{"id":19025,"date":"2015-11-20T12:59:56","date_gmt":"2015-11-20T17:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=19025"},"modified":"2015-11-20T16:15:58","modified_gmt":"2015-11-20T21:15:58","slug":"the-waste-biz-are-waste-sorting-robots-the-answer-to-recycling-industry-woes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/the-waste-biz-are-waste-sorting-robots-the-answer-to-recycling-industry-woes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Waste Biz: Are Waste Sorting Robots The Answer To Recycling Industry Woes?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n With low oil prices and other challenges<\/a>, the recycling industry’s been having a tough year staying profitable. Ranier Renn, an executive with Finnish firm Zenrobotics<\/a>, offers recyclers a way to cut costs: robots. Using smart machines for waste sorting, according to Renn<\/a>, produces “significant cost savings generated by process efficiency and new revenue streams from high-purity recyclables that are now more diverse, thanks to unique recognition capabilities made possible by artificial intelligence.” In short, robots can sort a variety of materials effectively and efficiently…<\/p>\n Of course, like other forms of mechanical efficiency and automation, the robots for waste sorting<\/a> that Renn describes (and which his company makes) will likely replace human sorters. That’s good for recyclers, but not so good for those seeking low-skill entry-level jobs in this industry. This does seem like a good means of maintaining single-stream recycling (which keeps rates higher) while, perhaps, getting more out of loads of materials.<\/p>\n What do you think? Are robots the way forward for recyclers? Are human sorters\u00a0just too expensive? Share your thoughts and insights…<\/p>\n Also from the waste space this week:<\/p>\n Glass recycling can be profitable… with preparation:<\/strong> Waste Dive<\/em> published a feature story<\/a> this week on Ohio-based Rumpke’s success with glass recycling. While many are arguing that this materials just can’t work with current recycling practices, the company has invested $5 million in a new glass facility. According to Rumpke director of recycling Steve Sargent, working backwards from finding buyers to then investing in facilities and processes has made a difference for the company’s efforts to work with glass.<\/p>\n EPA recognizes wholesale club for efforts to fight food waste:<\/strong> You might think that businesses focused on selling food in bulk quantities might contribute to food waste. But, in at least one case, they’re helping solve the problem<\/a>. The EPA has awarded a “Regional Food Recovery Achievement Certificate” to BJ’s Wholesale Club for its participation in the agency’s Food Recovery Challenge<\/a>.<\/p>\n