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Waste & RecyclingAI Sorting and the National Goal
Twenty flashcards on AI cameras, air jets and robots already sorting recyclables in real plants, and the national recycling goal and figures, with data from AMP, EverestLabs, WM and EPA.
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20 cards
- What does the company AMP do, and where is it based?
- It applies AI and automation to waste sorting; it is headquartered and manufactures in Colorado.
- How widely are AMP's systems installed?
- Hundreds of systems across three continents.
- What can AMP Vision tell apart on the belt?
- Each item's material type, form factor, color, polymer and even brand.
- What cameras does AMP Vision use, and why?
- Visible-light RGB cameras, which cost much less than expensive infrared systems.
- How fast a belt can AMP Vision read?
- Belt speeds up to 600 feet per minute, with 80% belt coverage.
- How many AMP Vision systems are deployed, and how many categories do they identify?
- More than 400 systems worldwide (400+), identifying 50+ material categories.
- How does an AMP Jet sorter work?
- Two rows of 50 air nozzles blow items off the belt, sorting two material streams at the same time.
- How fast and how accurate is each AMP Jet?
- Over 5000 ejections per minute, capturing 90%+ of target material without human sorters.
- How much faster is the AMP Delta robot than hand sorting?
- Up to four times faster, with more accuracy and consistency.
- How much target material does an AMP ONE plant recover?
- 90%+ of target materials without touching a human hand.
- How does AMP ONE track what is in each bale?
- Every bale gets a bar code linked to its exact composition and purity.
- Where does an AMP ONE plant sort mixed household trash, and with what results?
- In Portsmouth, Virginia: 60%+ diversion of municipal solid waste and 90%+ uptime.
- Which big waste company runs an AMP single-stream plant, and how is it paid?
- Waste Connections, in Denver, Colorado; AMP operates it for a per-ton rate with guaranteed performance.
- How do EverestLabs robots fit into an existing plant?
- Each cell has a compact 3x3 ft footprint over existing conveyor belts, managed remotely from a 24/7 staffed operations center.
- What did WM complete in recycling plants in 2025?
- 9 new or automated recycling facilities, for a total of 113.
- WM's recycling figures for 2025?
- 817,000 tons of annual recycling capacity added, and 16,783,200 tons of material recovered for recycling.
- What is the U.S. National Recycling Goal, and when was it announced?
- Raise the national recycling rate to 50 percent by 2030; announced on November 17, 2020, at the America Recycles Summit.
- How much does the EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program have?
- $275 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $55 million per year from fiscal years 2022 to 2026.
- How much municipal solid waste did the U.S. generate in 2018, and what share was recycled or composted?
- 292.4 million tons, or 4.9 pounds per person per day; 32.1 percent was recycled and composted.
- Most recycled product by weight in the U.S. in 2018?
- Corrugated boxes, with 32.1 million tons.
Official sources
AMP
About AMP
WM (Waste Management)
WM Sustainability: progress and 2025 highlights
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
U.S. National Recycling Goal
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling
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