Germany’s inauspicious place within the global plastic waste rankings sees the country presently soaring ahead of many of its neighbours within the EU. 854 million kilograms of plastic scraps and waste is the astonishing volume of plastic waste exported by Germany annually, more than any other country in the EU.
According to the World Economic Forum, trailing far behind Germany’s waste footprint are the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and France - all of which have a long way to go to meet the volume of plastic waste that is currently being exported by Germany.
Against this backdrop of increasing societal change and consumer pressure, cloud-powered technology - and in particular, artificial intelligence (AI) - has an extremely powerful role to play when it comes to directly helping to tackle the problem of plastic waste in Germany through innovative means.
A crisis point reached in plastic waste and usage
It is widely accepted that huge plastic reduction is needed to deliver on Paris Agreement targets; recent studies warn that, if current trends continue at their present rate, plastic emissions are likely to triple by 2050, undermining all aspirations to mitigate global warming.
Whilst strict regulations are set out in the German Packaging Act (Verpackungsgesetz), when it comes to disposable beverage packaging and the obligations of distributors to indicate whether the packaging is disposable or reusable; there are currently no special regulations in place for other plastic waste. Disposal is, instead, governed by general waste law requirements under the German Circular Economy Act - with great reliance by Germany at present primarily on the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey and Malaysia to manage this plastic waste.
While the COVID-19 pandemic led to a slight decrease in packaging consumption in Germany in 2020, marking the first decline in the country since 2009, the positive environmental impact initiated by this unprecedented global event was not sustained once ‘normality’ returned to the majority of European daily lives and communities.
Pre-pandemic, Germany was one of the top consumer markets globally for packaging-heavy frozen food - and now in 2023, as German inflation accelerates rapidly amid rising food and service costs, it is likely that even more demand will be seen for processed and frozen food as the German public faces increased financial pressures. These macro trends could place even greater burden on Germany when it comes to the generation and disposal of plastic waste.
Artificial intelligence innovations in plastics recycling
Between now and 2025, the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is investing EUR 30 million into AI innovations aimed specifically at plastics recycling - with politician Anja Karliczek focused on making “Germany an international pioneer in plastics recycling” through harnessing the power of AI to “develop more recyclable materials, sort plastic waste more efficiently and establish new digital markets for reprocessed plastic”, when she was Federal Minister for Education and Research.
Supporting research into AI’s potential to tackle the plastic problem presents a big opportunity for forward-thinking technological companies to have a positive impact.
This national funding initiative, specifically supporting research into AI’s potential to tackle the plastic problem, presents a big opportunity for forward-thinking technological companies to have a positive impact through AI innovation - and evidence of this is already being seen.
Robotic sorting company Recycleye, building on success achieved elsewhere in Europe, has now brought its AI-powered computer vision system and robotic picking technology to Germany’s waste management industry. Recycleye is rolling out in Germany with support of Veolia Germany’s U-Start programme, which supports innovative startups in the fields of energy, waste disposal, water and industry. The intention of Recycleye’s installation within the German market is clear, according to a company spokesperson: to render recycling “a more economically attractive proposition” and, in turn, “prevent more of Germany’s valuable recyclable materials being lost to landfill.”
Unlocking future potential
When it comes to the full possibilities of AI as a force for good in the fight against plastic waste, the future is promising in Germany. Looking globally, researchers in the USA have now successfully used AI to engineer a type of enzyme that can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics into component molecules, then reforming them into new products.
“The possibilities are endless across industries to leverage this leading-edge recycling process,” said Hal Alter, one of the lead researchers on a project that could have vast ramifications globally.
The future remains unwritten - and the strategic use of AI has a very powerful role to play in ensuring that the future of industry aligns with the evolving demands of today’s consumers and the growing pressures that are being placed on our planet.
Learn more about Veolia’s work with AWS: aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/veolia-water
Learn more about how AWS partners and customers are tackling plastic waste: aws.amazon.com/partners/success/modern-milkman-peak
