AI waste analytics
A system that uses computer vision AI to identify waste objects in real time, gathering a live stream of data on material composition and facility performance.
API/integration
An “application programming interface” that enables machinery or software to access and use the data collected by an AI waste analytics system.
Bale
A block of sorted material sold to recyclers, or sent to landfill and incineration.
Circularity
A production and consumption model that minimises waste by recycling and reusing resources.
Contamination
Non-target material in a waste stream or bale.
Conveyor belt
The moving platform that transports waste through the sorting process in a recovery facility.
Fines
Small waste objects that are difficult to sort for recovery, typically 40mm and under.
Infeed
The process through which recovery facilities intake waste material from suppliers.
Mass
The weight of waste material.
Material composition
The proportions of different types of material in an overall waste stream.
Materials recovery facility (MRF)
A facility that sorts mixed municipal solid waste for recovery.
Plastics recovery facility (PRF)
A facility that sorts plastics for recovery.
Purity
The proportion of target material in the waste stream or bale.
Recognition library/taxonomy
The classes or categories of waste that an AI waste analytics system can accurately recognise.
Residue
Unrecovered material that facilities send to landfill or incineration.
Sampling
The process of measuring a bale or waste stream’s composition.
Smart sorting
A sorting process that is guided by detailed data from an AI waste analytics system.
Stock-keeping unit (SKU)
A unit identifying a specific product (e.g. Diet Coke, 300ml)
Target material
Valuable material that MRFs and PRFs aim to sort and recover for recycling.
Throughput
The rate at which a facility processes material.
Waste intelligence
Actionable insight gathered from detailed waste data, used to minimise waste and optimise resource use.
Yield
The amount of valuable material recovered from the overall waste stream.