By the year 2050, municipal solid waste generation will be projected to increase by more than 75 percent worldwide, reaching a whopping 3.78 billion metric tons. These projected increases can be attributed to a number of ongoing trends:
- Increases in population (Earth’s total population is projected to reach 9.8 billion globally by 2050)
- Increasing urbanization, as more people move to cities (with an estimated 2.5 billion more people living in cities, equal to two out of every three people on Earth)
- Economic growth, as emerging economies in countries such as China and India continue to expand (the global economy is expected to more than double in size by the year 2050)
As waste generation increases substantially, the municipal recycling aspect of waste management is likely to become more challenging, straining the already limited resources of many municipalities.
This is where technological innovation – specifically, new waste management technologies and automated waste management software – comes in to save the day.
The Role of Technology in Modern Recycling
Although the prospect of waste generation is expected to increase by 75 percent over the next 25 years is a daunting one, new waste disposal and processing technologies promise to make recycling more efficient and effective. These include:
Smart Recycling Bins
Smart recycling bins contain sensors that allow them to identify the type of waste being placed inside and automatically sorts it. For instance, smart recycling bins with infrared sensors and cameras can recognize specific types of plastic, sometimes using AI to send the plastic to the right place.
IoT Integration
In the realm of recycling, the Internet of Things (IoT) (otherwise known as the “Internet of Waste”) constitutes an interconnected network of devices that can collect and share data from the initial waste collection to the final step of materials recycling. These can include smart devices within recycling bins, the vehicles that collect recyclables, and the endpoint of the recycling facilities themselves. By collecting data in real-time, these devices can make recycling more efficient in a host of ways.
For example, waste management systems employing IoT technologies can collect data from bins to automatically generate the most efficient collection routes for the vehicles that are picking up waste. In addition, at the recycling facilities themselves, smart sensors can analyze waste streams as they move through the facility and remove contaminants to make sure that the final output is free from any non-recyclable materials and is as high-quality as possible. In practice, better material recovery means that less recyclable trash ends up unnecessarily relegated to landfills, benefiting the environment.
Future Trends: Innovations Shaping the Future of Recycling
Artificial intelligence has grown rapidly over the last few years, and as time goes on, AI is only expected to become smarter. Although recycling plants have historically used manual human labor to sort recyclable materials, delegating this task to AI could save human labor and make the process faster and more efficient, with fewer contaminants found in the final recyclables.
Another expected future innovation in waste management are chemical recycling techniques that allow us to break plastics down into smaller molecular components. This process allows for more efficient recycling than traditional methods so that the same materials can be reused more times than previously thought.
In addition, as 3D printing technology becomes more advanced, widespread, and affordable, this advanced technology will also allow for more efficient use of recycled plastics. 3D printing allows for an incredible degree of fine-tuned control over the final product, and in many cases, recycled plastics can be used for these purposes.
Recycling Apps: Simplifying Waste Management for Consumers
Waste recycling apps are another area in which technological innovation is revolutionizing recycling. Many of these recycling apps are associated with bottle drop recycling programs, where participants fill up bags of bottles and cans and bring them to their local can and bottle recycling drop-off locations.
CLYNK is one of the companies that are spearheading this recycling revolution. Their one-of-a-kind patented system for bottle redemption makes it easier than ever to ensure that your containers don’t end up going to waste in landfills. CLYNK employs a multi-stream recycling approach to produce uncontaminated, nearly 100 percent recyclable materials—an approach that no other company in the US is currently using.
With CLYNK, it’s as simple as placing your bottles and cans in the green recyclable bags, tagging them with your personalized bag tags, and bringing them to a nearby drop-off location to scan each bag and drop them off (typically taking 30 seconds or less).
In CLYNK’s associated app, you can access your account, and account card, update your information, check your account balance, and monitor how many containers you have successfully recycled thus far, to better understand your overall environmental impact.
Sign up for CLYNK Today
If you’re ready to begin bottle drop recycling through CLYNK, sign up online today. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive free CLYNK cards, bag tags, and a voucher for ten recycling bags. If you prefer, you can also sign up in person at a CLYNK kiosk near you.
Visit our FAQs page for more details about how recycling with CLYNK works.