‘Smart’ recycling bins using artificial intelligence to identify various types of packaging could be launched in Hong Kong next year.

Local start-up Green AI Technology has developed the technology to automate the separation process, enabling waste to be segregated into four categories: plastic bottles, aluminium cans, drinks cartons, and general refuse.

The aim is to improve what are regarded as poor recycling rates in Hong Kong. The local Environment Protection Department reported a recovery rate of just 32% in 2022, compared with 67.7% in Germany the same year. Hong Kong is aiming for a 40-45% recovery rate by 2035.

Green AI Technology’s smart bins aim to bridge the gap by providing businesses such as shopping centres, hotels, and commercial buildings with tools to meet sustainability reporting requirements.

The smart bins, equipped with AI cameras, sensors and conveyor belts are engineered to fine-sort waste by material, a capability that traditional systems lack, says Green AI’s chief executive Cola Lam. Currently, most AI cameras detect waste packaging based on colour, size, and brand, but they can’t differentiate by material, he explained.

“Smart bins enable accurate waste segregation and enhance the value of the waste collected for recycling,” said Lam. This is especially important for aluminium cans, which require much less energy to recycle than to produce from raw materials.

Green AI Technology was spun off in June last year from the Hong Kong Productivity Council’s Industrial Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Centre. Majority owned by employees, the start-up is a tenant of Hong Kong Science Park in Pak Shek Kok.