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Title: Techno-economic analysis of a material recovery facility employing robotic sorting technology
Over the past decade, robots have emerged as a new sorting technology for material recovery facilities (MRFs), enabled through dramatic advances in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). These advances allow robots to become ‘smart’ by coupling them with AI driven vision systems, able to distinguish recyclables by material type. By integrating robotics, MRFs hope to increase sorting speed and accuracy, reduce their residuals, and to become more resilient towards worker shortages. To better understand the economic implications, this study presents a techno-economic analysis of a representative MRF in the U.S. that integrates robotics and compare it to a similar MRF without robotics integration. We compare the metrics net present value, discounted internal rate of return, and payback period for a mid-size MRF with and without robotic integration and add an uncertainty analysis to inform about the most important factors to consider. The results of the techno-economic analysis can inform MRF operators in their future decision-making.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1928448
PAR ID:
10546347
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Editor(s):
Nasr, Nabil
Publisher / Repository:
Scrivener Publishing
Date Published:
Issue:
Ch21
ISBN:
978-1-394-21427-3
Page Range / eLocation ID:
269-278
Format(s):
Medium: X
Location:
Book: Technology Innovation for the Circular Economy: Recycling, Remanufacturing, Design, System Analysis and Logistics
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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