Using artificial intelligence in plastic waste management makes the process more accurate and faster
Plastic waste is one of the most pervasive challenges when it comes to sustainability, and it’s a top concern for organizations today. Businesses and governments are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) as a useful tool in their quest to minimize and eliminate pollution. Less than 10% of the 400 million tons of plastic waste generated worldwide each year is recycled. Although major and complex changes are required to solve this problem, the knowledge and efficiency needed can be obtained using artificial intelligence.
The plastic supply chain is optimized
AI can improve the efficiency of supply chain operations. Using predictive analytics, businesses can better understand demand changes and prevent overproduction. AI can help companies use only the necessary amount of plastic, reducing waste by adjusting manufacturing to changing demand cycles.
Some companies are trying to create a closed-loop supply chain that includes recycling and returns to eliminate waste in production. Complex factors must be considered when determining how to design and implement these systems, but AI can help.
Analytics tools can identify potential reuse locations for materials or the most efficient way to handle returns. Businesses will find it easier to restructure their supply chains to reduce plastic waste.
Find new ways to deal with it
AI can come up with creative green solutions to get rid of plastic. Recently, researchers used machine learning to develop an enzyme that can degrade PET polymers into their constituent chemicals in less than 24 hours. Businesses can turn these ingredients into new materials, reducing waste.
Traditional discovery techniques are labor- and resource-intensive, often requiring multiple laboratory experiments. By simulating the interactions of different compounds, ML algorithms can speed up this process. They can then spot promising candidates faster and more accurately than traditional research.
A similar AI-assisted study may reveal further strategies for breaking down plastic. These findings could play an important role in managing current plastic waste and avoiding future waste.
Find ways to reduce plastic usage
For one, reducing the use of this material is the first way AI might help reduce plastic waste. Some businesses are already using AI to simulate and analyze various packaging layouts to understand how to redesign them to provide the same strength with less material. Companies implementing these measures use less plastic.
AI is also able to simulate the substitution of plastics in products and the packaging of alternative materials. Using this knowledge, businesses can switch to more recyclable and environmentally friendly materials without going through a time-consuming, expensive prototyping process. Manually finding the best modifications can take months and lead to several costly mistakes, but AI can do it quickly and efficiently.
Eliminate wasteful mistakes
AI can also enhance more traditional processing techniques. Recycling facilities often use manual sorting techniques to separate recyclable plastics from waste for landfills. Mistakes are inevitable because this repetitive work is often onerous or tiresome for humans, but AI can change that.
Machine vision systems are faster and more precise than humans at separating waste from recyclables. They always achieve the same speed and precision compared to those who are bored and distracted. Recycling facilities can then stop mistakes that can lead to recyclable plastic being dumped in landfills.
Similarly, industrial errors can be avoided by using machine vision and other artificial intelligence solutions in production facilities. By making plastic manufacturers less error-prone, these gadgets will reduce material waste.
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