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<ul class="summary-list"><li>US recycling centers lose up to $1 million annually due to valuable materials ending up in landfills.</li><li>AI startups, including EverestLabs, use robots and machine learning to recover more recyclables. </li></ul>It's well known that the US is bad at recycling.Companies don't make enough recyclable containers and packaging, and people are confused about what can go in the blue bin. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recycling-rate-us-extended-producer-responsibility-cans-bottles-plastic-paper-2023-2">patchwork of state and local collection systems</a> doesn't help.Even when aluminum cans, laundry jugs, and soda bottles do make it to recycling centers, some 27% of those potentially valuable materials still end up in landfills, according to a study by EverestLabs, an AI robotics company that's trying to solve the problem. That means US recycling centers could be losing up to $1 million every year on materials that could be sold to manufacturers and made into something new.EverestLabs is among a group of AI startups disrupting the waste sector by using 3D cameras, machine learning, and robots in recycling centers to help recover more materials, boost profits, and ideally reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. If more aluminum, plastic, cardboard, and glass get recycled, fewer virgin materials would need to be extracted from mining and fossil-fuel production."Recycling plants have been using outdated technologies," JD Ambati, the CEO and founder of EverestLabs, told Business Insider. "They're focused on processing volume at a high throughput, which has the unintended consequences of a lot of material getting shoved into the conveyor lines that send the materials to the landfill."As part of its study, EverestLabs spent two years monitoring the waste stream at dozens of recycling centers across the country. Each of the centers processed hundreds of tons of materials a day. The study measured losses of the most valuable recycled commodities, aluminum and certain types of plastic, but didn't cover cardboard or glass.Ambati said aluminum and plastic are in high demand because companies selling packaged food, beverages, and household products are trying to use more recycled content to meet sustainability goals. Some US states, the European Union, and Australia also have regulations requiring a certain percentage of plastic containers to be made with recycled content to help reduce waste piling up in landfills and the environment.About 76% of recyclables in the US are being lost in the trash at home, <a target="_blank" href="https://recyclingpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2024/01/Recycling-Partnership-State-of-Recycling-Report-1.12.24.pdf">according to The Recycling Partnership</a>, a nonprofit group that conducts research and works with companies and governments to fund new infrastructure and education projects. Only about 3% of recyclables are lost at processing centers, but new technology is needed to sort and process more materials, the group said."A million-dollar loss is substantial for these recycling plants," Ambati said, adding that the waste industry is starting to see the benefits of investing in AI. "They wanted to get comfortable with what this technology can do."EverestLabs' customers are some of the biggest waste haulers and recyclers in North America, including Republic Services, Novelis, and Balcones Resources.Last year, Caglia Environmental, which serves the Fresno and San Joaquin Valley region in California, installed EverestLabs' technology on one of its "last chance" lines to identify aluminum cans mistakenly destined for the landfill. It is expected to divert more than 1 million cans away from landfills and back to recycling plants that sell the material to manufacturers."Every time an aluminum can is thrown in the trash, it's just a horrendous waste to the Earth," Ambati said. "It is infinitely recyclable and can become part of your car door, washing machine, window frames, you name it. That is what people are missing."

AI could help the US be less terrible at recycling

Cardboard is one of the most recycled materials, but it still takes piles of trees to produce it every year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon said nearly all deliveries in North America no longer have plastic air pillows inside.</li><li>This change avoids 15 billion air pillows a year, Amazon's biggest plastic reduction effort yet.</li></ul>Nearly all Amazon deliveries in North America no longer include plastic air pillows, the e-commerce giant said on Thursday.Amazon said the change would avoid some 15 billion air pillows — the company's largest reduction in plastic packaging to date. Instead, Amazon is using a paper filler made from 100% recycled material that customers can recycle at home as part of a broader effort to eventually eliminate all plastic packaging from North American fulfillment centers. Amazon already met that goal in Europe this year.The switch to recycled paper comes as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-global-plastic-pollution-treaty-under-scrutiny-2024-4">companies and governments are under pressure</a> to phase out single-use plastics that are piling up in landfills and contributing to the climate crisis. The vast majority of plastics are made from oil and gas, can't be recycled, and degrade into tiny particles that leach into the air and environment. Scientists have found those microplastics in human blood along with organs including the liver, heart, lungs, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-found-in-human-testicles-what-to-do-2024-5">most recently testicles</a>, but the effects on our health are still being studied.For years, Oceana, a nonprofit that advocates for protecting oceans, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-plastic-air-packets-boxes-circle-the-planet-2022-12">has criticized Amazon's ballooning plastic</a> footprint as the company ships billions of packages around the world. Matt Littlejohn, Oceana's senior vice president, told Business Insider that eliminating air pillows indicated Amazon was serious about its plastic-reduction efforts in North America and that it was welcome news for oceans. Plastic air pillows are made with a film <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=bi-auto-70463-20&amp;h=c38415b31a84dfb5aa56a438e162cc317827951d6b626391c4e894a25633a2fd&amp;postID=66736386b38735ca9df50ca4&amp;postSlug=amazon-cutting-single-use-plastic-shipping-packaging-paper-recycling-2024-6&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41893-021-00720-8">that's commonly found littering marine areas</a>.Oceana recently <a target="_blank" href="https://oceana.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2024/04/Amazons-United-States-of-Plastic-Oceana-Report-April-2024_reducedsize-1.pdf">estimated that Amazon generated</a> more than 94,000 metric tons of plastic-packaging waste in the US alone in 2022, a 9.6% increase over the previous year. That's enough to circle the Earth more than 200 times in the form of air pillows, Oceana said.Amazon disputes Oceana's figures and <a target="_blank" href="https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2022-sustainability-report.pdf">reported a lower amount of plastic packaging across</a> its global operations in 2022: Nearly 86,000 metric tons, an 11.6% decrease from the previous year.Oceana said its estimates were higher than Amazon's because the company hadn't accounted for orders sent by third-party sellers. Those independent sellers account for <a target="_blank" href="https://sell.amazon.com/sell?ld=SEUSSOAGOOG-sitelink-guide-D&amp;tag=googhydr-20&amp;hvadid=664128654868&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvexid=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=11107216929719429337&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9007526&amp;hvtargid=kwd-297084214751&amp;ref=pd_sl_2vge9q2e84_b&amp;ld=SEUSSOAGOOG-BFBA12122B-CLK-D&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyXwoFqkDpXAG0SpyouCS4LjcgY7qHDkeWaOK2XItdtbw5ohJv0188UaAtm2EALw_wcB%5C">more than 60% of Amazon's sales</a>. Amazon's plastic-packaging data reflects orders shipped through its own fulfillment centers — which some independent sellers opt for — and through its grocery business. The data also isn't broken down by country."The first thing for us is to really test and learn and then scale what we can control within our own facilities," Pat Linder, Amazon's vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging, told BI. "That's been our focus."Linder pointed to an Amazon fulfillment center in Cleveland that last year became the first to eliminate plastic delivery packaging and replace it with paper that's curbside recyclable. The effort involved rebuilding existing machines that were using plastic to package products. Additionally, As well as being more sustainable, the recyclable paper is better at protecting orders from damage, Linder said.He added that Amazon would disclose the impact of these changes on the company's plastic use in a future sustainability report.That report is also set to detail Amazon's broader climate strategy. The company aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 while boosting sales and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-energy-centers-water-energy-land-2023-10">building more data centers</a> that demand vast amounts of electricity.In 2022, Amazon's carbon footprint dropped by 0.4% from the previous year, although it was still higher than in 2019, the first year Amazon reported its emissions.

Amazon is trying to eliminate plastic that doesn't get recycled. It's actually making some progress.       

As you enjoy the new <keyword id="10591" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="samsung" source="Orion">Samsung</keyword> foldable devices, do you realise that the blue part you see in Galaxy Z Flip 4 is made of repurposed fishing nets? According to Pranveer Singh Rathore, Materials R&amp;D Manager, Samsung Electronics, the blue part, the side key bracket, basically avoids making your phone waterproof from the side keeper and dustproof. "So it acts as a barrier to water and dust and improves the durability of your phone. Similarly, with the receiver decode that displays connector Cap and other green parts, they act as housing to the crucial components," he told the media during an interaction. "As they are housing the critical components, they act as a barrier and are durable so that they can withstand all kinds of climatic conditions and all kinds of stresses they are exposed to," Rathore added. Samsung has been in the news for repurposing fishing nets and using them in smartphones. Every year, around 640,000 tonnes of fishing nets end up in our oceans, posing a serious threat to the marine ecosystem. Fishing nets are typically made of nylon materials, which have the basic property of absorbing moisture and water. "Starting with Galaxy S22 earlier this year and now with the new Galaxy Foldables and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, we are scaling up the use of this innovative material," said the Samsung executive. By the end of 2022, "we hope to prevent more than 50 tonnes of discarded fishing nets from entering our oceans". According to Rathore, they have been researching and developing sustainable materials for over a decade. "2017 is when we started applying post-consumer materials in inbox charges and in 2018, we applied this material across all the products and chargers. This was when we started developing a new material solution to replace fossil-based raw materials with bio-based raw materials, which are renewable," he informed. By 2019, the company was able to develop this material, and then we applied this material to A and M series smartphones in the display frames. Galaxy Buds 2 Pro contains mostly recycled materials. More than 90 per cent of the plastics used in Galaxy buds 2 Pro are recycled materials. The repurposed fishing Nets are used in the internal brackets of the charging case, and the post-consumer materials are used in all the exterior parts of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. "With the Galaxy Watch 5, we also introduced post-consumer materials in the ECG and BIA keys, which you can see from the outside," said Rathore. By 2030, Samsung plans to establish system in which minerals extracted from all collected waste batteries can be reused "By 2030, 50 per cent of plastic used in products will incorporate recycled resin and 100 per cent by 2050. The Galaxy Z Fold4 has already been designed to incorporate plastics recycled from discarded fishing nets and other marine waste, and the success seen here will soon be expanded to additional products," according to the company. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-5g-prices-may-be-affordable-for-now-but-expected-to-increase-after-wider-rollout/articleshow/94636173.cms">Reliance Jio and Airtel 5G prices may be affordable for now but expected to increase after wider rollout</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/hero-vida-v1-plus-vs-ather-450x-electric-scooter-comparison-of-price-and-features/slidelist/94753042.cms">Hero Vida V1 Plus vs Ather 450X – price, range and features compared</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/telecom-sector-to-ring-in-stability-in-q2-jio-and-airtel-expected-to-grow-stronger-vi-weaker/articleshow/94709309.cms">Telecom sector to ring in stability in Q2 – Jio and Airtel expected to grow stronger, Vi weaker</a>

The blue part in Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is made of repurposed fishing nets

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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Most of the 50 billion shoes produced every year end up in landfills.</li><li>A Dutch company, however, says it's figured out a solution.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sneakers-lead-charge-for-sustainability-apparel-2019-8">Shoes have proven difficult to recycle</a>, but one Dutch company thinks it has found the perfect formula to sustainably break down footwear.Nearly 50 billion shoes are produced worldwide every year, and almost all of them eventually <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/adidas-sneakers-plastic-bottles-ocean-waste-recycle-pollution-2019-8">find their way into a landfill</a>, Business Insider <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C032oem5eaY&amp;t=303s">previously reported</a>. Typical running shoes contain about 40 different parts made from several different materials, including, plastic, rubber, metal, and ethylene-vinyl acetate (foam), among others.Mass-produced shoes are typically held together with extremely powerful glue, which makes them very difficult to recycle because the glue can contaminate the other recyclable materials.But Danny Pormes, the CEO and founder of FastFeedGrinded, told BI his company has found a way to recycle every part of a shoe's material. The company, through its unconventional methods, is able to process up to 2,500 shoes per hour."We are willing to change the whole shoe industry," FFG CFO Erna Pordes-Redecker, who is also Danny's wife, told BI. "It's very hard, but we're doing it."<div type="image" title="Shoe material falling out of a machine at the FastFeetGrinded facility." height="926" width="1826" msid="106237622" hostid="261" sizebytes="40006"></div>Danny, an ex-Dutch Marine, told BI he previously won contracts with the Dutch government to provide shoes to the military through his shoe store Runnersworld Hoorn, but about eight years ago, the military asked him to consider a recycling program.FFG, located in the Netherlands, collects shoes from the Dutch military, store collection boxes, and manufacturers who pay the company to destroy defective shoes.The company then separates the shoes into different types before pushing them through an automated system that uses heat and friction to disassemble them.After the shoes are broken down, the materials are separated by type, such as the rubber, which is ground into fine particles, and the fabric, which can be spun to create new shoe laces.<div type="image" title="Rubber and foam that has been ground into powder at the FastFeedGrinded factory." height="918" width="1820" msid="106237623" hostid="261" sizebytes="202314"></div>Following the request from the Dutch government, the Pormes's started working with Asics to develop new shoes from recycled materials. Asics says that while it can create new shoes from recycled materials, they can't be used for high performance."If we take our highest performance running shoe, making that entirely from circular recycled materials, it won't have the same functional properties still," Asics manager of sustainability Romy Miltenburg told Business Insider.Miltenburg said Asics hopes to get to a point where it can manufacture high-performance shoes from recycled materials."Hopefully, it will not be just a cool side project, but something we can really implement into the way we make shoes at large," Miltenburg said.In 2022, FFG faced a devastating fire at its first recycling plant that destroyed everything, but the company opened up a new facility in just 10 months."Most of the people, in the beginning, they are laughing," Pordes-Redecker told BI. "But now they are saying to us, 'my God this is so, so good that you have been fighting to do this, to make it right, and to get it done.'"<div type="image" title="Dissasembled shoe material falls into a machine in front of a worker at the FastFeetGrinded facility." height="928" width="1816" msid="106237624" hostid="261" sizebytes="54060"></div>Other large shoemakers — like Adidas — are also working to make their shoes more sustainable by using plastic found floating in the oceans. The plastic is first crushed into flakes before it's heated and spun into polyester used to create the top of the shoe.Adidas released the Futurercraft Loop in 2021, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/adidas-recyclable-sneaker-futurecraft-loop-2019-4">a shoe made entirely from recyclable plastics</a> and no glue. The shoes only use a single material and are designed to be recycled into future versions of the same shoe.

Sneakers are bad for the environment and super difficult to recycle. We visited a company that claims it found a solution.

Nearly 20 per cent of all material used in <keyword id="6354427" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="apple" source="Orion">Apple</keyword> products in 2021 was recycled, the highest-ever use of recycled content, the company has announced. For the first time, certified recycled gold was used in the plating of the main logic board and wire in the front camera and the rear cameras of iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro. To achieve this milestone, Apple said it pioneered industry-leading levels of traceability to build a gold supply chain of exclusively recycled content. "As people around the world join in celebrating <keyword id="6453991" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth-day" source="Orion">Earth Day</keyword> (April 22), we are making real progress in our work to address the climate crisis and to one day make our products without taking anything from the earth," said <keyword id="276890" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lisa-jackson" source="Orion">Lisa Jackson</keyword>, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy, and <keyword id="2532066" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="social-initiatives" source="Orion">Social Initiatives</keyword>. Apple also announced its newest recycling innovation, Taz, a machine that uses a groundbreaking approach to improve material recovery from traditional electronics recycling. In 2021, 59 per cent of all the aluminum Apple shipped in its products came from recycled sources, with many products featuring 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure. Since 2015, the company has reduced plastic in its packaging by 75 per cent. Apple products in 2021 included 45 per cent certified recycled rare earth elements, a significant increase since the company introduced recycled rare earth elements in its devices. The products had 30 per cent certified recycled tin, with all new iPhone, <keyword id="101239" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ipad" source="Orion">iPad</keyword>, AirPods, and <keyword id="62949" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mac" source="Orion">Mac</keyword> devices featuring 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of their main logic boards. They also featured 13 per cent certified recycled cobalt, used in iPhone batteries that can be disassembled by Apple's recycling robot Daisy and returned to market. Apple said it is also committed to extending the lifetime of its products through refurbishment. In 2021, Apple sent 12.2 million devices and accessories to new owners for reuse, extending their lifetime and reducing the need for future mining. "Ultimately, Apple aims to use only renewable or recyclable materials in its products -- a goal announced in 2017 that has charted the company's pathway on design and material sourcing," it said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ceo-bonus-for-the-top-10-tech-giants-soared-400-amid-pandemic/articleshow/90949619.cms">CEO bonus for the top 10 tech giants soared 400% amid pandemic</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/netflix-has-lost-200000-subscribers-in-the-first-quarter-of-2022/articleshow/90950450.cms">Netflix share price tanks as the company records its first drop in users since 2011</a>

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