Page 47 - Frontier Technologies to Protect the Environment and Tackle Climate Change

Frontier Technologies to Protect the Environment and Tackle Climate Change

Box 7: Using AI to manage waste and e-waste
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ITU, UNU and ISWA estimated that in 2050, the world will generate about 50 Mton of WEEE.
In the same study, it was estimated that currently, only 20 per cent of the WEEE produced is
being collected formally and 80 per cent is either recycled informally or dumped, generating
a loss of value and a negative impact on climate change. The concept of embodied energy
helps to measure the impact of waste management on climate change. To understand this
concept, it is necessary to examine, for example, how climate benefits related to e-waste
recycling come from looking at the whole life cycle of electrical and electronic goods. For
example, ‘It takes 539 lbs (245 kg) of fossil fuel, 48 lbs (22 kg) of chemicals, and 1.5 tons
(1 524 kg) of water to manufacture one computer and monitor.’

An important part of the energy consumption in the life cycle of electrical and electronic
goods is in the extraction and refinement of raw materials and the production phase. The
embodied energy is the sum of energy consumed by each of the processes associated
with extraction and production, from the mining and processing of natural resources to
manufacturing, transport and product delivery. It is the ‘upstream’ or ‘cradle-to-gate’
component of the life cycle. Furthermore, advanced digital technology is energy-hungry in
the production phase: a handful of microchips can have as much embodied energy as a car. A
study from Norway (2008) shows that the end-of-life carbon footprint of all e-waste is small,
although its share is expected to increase as e-waste volume increases. The production and
use phases are where most emissions occur.

E-waste that is sent straight to landfill – or is hoarded and unused – loses its embodied
energy. It is important to remember that e-waste is a resource that continues to have value
throughout its life cycle. Recycling has positive climate impacts not only for the materials
that are recovered, but also for saving the energy that was used to make them. (E-waste
challenge MOOC, 2016)

Automating the processes of waste sorting and disposal, by switching to AI for smart
recycling and waste management, is expected to bring in better disposal methods to recycle
sustainably. In Finland, for example, AI was employed for smart recycling by managing
waste using a robotic waste sorter. Combining computer vision, ML and AI, the robots ran
synchronized trials to sort and pick recycled materials from moving conveyor belts. Since
then, leveraging technology in the field of waste management has come a long way, refining
itself over the years.

The Intelligent Trash Can, which is equipped with AI programs and Internet of Things
(IoT)-enabled sensors, is another revolutionary concept in the waste management sector.
The sensors on these trash cans measure the waste stream levels of the waste thrown
inside them and send these data, via intermediate servers, to the main disposal system for
processing. The system categorizes the data into the type of waste, the quantity of each
type of waste, and the respective waste disposal method. This entire system can also refine
itself over time by studying historical records to improve its efficiency.
AI-powered smart recycling equipment is also being utilized in smart bins, e.g. in the city of
Dubai. These smart bins can think for themselves while sorting and sending waste (trash).
All a person has to do is put the waste in the bin. The bin then uses its sensors to study and
compare the waste recovered with previous waste records, and then decides on what needs
to be done with the waste. Depending on the decision, the bin itself sends the waste to an
appropriate disposal system, be it a dumping ground or a recycling factory.

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