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A great idea in theory, recycling is a pain in practice - a dirty job that relies on people to sift plastics from glass, sort soggy paper from rotten vegetables and root out hazardous items before they get tipped into fast-filling dumps.Now artificial intelligence (AI) is here ‌promising help, bringing potentially the biggest shakeup of the trash industry in decades."I've been working on increasing recycling rates my whole career ‌and nothing seems to move the needle. ‍People are typically lazy," said Dennis Bagley, who runs garbage collection for eight cities and counties across the state of Virginia."This takes that responsibility off (the public). We can do it with AI ⁠and robotics, and increase the amount of recyclables," Bagley told the ⁠Thomson Reuters Foundation.Bagley's Southeastern Public Service Authority processes tens of thousands of tonnes of rubbish a year, burning the garbage of more than a ‍million Virginia residents before transferring the resulting ash to landfill.But the regional landfill is just decades away from capacity - and as Bagley said: "In my industry, that's just around the corner." Now he has a solution - and one that is sparking plenty of interest in local governments across the country: an AI-driven sorting system that should halve the waste going to landfill.Over the past two years, piloting the AI process has already almost tripled recycling rates from 6.8% - where Bagley says they have been stuck for years - to 20%. The project should start operating early next year, following an agreement signed in November between Bagley's waste handling firm and an affiliate of AMP, which is building and will operate the ‌operation.The plant, in Portsmouth, Virginia, will be the largest such operation in the country and will be a trailblazer, Bagley said. "This is a big deal," he said. "This will catch on across the country."Modern recycling in the United States began in the 1960s amid the growing environmental movement, but more recent efficiencies have been hard ‍to come by.Under the new AI system, residents ⁠should be able to throw all ‌their garbage, recycling and even organics in one big bin, to be separated later, said Tim Stuart, CEO of AMP. He said the system should be able to pull out an additional 15% to 20% of plastics, for instance, and 40% more organics, all with a system that will keep learning over time.This could not only lower costs for municipalities, but bring in new revenue as more materials are recovered, and could make recycling affordable for rural areas that may not yet offer the service. "The industry has tried this over many years, but the downfall was the technology wasn't there - it was very prohibitive, very dirty, with lots of manual labor," Stuart said."The AI allows us to be extremely efficient and then pull out additional recycling and organics that is today making its way to landfill. That is a huge opportunity."'Revolutionising' wasteLocal government has long grappled with the ever-shifting demands of recycling: juggling a constant evolution in packaging and markets, as well as the vagaries of public habits, said Kristyn Oldendorf, senior director of public policy and communications with the Solid Waste Association of ​North America.While the association has no statistics on AI adoption, ‌it says the tech is "revolutionizing" the solid waste industry.And AI's potential goes well beyond waste sorting, she said. "It's a revolution in different ways - marketing, workforce needs, everything".Cities such as Centerville, Ohio, for instance, ⁠are experimenting with AI-assisted cameras mounted on collection trucks. The cameras scan ‍refuse in real time, detect any "contamination" - items unsuitable for recycling - then send educational notices to the offending households."For the city, it costs us more to recycle if we have a higher percentage of contamination. These are things the sort centre has to throw away -- pay to dispose and truck it," said Pat Turnbull, Centerville's public works director.Centerville has tried public education on recycling, but found efforts - while effective - were labor-intensive.The truck-mounted cameras, which the city is currently piloting, promise easier, more widespread results, Turnbull said. "We want a higher percentage of recyclables for the 'double green' reason: We want to do the right thing ​for the environment, and we want to save ourselves money."E-WasteAI might also help solve more modern trash problems, such as electronic waste, which can pose a risk to humans if mishandled, said researcher David Park.Every American makes an average of 47 pounds of e-waste a year, according to non-profit Environment America.Among this new e-waste are lithium ion batteries - used to power e-scooters, among other products - which can explode if compressed, for instance in a processing facility.AI could pinpoint a particular type of battery's shelf life, help waste workers identify potential hazards and even suggest safe and efficient disposal instructions, said Park, a visiting fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.Elements of the recovered materials could also be of great value, he said, suggesting a future of "urban mining leases" to extract more value from trash."In the US, just 20 to 30% gets processed, so ⁠the rest ends up in landfills or incinerators - a missed opportunity," Park said. "The raw materials we might need to build our future are in our trash." 

GCC will need to invest an estimated $12bn to $25bn in recycling infrastructure by 2045 to position itself as a circular plastics hub, according to industry assessments.A new report from KAPSARC and Strategy& Middle East, part of the PwC network, finds that the Gulf Co-operation Council could play a critical role in closing the global gap in recycled plastics — with demand projected to outstrip supply by up to 35mn tonnes by 2030.Although demand for recycled plastics is rising by 8% annually — outpacing the 2% annual growth in virgin plastics — supply continues to lag behind.Despite growing momentum, less than 70% of global demand for recycled materials is being met. The shortfall is expected to reach 35mn tonnes by 2030.Today, GCC countries generate around 10mn tonnes of plastic waste annually but only 10% is recycled, reused or recovered. This ratio is on par with the global average, yet behind leaders like China and other OECD countries.In Saudi Arabia, the plastics and chemical sectors contribute 6%–9% of GDP, underscoring the region’s economic exposure to global shifts in plastics demand and the opportunity to lead in circularity.Devesh Katiyar, Partner, at Strategy& Middle East, said, “With global mechanical recycling still under 10% and pressure mounting from ESG mandates, carbon regulations, and shifting consumer preferences, there is a growing mismatch between supply and demand.“Unless addressed, this imbalance could delay climate progress and reinforce reliance on virgin plastics. The GCC is uniquely positioned to bridge this gap by leveraging its petrochemical strengths for circular solutions.”Globally, chemical recycling — especially pyrolysis — is gaining momentum, but its commercial viability depends on feedstock availability, energy prices, and plant efficiency.Modelling by KAPSARC and Strategy& shows that chemical recycling plants in the GCC that are embedded in petrochemical clusters can break even at plastic waste feedstock prices of $240 to $280 per metric tonne. Even at higher prices of $450 to $500 per tonne, profitability is still achievable, provided recycled plastics continue to command a market premium over virgin materials.Jayanth Mantri, Principal, at Strategy& Middle East, commented, “The economics of chemical recycling are compelling for the GCC, especially when integrated into existing systems and supported by the region’s competitive energy costs. Unlike traditional petrochemicals, chemical recycling is knowledge-intensive and offers potentially higher economic multipliers and innovation-driven growth.”Low-cost energy and existing infrastructure make the GCC well-positioned to lead. According to the report, success requires progress on three fronts: feedstock access, regulatory certainty, as well as innovation and consumer awareness.To ensure stable feedstock supply and global market access, the GCC must establish formal plastic waste trade corridors with Asia, Africa, and Europe.This includes upgrading ports, customs systems, and cross-border traceability infrastructure in line with international standards — securing inbound waste streams and enabling outbound exports of certified recycled resins.To reduce reliance on foreign policy shifts, the region must also accelerate domestic regulatory reform. Key priorities include extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, recycled content mandates, pricing reform for virgin polymers, and harmonised quality and safety standards across the GCC.Scaling circularity will also depend on investment in chemical recycling, smart sorting systems, and blockchain traceability tools. Government co-funding can support R&D in partnership with industry, while consumer incentives and awareness campaigns will help drive demand and improve waste segregation.The report also calls for blended financing to help build a modern circular plastics ecosystem, noting that GCC nations should leverage sovereign wealth funds, PPPs, and de-risking mechanisms to mobilise capital and attract global players.