Tomra Solidifies its Leadership in AI Waste Flow Monitoring

Tomra, a provider of collection and sorting solutions, has strengthened its position in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) area by purchasing a quarter of PolyPerception, a cutting-edge start-up that provides trash flow monitoring using AI.

In December 2022, Tomra started working with PolyPerception; this investment in the business is a further step in Tomra's plan to use cutting-edge technology to revolutionize resource recovery.

“By expanding our cooperation with PolyPerception, we can combine our advanced material sorting systems and cloud-based monitoring solution with the company's innovative material analysis. This synergy enables us to enhance the optimization of the entire process and material flow, providing a significant advantage to our customers. Plus, it now allows us to harness PolyPerceptions' data and AI expertise for continued enhancements to our machinery,” Dr. Volker Rehrmann, Head of Tomra Recycling, said.

Plant sorting waste analysis is made possible by PolyPerception. The firm assists operators of sorting facilities in continually evaluating the quality of sorted streams and the loss of quality material in the residual stream, allowing for data-driven decision-making, by monitoring data at critical stages in the sorting process. It also serves as an automatic compliance system that makes sure local laws and strict rules controlling food-grade recycling are followed. Growing market demand for PolyPerception's revolutionary technology is anticipated as the legal environment shifts toward stricter regulations.

“We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Tomra as a key strategic ally and distributor. Thanks to Tomra’s pole position in the market and extensive industry knowledge, we can accelerate the development of our technology and gain increased market visibility to speed up commercialization. Additionally, we're enthusiastic about exploring additional collaborative opportunities to drive our mission of automating sorting processes even faster. It’s a win-win!” Nicolas Braem, co-founder and CEO of PolyPerception, added.

AI and Data at the Heart of Tomra

For Tomra, AI and data have long been an integral part of the company's R&D activities and product portfolio with specific applications within machine learning, recognition, and infrastructure.

In 2019, the company introduced the industry's first deep-learning technology for waste sorting. This innovation combines deep learning technology with Tomra's traditional sensors, enabling the sorting of difficult-to-classify materials.

Since then, Tomra has continued to invest in the development of deep learning, which is considered a subset of AI and machine learning.

“We are convinced that AI together with the power of our well-established sensors will heavily boost material circularity. Our internal development teams are working at high speed, you'll hear more from Tomra in this regard in the first half of 2024!” Rehrmann concluded.