In an Australian first for resource recovery, Veolia has installed an AI-powered robot arm in a material recovery facility at its Bibra Lake Resource Recovery Park in Western Australia.
The sophisticated system, which can sort seven different types of plastic with 95 per cent accuracy, and process materials 2-3 times faster than traditional methods, aims to significantly boost the state's recycling rate, while enhancing workplace safety through automation.
Practical experience overseas has already shown that a single robot arm placed at the end of a sorting facility, known as the last chance line, has successfully boosted resource recovery rates by 40-70 per cent.
“This technology represents a game-changing solution for Western Australia's recycling challenges, especially in a rapidly expanding resource recovery sector,” said Richard Kirkman, CEO of Veolia ANZ.
“As a fast-growing sector where labour shortages are becoming increasingly common, it was inevitable that automated technology, which can recognise and sort materials for recycling at speed, would become part of Veolia’s world-leading resource recovery facilities.
“There are so many benefits to automating this part of the resource recovery system. We increase recycling rates to divert more waste from landfill, make the work environment safer, reduce labour costs and, through the machine’s smart operating system, we can track the quality and quantity of the resources we recover at a higher level of detail in real-time, and instantly report on them.
“It is in these repetitive processes, where machines can learn through AI and be guided by human intervention, that smart tech can be most useful, especially in Veolia's world-leading resource recovery facilities and our rapidly expanding sector.”
This particular robot will be focused on separating PET plastics, used in many drink containers, and mixed coloured plastics.
When it is first switched on the picking accuracy rate is usually around 80 per cent, but with further testing, and the input of a human operator to review its effectiveness, the accuracy rate is expected to quickly rise to better than 95 per cent. This ability to be rapidly trained means it will be able to detect and sort new forms of plastic products and packaging as they are introduced.
It’s the latest cutting-edge investment by Veolia, as part of its global Green Up strategy, which has Australia in the spotlight as a key region to invest in building the circular economy of the future.
Through this innovation, Veolia is taking another step forward to increase the amount of plastic that is recycled in Western Australia, where plastic recycling remains unfathomably low.
According to the latest National Waste Report figures, Western Australia’s recycling rate of 6.9 per cent lags behind the national average of 12.5 per cent, with more than 90 per cent of plastic waste still going to landfill.
That national challenge continues to grow as well, with the quantity of plastic waste generated in Australia increasing by 12 per cent from 2.66Mt to 2.99Mt, while the country’s population only increased by eight per cent.
“These recycling rates in Australia demand immediate action. This is simultaneously an environmental issue, a waste issue, a consumption issue, and an economic issue,” Kirkman said.
“Every piece of plastic that is recycled is a valuable resource that we can reuse to make new products, boost our economy and reduce carbon emissions.
“Our AI-powered system, running on renewable energy harvested from our Bibra Lake facility, delivers both environmental and economic benefits ― transforming waste into valuable resources, while significantly reducing our carbon footprint.”
