KING COUNTY, Wash. — Recology King County is using the power of artificial intelligence to improve recycling.
The recycling facility recently installed a series of machines equipped with AI, robots, and computer vision to better sort items so fewer end up in landfills and reduce pollution.
The machines were created by Glacier. The company says the machines can identify more than 30 materials, including PET plastic, aluminum cans, and toothpaste tubes. They can also sort 45 items per minute.
“Glacier helps facilities optimize material recovery, reduce contamination, and align with commodity pricing—diverting millions of items from landfills and preventing CO₂ emissions,” a news release from the company states.
Seattle joins other cities across the U.S., including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, and Phoenix, in implementing this technology.
Here’s a look at how the robots work:
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