet' dichotomy, shifting complex sorting tasks from residents to technology, thereby reducing public participation burden and facilitating the integration of sanitation and renewable resource systems.