Digitalization

Northern Ireland based Plaswire has announced an initiative that uses blockchain, IoT and AI technology to revolutionise the recycling of wind turbine blades, unlocking a seismic opportunity for other sectors, including aerospace.

ValcopIA is the latest French MRF opened last July and sets the standards for sorting centres in France. ValcopIA is a project led by Decoset, a joint association in Haute-Garonne, and entrusted to the Paprec – GCC Occitanie – SWA – Aktid consortium as part of a comprehensive performance contract.

IMRO Maschinenbau is set to open a facility capable of processing complex waste streams such as incinerator bottom ash (IBA), in collaboration with ZenRobotics.

Pellenc is launching AISEE, an AI-based quality control analyser designed to support operators in achieving high efficiency and top-quality outputs. AISEE focuses on monitoring, analysing, and improving the quality of recyclable fractions, while reducing material losses.

The demanding requirements for quality and quantity in waste stream separation call for new solutions to meet these challenges. One promising approach lies in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision, combined with existing technologies such as near-infrared (NIR) cameras. This article aims to introduce these technologies, explain their exponential growth, explore current applications in waste sorting, and highlight their potential for the future.

Tomra Recycling has released a new eBook examining the role of artificial intelligence in recycling. The publication explains deep learning and its applications in sorting processes, highlighting opportunities for material recovery and plant optimization.

Spanish recycler Eslava Plásticos has introduced AI-based optical sorting modules from Pellenc ST to enhance the quality of its HDPE recycling stream. The technology enables higher purity and greater throughput.

Recycling robotics startup Glacier has teamed up with Waste Connections for a new project in Pennsylvania. The partnership focuses on deploying AI-powered sorting robots to improve efficiency in material recovery.

SDR Portugal will serve as the scheme administrator, while Sensoneo, has been selected as the IT solution provider, expanding its footprint as the trusted IT partner for DRS implementations in its eighth European country.

In recent years, sorting centres have seen a gradual transformation of their waste input stream. They are now faced with larger incoming volumes with more complex materials that are therefore more difficult to sort. At the same time, the legislative framework imposes increasingly ambitious recycling targets.

The new Ecoglass equipment from Picvisa incorporates Artificial Intelligence (AI), enhancing glass sorting and optimizing the recycling process.