Waste Sorting Robots Market

Global Waste Sorting Robots Market Size (2024 to 2029)

The size of the global waste sorting robots market was valued at USD 2.3 billion in 2023. The global market size is further expected to expand at a CAGR of 19.6% from 2024 to 2029 and be worth USD 6.73 billion by 2029 from USD 2.75 billion in 2024.

Waste management has become a societal issue, endangering the environment's safety and long-term viability. If garbage is not handled appropriately, it is either burned or kept in various locations, causing harm to the environment and individuals. The previous waste separation approach not only puts the human workforce's health in danger but also pollutes the air, water, and land. As a result, rubbish recycling and reuse have become increasingly important. Traditional waste sorting methods have been replaced by waste sorting robots, which are automated machinery. These robots are artificial intelligence units that are employed in the waste and recycling industries. The waste is separated by a robotic arm that uses a sensor array to detect, pick, and place it separately. Robotics plays a key part in the effective implementation of waste management techniques by speeding up the process and lowering costs. A two-arm robot can sort 4,000 picks every hour, demonstrating its superiority to human labor.

MARKET DRIVERS

The rapid adoption of automation technologies in waste management processes worldwide is primarily driving the growth of the waste sorting robots market.

The need for faster waste management processes to handle the garbage produced, which is increasing at a double-digit rate, is a major driving force for the market expansion of waste sorting robots. The robots' picking speed varies between 3,000 and 6,000 picks per hour, and they work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a 98 percent accuracy rate.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

The high cost and maintenance of waste sorting robots are major barriers for small businesses, which account for a significant portion of the overall number of businesses engaged in waste sorting activities.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Global Waste Sorting Robots Market

The emergence of COVID-19 had a mixed effect on the global waste sorting robots market. Initially, the shutdown of manufacturing units halted the supply of robots, especially in China, which was the epicenter of the pandemic. On a positive note, though, the pandemic has created awareness with regard to hygiene, hence pushing the demand for waste-sorting robots. Furthermore, the lives of sanitary workers are prone to fatal accidents and diseases. Since sanitary workers are also more prone to contracting the coronavirus, therefore, the need for AI-enabled waste-sorting robots have become a necessity for humanitarian reasons. 

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

Global Waste Sorting Robots Market Analysis By Waste Type

The plastic segment accounted for 30.6% of the global market share in 2023 and was the biggest segment among all. The amount of waste produced by various households, business locations, and companies grows in tandem with the world's population. Increased recycling rates and the diversion of precious resources away from landfills can be aided by advanced technologies.

Global Waste Sorting Robots Market Analysis By Industry

The recycling industry segment had the largest market share, accounting for 52.1% of the global waste sorting robots market. The recycling industry's market share has expanded because of increasing compliance with several government laws involving waste management and recycling, as well as increased opportunities for large actors in the recycling sector. Plastics, which are manufactured by recycling old plastics and other materials, are used in a variety of industries, and the plastics industry segment has been growing at a 12.5% annual pace.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

North America is the largest and fastest-growing market because of its increased use of ecologically damaging products. After combining data from key robot vendors, Resource Recycling indicates that roughly 80 robots are either operational or have been purchased in the United States and Canada. They're sorting recyclables, garbage, plastics, shredded electronics, and construction and demolition waste from people's homes and businesses. The region is expected to hold more than 42% of the global market share during the forecast period.

Europe is a prominent regional segment for waste-sorting robots and is anticipated to account for a considerable share of the worldwide market during the forecast period. The growth of the European market is majorly driven by government initiatives and extensive investment in automation. The European market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period.

In APAC, China is the leading manufacturer of waste sorting robots. China recycles a large portion of the world's garbage. However, in April 2019, China implemented harsher contamination restrictions, stating that anything containing more than 0.5 percent impure will be buried. This necessitates the introduction of robots into garbage sorting facilities. Countries like Japan, Singapore and Australia-NZ are ahead in implementing waste sorting robots but India and other South-East Asian countries are still in the planning phases of deployment.

In the LAMEA region, the Middle East is the leading market because of heavy investments in automation. Contrarily, the African and South American markets are behind in planning and implementation.

KEY PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL WASTE SORTING ROBOTS MARKET

Companies playing a major role in the global waste sorting robots market include AMP Robotics (US), Sadako Technologies (Spain), Waste Robotics (Canada), Bollegraaf Recycling Machinery (Netherlands), HOMAG Group (Germany), TOMRA (Norway), Greyparrot (UK), Specim Spectral (Finland), ecoBali (Indonesia) and EuReciclo (Brazil). ZenRobots is the pioneer and also the current market leader in manufacturing waste sorting robots.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE MARKET

• Masotina, an Italian waste management company, has teamed up with ZenRobotics to modernize its plastics sorting facility (PRF) with an AI-powered robotic sorting station for recovering high-purity PET.
• AMP Robotics Corp, a pioneer in AI, robotics, and infrastructure for the waste and recycling business, is expanding its footprint in Europe with the launch of a demonstration facility at SIGMA SA facilities in Lublin, Poland. The facility is open to recycling and waste management firms from throughout Europe who want to separate different types of paper, plastics, and metals using one of AMP's AI-guided robotics systems.
• In October 2021, FCC Environmental Services added a Bollegraaf RoBB-AQC robotic sorter to its Houston material recovery facility, which was supplied by Van Dyk Recycling Solutions of Norwalk, Connecticut (MRF). The MRF's sorting technology, which Van Dyk previously provided, was honored by the National Waste & Recycling Association in 2020.
• Retail customers may now pour more than 100 empty beverage containers into a reverse vending machine (RVM) at once, rather than inserting them one by one, thanks to the launch of the first Tomra R1 models in Germany and Denmark.

DETAILED SEGMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL WASTE SORTING ROBOTS MARKET INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT

This research report on the global waste sorting robots market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on the waste type, industry and region.

By Waste Type

• Organic        
• Plastics
• Metal 
• Waste 
• Chemical      
• Wood 
• Electronic     
• Others

By Industry

• Recycling      
• Plastics
• Metal & Minerals     
• Wood 
• Food  
• Others

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa