From Bangladesh to Paraguay, recycling technology is reaching new markets at an impressive pace. At the same time, manufacturers are preparing for a future in which artificial intelligence, automation and critical raw material recovery will become standard features of recycling plants.
Those are among the key findings of Recycling International’s latest global survey, conducted among 55 established recycling technology providers ahead of the 2026 edition of Recycling Technology. The magazine will come out in September.
Far reach
Collectively, the respondents supply equipment to well over 20 countries each, with several operating in up to 60 markets worldwide. Recent deliveries have been made in Australia, Brazil, China, Morocco, Finland, India, Japan, Ghana, the UAE, Canada and the US. This growing global footprint underlines the increasingly international nature of the recycling equipment sector.
Today, the Middle East & Africa region hold a fast-growing market share of the global recycling technology market. It’s at almost 10%, according to last available data from Fortune Business Insights. Latin America’s market share is 5.5%.
Unsurprisingly, the Asia Pacific region dominated the recycling equipment market with a share of 35.6%, followed by the North America (28.3%) and Europe (20.8%).
Innovating to stay ahead
Several companies are unveiling new technologies designed for emerging waste streams. Dutch manufacturer Bronneberg has introduced the Garner DiskMantler, an automated system that dismantles hard disk drives without shredding them. The technology recovers high-purity fractions while isolating valuable neodymium magnets, helping strengthen Europe’s critical raw materials supply.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Stadler has launched the Air Drum Sifter and continues expanding its AI-powered StadlerConnect platform. According to the company, connected plants have already increased material yields by up to 18% while reducing unplanned downtime through predictive maintenance and adaptive process control.
Italian companies are equally ambitious. For Rec is targeting the rapidly growing photovoltaic recycling market with a dedicated processing solution for end-of-life solar panels, while Iris-Mec is responding to new European vehicle legislation through an advanced depollution line for hybrid and electric vehicles that places digital traceability at its core.
Vezzani’s latest gravity-feed inclined shear combines cutting forces of up to 2 700 tonnes with intelligent diagnostics and predictive maintenance.
Meanwhile, BRT Hartner is betting on hyperspectral imaging and AI-based material classification in its new Automatic Sorter.
Full steam ahead
Although geopolitical tensions and shifting trade policies remain a concern, respondents describe a resilient market. Several report that investment decisions were delayed by tariff uncertainty, while others see projects gathering momentum as confidence returns.
All the more reason to rejoice being part of a stable and respected family owned business, according to Julia Stadler of Stadler. ‘I stepped up as co-ceo last year and to represent the eighth generation of our family business is a responsibility that fills me with both pride and gratitude.’
Looking ahead to 2036, she expects recycling plants to become much more digital, connected and specialised. AI is already transforming operations, turning recycling facilities into data-driven ‘smart factories’.
Peter Funke, ceo of sorting specialist Steinert, agrees that advanced sorting technology will become a ‘necessity rather than an option’ as demand for high-quality secondary raw materials continues to rise.
‘AI will bring major productivity gains in the next ten years, I’m sure. This will also allow us to develop new business models and create forms of value that we may only be beginning to imagine today,’ he notes. More than anything, Funke feels the need to celebrate his staff’s expertise and commitment in these challenging times.
Integration a ‘game-changer’
Looking ahead, Votechnik’s ceo Lisa O’Donoghue believes recycling will become more of an important and strategic pillar of Europe’s critical raw materials supply chain than a waste management activity. The LCD display recycling expert sees smart solutions getting more recognition from recyclers, recalling how she built her company around AI, automation and robotics over 15 years ago.
One of the biggest challenges of AI, she believes, has been the quality of the data available to train it.
‘If you’re trying to train an AI system using your own database, you’re always behind the curve. By the time you’ve taught it one generation of products, the next generation is already arriving. In effect, you’re asking AI to predict tomorrow using yesterday’s products. That’s why I see digital product passports as a genuine game changer.’
The full analysis of recycling technology trends will appear in the upcoming edition of Recycling Technology.
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