Artificial intelligence will headline the Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRS Europe) at RAI Amsterdam on 5–6 May.
The show will feature a dedicated AI Innovation Hub, offering visitors an immersive journey across the plastics recycling value chain from feedstock and product design to collection, processing and material sourcing.
AI driving efficiency across recycling
New research from Fact MR predicts the AI-enabled recycling infrastructure market will reach EUR 3.8 billion by the end of this year. Citing strong future demand, the researchers expect this to exceed EUR 12 billion by 2036.
AI is doing many things, including:
- optimising sorting
- enhancing product design
- calculating best collection routes
- reducing manual labour
- cutting environmental impact
- support data-driven pricing
- boosting processor connections
- enabling blockchain traceability
- more transparent and cost-efficient operations
Swarm robot sorting in action
At the show Antfarm will demonstrate its Swarm Alpha fleet, 6–10 robots sorting bottles, cans, and cartons from real-world waste streams.
Also debuting is Antfarm Beta, designed to sort up to ten times faster than Alpha. Beta robots pick individual objects and store them in onboard bins, dramatically increasing throughput.
Visitors can follow the sorting live via a dashboard showing material types, picks per minute and revenue metrics, says company founder Sébastien Willems. ‘This year’s demonstration represents a major step change in both material range and picking speed. Visitors will be amazed at our progress.’
Phone-based AI material analysis
Safi will showcase a phone-based AI solution for analysing recycled PET bales. Declan Clancy, head of product at Safi, comments: ‘Visitors can see AI working live and test it themselves. It’s an accessible way to explore material analysis on the go.’
Attend free of charge
PRS Europe registration is free until 5 April 2026, after which a EUR 50 fee applies. Visit the PRS Europe website to secure attendance and explore the latest AI-driven recycling solutions.
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