Robots could save recycling
Meet the young innovator who believes there is a solution to the almost 300 million tonnes of… Continue reading
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This is the premiere episode of ABC News Digital’s 4-part series “Green New Future”, which highlights innovative solutions and showcases innovators.
It has been difficult to recycle large quantities of plastic, especially since the 1970s saw a rapid increase in production.
New technology that streamlines the process could help the U.S. reduce the amount of plastic ending up in landfills.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, nearly 300 million tons of waste are produced annually in the United States. Only one-fourth of this solid waste is recycled.
Matanya Horowitz, the founder and CEO at AMP Robotics, stated that automation is essential in recycling centers. This is especially true since jobs to sort trash are not well-paid and could be dangerous.
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Taylor said that workers are constantly on their feet in front a conveyor belt and that turnover is high.
Horowitz stated that AMP Robotics uses robotics and artificial Intelligence to address some of the main challenges in the recycling industry.
This image shows a robot that can sort recyclable material faster than humans.
Horowitz stated that the initial idea was rejected by many in robotics when he proposed it.
Horowitz stated that “most people in robotics I knew believed it was a terrible idea,” and that they were skeptical of the problem.
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Horowitz remained firm in his belief that the idea could work, despite the advice of experts.
His design team and he used an “unique” approach that involved artificial intelligence to teach systems how to recognize a variety of materials. These could be bottles, cans, or food particles. This eliminated any limitations to previous sorting machines.
Horowitz stated, “What I saw was that recycling was being held back because of these core challenges.” If you could create a vision system to identify material even if it’s been folded, smashed, or otherwise damaged, then you could solve those core problems and unlock a lot of potential for the industry.
He said, “So, you can see, we’re doing approximately one and a quarter tractor trailers full of recyclable material through the plant every hour.”
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Horowitz stated that recycling centers can place the robots in existing facilities with little to no disruption.
She said that 44% of the greenhouse gases in the U.S. are produced by products and packaging. This means that recycling is the most efficient way to reduce emissions.
Collins stated that people don’t see the aluminum cans or low-quality glass bottles as a way to save energy and reduce greenhouse gasses. It is, and it is huge.
