2024 was a significant year for waste management, AI technology, and Greyparrot.
The waste crisis attracted more attention than ever, from a milestone agreement on organic waste at COP29 to Netflix’s Buy Now! documentary. Despite that attention, the controversial Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and record-high plastic waste proved that we are still not working fast enough to improve circularity.
This year also saw tools like ChatGPT putting AI in the headlines for making day-to-day tasks more efficient — and AI waste analytics was no different.
Our customers are adapting to the challenges of low-cost virgin plastics, rising energy costs, labour shortages, and fluctuating recyclate prices, leading them to turn to AI for improving margins. At Greyparrot we continually ask ourselves: how can AI help the industry capture more materials, manage volatility, and operate profitably?
To find the answer, we collaborated with more partners than ever, placed more data than ever into the hands of waste managers to deliver more value than ever for our customers in global recovery facilities.
Here’s a look back at Greyparrot’s 2024.
Greyparrot celebrated a record year for waste data
In 2023, we detected 800 waste objects per second. By 2024, our Analyzer units worldwide processed over 1,200 objects per second, creating some of the largest and most detailed waste datasets globally:
Data milestones - measuring more material than ever before
🔍 40 billion+ waste objects detected 🚀 140+ active Greyparrot Analyzer units 🏭 55+ facilities using the Analyzer system 🌎 20+ countries monitored |
Discover insights on global residue streams in 2024 here
This rapid growth wouldn’t have been possible without some key collaborators. Earlier this year, we announced a strategic partnership with Bollegraaf Recycling Solutions — one of the world’s largest builders of recycling plants.
Together with their North American associates at Van Dyk Recycling Solutions, they helped us kick off what’s been described as the “largest ever” rollout of AI waste analytics.
We launched the waste sector’s most advanced Analytics portal
Our customers received an unprecedented amount of data on their material this year. To help them turn it into actionable insight, we launched the waste sector’s most advanced Analytics portal — and more sustainable new hardware that’s easier to retrofit in tight spaces.
Rapid product developments to meet customer needs
📊 The Facility Dashboard - distilling an entire sorting facility’s performance onto a single live page 🚨 Alerts feature (Upgraded) - notifications that helps users adapt to changes in waste composition and throughput while drawing conclusions on key performance indicators 📈 Waste taxonomy grew from 67 to 89 categories - increasing our ability to recognise more challenging and valuable materials to unlock further insights and sorting capabilities |
Our customers moved to lean operations with AI
The results of those new product features spoke for themselves this year. AI waste analytics improved resource recovery.
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Find more case studies on the ROI of AI waste analytics here.
Putting the power of detailed waste data in the hands of global waste operators around the world required a network of distributors.
From France’s NextWaste to Italy’s Rixera, and North America’s Van Dyk, our partners have connected us with organisations that have embraced leaner operations with AI waste analytics.
We accelerated the move to dynamic control
We have our eyes on the next step in recycling automation: dynamically controlled facilities.
We’re working with fellow waste innovators to embed our data in machinery and software:
Next steps in recycling automation
🗑️ We worked with Bollegraaf to create a baler that adapts its recipe settings to live composition changes 🤖 Canada’s Waste Robotics used Greyparrot AI to power their Robot Validator — the sector’s first system that accurately assesses facility material to make a business case for robotic automation 🏭 ACI Chemical embedded our technology to identify materials in South Korea’s first fully-automated deposit return cabin
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More than ever, Greyparrot is the data provider for the entire waste and packaging value chain
In 2024, we worked with major brands and packaging producers like Berry Global and materials leaders like Dow to shine a light on the post-consumption life of packaging. Waste intelligence now shapes packaging that prioritises resource efficiency and recyclability.
Recyclable packaging will mean recovery facilities receive material that is easier to sort and recover. In turn, it will be easier for recyclers to create a steadier, lower-cost supply of secondary resources. Producers can then use those materials to create more sustainable packaging.
In other words, waste data began closing the circularity loop in 2024.
Our team grew to match our ambition
Greyparrot’s exponential growth in 2024 wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible team we have that grew alongside it.
We welcomed 18 new joiners this year, including the 5 AI, software and hardware specialists from The Netherlands that came on board as part of our strategic partnership with Bollegraaf — and now work from Greyparrot’s first European office.
On a personal note, I am incredibly proud of the team we’ve built, our passion for sustainability and our values that we’ve been able to preserve even as we grow.
Greyparrot remains as purpose-driven as ever, and we’re already excited to boost recycling rates and reduce the environmental impact of waste in 2025.
