Chasing the next ‘aha!’ moment

While South Korea battled Mexico during the football World Cup, other players were chasing victory elsewhere. But this match didn’t involve humans. Instead, life-sized robots were battling for the RoboCup title, putting their precision and agility to the test.

I encountered a previous generation of these robots at a PRSE trade show in Amsterdam. They were built to collect plastic waste, navigating a miniature football pitch and depositing different plastics into the correct goals. It was more than a crowd-pleasing gimmick: the robots had learned to move and turn and where to position themselves.

Behind these machines is Dutch engineer Danny Hameeteman, who specialises in robotics. His work at Technical University Eindhoven may seem whimsical, but creativity and open-mindedness could yet help recyclers figure out the next step. Through trial and error.

The root of genius

I have always liked the idea of the ‘aha!’ moment, or ‘Eureka!’ as the ancient Greek called it. Something suddenly clicks and a problem becomes an opportunity.

Lisa O’Donoghue is another dreamer-turned-entrepreneur. She started developing a recycling solution for LCD screens while studying at the University of Limerick in Ireland. After graduating, she founded Votechnik in 2011. Today, the company has commercialised the safe removal of hazardous components. The latest machine has been sold to a recycler in Finland. It combines automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and circular innovation.

Then there is Valentyn Frechka, the Ukrainian founder of Releaf Paper. His starting material is wonderfully ordinary: fallen leaves. As a college student, Frechka wondered whether leaves could become something more useful. His idea evolved into a mild chemical process that converts leaf biomass into cellulose for paper production.

Around 2.3 tonnes of leaves can produce one tonne of paper. Releaf Paper has since attracted customers including L’Oréal, Chanel and Samsung. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced the company to relocate to France. Yet the idea survived, grew and found a market.

Start-ups fanning the “spark”

Meanwhile, Ghanaian entrepreneur Emmanuel Nyaletey founded Bridge Solar around another deceptively simple question: what happens to US and European solar panels at end-of-life? His company provides second-life photovoltaic panels to African markets, backed by a growing crew of engineers. Nyaletey is proud to demonstrate the underappreciated technical know-how of his region.

In Switzerland, start-up WasteFlow is challenging the industry: let us use your facility as a real-life lab. ‘One of our latest AI-driven smart sorting lines was installed at Paprec in France,’ reports business development lead Amelie Finkbeiner. She estimates it could bring in 10% extra income through cost savings. ‘You have to be strategic about when and where to introduce AI, though. Sometimes there is a clear benefit, sometimes there isn’t.’  

There is also light at the end of the tunnel for used clothing. At the recent Textiles Recycling Expo in Brussels, I met Mario Osterwalder and his colleagues of Reverse.Fashion. His sorting tech company, based in Berlin, employs mostly 20 and 30-somethings tackling the challenge of blended fabrics. The result? A smart sorting machine that can identify virtually all types and could help kick-start smart sorting hubs across Europe.

11.3 million people

It’s not just cutting-edge equipment making the difference. It’s people who are taking their passion and curiosity into the workplace to shake things up. What all of them have in common is the ability to see the bigger picture while not wasting time hoping someone else will find a solution.

There is plenty of evidence that the wider economy needs people with these skills. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 placed sustainability specialists among the fastest-growing roles. The research drew on 803 companies employing more than 11.3 million people across 45 economies.

Back then, more than 75% of those companies plan to adopt technologies including AI, big data, cloud computing and automation within five years. It’s an enormous playground for engineers, researchers and entrepreneurs.

The 2027 issue of Recycling Technology spotlights many of these efforts. I hope you enjoy it.

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