Greyparrot launches AI sampling dashboard to enhance materials facility efficiencies

Greyparrot, a global leader in AI waste analytics, has announced it will launch its Facility Dashboard at IFAT 2024 next week. This innovative solution aims to provide a centralised view of sorting performance for materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and plastics recovery facilities (PRFs), empowering operators to make data-driven decisions and optimise their operations.

Developed in response to the constant challenges faced by sorting facilities, such as fluctuating material supply and shifting market conditions, the dashboard unifies data from key conveyor belts, offering a comprehensive overview of plant performance and enabling operators to adapt quickly and efficiently.

"Traditionally, MRFs have relied on data collected by manual sampling across key belts and product lines, resulting in a fragmented view of their operations," said Mikela Druckman, CEO of Greyparrot. "The Greyparrot Facility Dashboard offers crucial visibility that has been missing until now. By centralising real-time data and AI analytics, we empower operators to make data-driven decisions to maximise profitability, and minimise valuable material from ending up in landfills."

Greyparrot's existing AI Waste Recognition System, which uses computer vision technology to automate the monitoring, auditing, and sorting of waste at scale, is complemented by the new Facility Dashboard. The system, already adopted by industry leaders such as Biffa, Veolia, and Suez, has proven its value in providing real-time analysis of output material purity and helping operators determine prices based on quality.

Key features of the new dashboard include real-time production overview, flow analysis graph, quality control at a glance, and loss visualisation. These features help waste managers optimise throughput rates, reduce material loss, and maintain consistent material purity across product lines to meet market requirements.

Foppe-Jan de Meer, Plant Manager Separation Facility at plastic sorting specialist KSI, based in the Netherlands, comments: "Greyparrot's Facility Dashboard will help us unlock insights that sharpen our operations, making us more efficient. Our team is at the core of our mission. We prioritise a people-first approach, utilising technology to enhance their efforts instead of simply adding more equipment.

"This smart solution helps us maximise the potential of our existing resources and work smarter. Our ultimate goal is to sort plastics in a way that it can be recycled again and again; circularity is the end game! To reach that goal we need to have predictive operations within the variables of waste sorting, with real-time actionable insights, we will achieve that goal optimally."

With global waste flows expected to reach 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050, there is a growing demand for technology to maximise the value of the recyclable materials recovered. With just 5,500 facilities worldwide handling solid waste, MRFs are under increasing pressure to process higher volumes of waste more efficiently.

The launch of Greyparrot's Facility Dashboard comes at a time when the UK and other countries are implementing stricter regulations for MRF sampling and reporting. The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, set to take effect in October 2024, mandate standardised procedures for sampling and measuring waste at MRFs receiving over 1,000 tonnes per year. These regulations cover a range of waste types, including materials from residential settings and similar non-household waste from commercial, industrial, or other sources.

Under the new regulations, MRFs will be required to develop, document, and implement a sampling methodology that is compliant with the law and tailored to their specific operational characteristics. The Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales will rigorously enforce compliance through announced and unannounced audits, on-site inspections, virtual assessments, and evaluations of data submissions.

Solutions like Greyparrot's Facility Dashboard and AI Waste Recognition System can help operators meet these requirements more efficiently and accurately. 

The Greyparrot Facility Dashboard launches at IFAT Munich 2024, on May 13th. Existing Greyparrot customers can access the dashboard at no additional cost through the Analyzer portal. To see a live demo of Greyparrot’s Facility Dashboard and find out how AI waste analytics can be applied, visit Greyparrot’s booth (137, Hall B4) at IFAT 2024 or email [email protected].

This article was sponsored by Greyparrot