Why waste intelligence is an operational necessity in 2026

"Over the next five years, the sites that stay ahead will be the ones built to adjust quickly. That means investing in new technology now, training people to use and understand data, and designing operations that can absorb change rather than be disrupted by it."

"We’ve already learned that there’s huge potential to understand our production much better. Until now, we couldn’t measure processes in this level of detail. That data will help us make the right decisions about adjustments and investments, and document the entire process."

"Previously, quality issues were flagged after things were baled and inspected, or from a customer complaint. We have an opportunity now to see that live on the line, and make corrections upstream in the plant, so we’re producing better quality, quicker."

"The future is clear: to further increase recycling rates, we need more insight and collaboration across the value chain.

AI can power fact-based and automated decision-making, providing recovery facilities with a much more accurate overview of their waste composition, and ultimately maximising their ROI."

"For us, adopting AI waste analytics was a way to get more process control. With continuous data on our material, I can maximise yields by tweaking processes in response: a little more airflow in our drum separator, or a bit of adjustment on the near-infrared system."